Things As They Stand

My skin has been flaring up in the heat but in an odd way; I have pimples spotting my torso and face. It’s quite different and I don’t really mind because they don’t hurt like weeping eczema does. O’s scalp is doing better than it was, but is still very dry. Ironically, my little [21 years] sister E, who has never had sympathy for ‘ugly diseases’, has had a breakout on her feet for the past month. Standard blisters, weeping and then calcification, but in her mind she is suddenly hideous. The doctor told her that she needs to stop wearing rubber flip flops, because she’s allergic to them, but she’s chosen to ignore that suggestion.

My Face in 1999

I don’t really enjoy sharing photos like this, and not very many exist, but I think it’s fair to show you an inkling of what I’ve described.

In ‘99 I had half of one eyebrow because the rest had been scratched out. You can’t tell in this weirdly exposed Polaroid but my cheeks were oozing flesh with hard skin flakes the size of quarters chipping off. My eyes were quite swollen and a little raw as well.

The Literal Inheritance of a Father Figure

This past weekend I was at RoboGames 2008, standing in a bot building area [commonly called a 'pit'] and reading In the Beginning. The 220 pound combat bots were throwing each other around, the crowd responding to the action, and small children raced around laughing in excitement to meet R2-D2. My friend Dan popped up on his scooter and laughed “You can read anywhere can’t you?”

Dry Heat and Yellow Pages

Summer is finally here and my skin is coping alright so far. My fingers are swelling and oozing, but my scalp is the worst off, since I can’t really put moisturizer on it. My left inner elbow is flaring as well.

In an effort to spend less money I’ve been playing WoW and reading more of the books I already have.

Yesterday I was walking through one of our bookcase hallways and the name “Chaim Potok” leapt out at me. I stopped and pulled it off the shelf; a yellowed 1975 paperback copy of In the Beginning. I read My Name is Asher Lev and Davita’s Harp last summer, and finished The Gift of Asher Lev about a month ago. In the Beginning starts wonderfully, with a simple but striking line;

“All beginnings are hard.”

I’m also still reading Michael Strassfeld’s A Book of Life. I began it in October when Rabbi Noa Kushner told me to buy it, 1) because she loves it and 2) because it’s one of the books used in the conversion class. It’s so full and enjoyable that I’m intentionally taking my time with it, and much of it is underlined in pencil.

Non-Review Review: Hair Off Mittens

Back in high school, about 12 years ago, I used Hair Off Mittens instead of shaving my legs. They’re little tubes of super fine grade sandpaper that you use to gently rub off hair and dead skin. It was a little irritating but didn’t cause a giant rash like razors do. Since my local drugstore doesn’t carry them anymore I ordered some, hoping to provide you with a review and possibly a picture of the results.

Another Seventh Generation Detergent Review

This weekend I tried out the Free & Clear Natural 2X Concentrate Laundry Liquid and was happy with the results. It passed the wash test and did not fade my dark clothing as some reviewers experienced. Those may have been flukes, water chemistry, or a ‘beta’ recipe. It took less detergent than their original formula, which has apparently been discontinued, to achieve the same result. Half the money, half the plastic, all the snuggly non-irritation.

Next I’ll locate some dish washing liquid so I can share in that necessary household duty without losing all the skin on my hands.  Also, the Seventh Generation fabric softener - a whole new experience! I have my fingers crossed that it’ll work fabulously with no reaction.

What’s With the Weather

May in Northern California is usually warm and sunny with lots of pollen in the air and friendly breezes to carry it along. As I write this it’s overcast and cold, and the effect on my eczema is very odd. Usually colder weather with light showers makes my skin happy - not too dry, irritated or itchy. But this season my skin is very dry and breaking out every day. I’m guessing it’s because of the pollen in the air, less rain than usual last winter, and stress.

Pubmed - Research Resource

Pubmed is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health and very useful to anyone with a little curiosity and time. After 20 minutes of hunting on the first day I discovered information on the following.

• Polysensitivity - patients with multiple contact allergies
• UV light sensitivity in patients with atopic dermatitus “The compromised skin barrier in AD is especially vulnerable to UV radiation exposure.”
• AD: Genetics or environment? “Recently, it was demonstrated that Filaggrin (=filament-aggregating protein, FL) is a major gene for atopic eczema.”

These are exciting to me because it proves that people are giving eczema attention and are trying to discover as much as they can about it, unlike what I’ve always been told by dermatologists - “It isn’t fatal, so it’s not a priority.” I’m also happy to hear that someone has actually figured out what genetic happenstance is involved in eczema.

Re: Lack of Posts

I have a slew of entries waiting to be written; the topics and details are all sketched out. But my eczema has been flaring and burning, which keeps me from sleeping very well. And of course insomnia can make for fantastic writing, but for me, lately - it’s inspiring nothing. I’ve been trying playing a lot of ‘old’ music and dancing until I’m tired enough to maybe sleep. I’ve also been studying for a Photoshop class midterm and trying to keep the details of resolution and printing from escaping my brain before the exam.

Ever heard ‘Auf Wiedersehn, My Dear’ by the Comedian Harmonists? They were a German group in the 1930s. Their cover of Duke Ellington’s ‘Creole Love Call’ is amazing.

Curiosities

Often when we see someone who looks ‘different’ we wonder exactly what it is that’s causing that distinction. An accident, DNA, childhood illness, divorce? Of course it’s almost always very rude to ask. My experiences have usually been along the lines of “What’s wrong with you?” which makes me feel like I’m in a petri dish, theirs to analyze and suggest experiments to. But sometimes I’m the curious the one, and unless the person has volunteered information I tend to keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to make anyone feel like a sideshow and often have no idea how to pose so delicate a question. Besides the fact that it’s really none of my business.

But here in the virtual anonymity of the internet I invite you to ask me any question you like, no matter how bizarre or personal they may seem. I’ll answer any that I can. Fire away!