Dear friends and family: This is going to be long, but please take the time to read this as I will be going through a major life change within the month. This is also a special warning to those suffering from dermatitis or who love people with the condition: Ever since I was a young child, I had itchy red patches of skin and was diagnosed with Eczema. My doctors prescribed an assortment of topical corticosteroid treatments which would clear away the symptoms in days. With clear skin, I could happily do all the things kids do and enjoy my young life. Fast-forward to my adolesence. The Eczema is still with me. When it gets bad, I apply the latest corticosteroid Ive been given. Each time my skin returns to normal and I stop the creams, the symptoms to return greater than before. No big deal, right? Ill just get a stronger steroid. Fast-forward to February 2013. For people without dermatitis, its difficult to understand. Imagine writhing under your clothes, constantly scratching yourself; imagine scratching raw, having large patches of your body turn to open wounds and sting and itch. Imagine trying to lie down comfortably to sleep when its impossible to find a position that doesnt put this irritated skin in contact with your sheets, effectively turning the area into a petri dish for bacteria and infections. Panned over weeks or months, the physical uncalm turns to mental uncalm and the agony turns to despair. My condition was so bad I broke down in tears and told my mentor I didnt want to live anymore. I went to see a dermatologist who prescribed me a miracle cure, or so I thought: an immunosuppressive ointment called Protopic. At first it was a godsend. My symptoms were relieved within days and I could live a normal life again. But soon thereafter my eczema didnt stay religated to a few areas; it spread all over my body. I was having to use the Protopic from head to toe. And for a time, it continued to work. But being an immosuppressant, the ability of my skin to defend itself against pathogens and bacteria was dwindling. Eventually I developed an abcess on my thigh. I started to feel sick. Aside from these growing health concerns, the Protopic itself was losing its effectiveness against my Eczema. On October 9th, 2013, out of fear of developing a serious infection or life-threatening condition, I quit Protopic completely. Fast-forward to today. Every waking moment is a nightmare. Being awake is insufferable; I would rather be asleep. I have Eczema patches over 40% of my body that are so thick that my skin feels like sandpaper, or like an elephants. My eyelids are so thick that I can barely see when I wake up in the morning. I now have to go on disability from work and uproot my life, leaving my girlfriend, mother, brother and friends to go spend time in Florida with my father where my symptoms will lessen. I have no idea how long I will have to be away, but I do know that if I dont leave, I will have to endure the winter here which will do so much damage to my skin that I may have to be hospitalized and, from the use of immunosuppressants, I could die. Heres what I want you to take away from this: if you have dermatitis, using topical treatments will undermine your bodys natural ability to detoxify properly. You will feel good in the moment, but eventually you will suffer as I have. If you use these treatments, or know someone who does, you need to STOP NOW, suffer the withdrawal, and see a homeopath or nutritionist who can right your body from the inside out. The truth is, Eczema IS CURABLE - but big pharma doesnt want you to know this, because in order to rake in the money, they need you wallowing in pain. With natural detoxification and proper diet your body will rebuild itself. I found this out too late. I am treating myself properly now, but unfortunately I will have to uproot my life in order to do it liveably. Please, do not let it come to this. I would not wish this on my worst enemy. I believe life hands us situations, sometimes drastic ones, in order to push us to learn and to grow. Its easy for me to look at this as a cruel move by the universe, but in the end I will learn better how to take care of my body, to be more mindful of my food, exercise and overall health - in the end, I will learn committment. I will miss everyone in Rochester, but when I am better I will be back. I dont want to leave but I have to, and I will make the most of this life transition and look for the silver lining. I love you guys and I will see you all soon. Luke
Posted on: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 21:13:57 +0000