2006-10-23
itching and scratching and oozing, oh my!
|Fall is firmly in place here in Michigan and winter is stridently riding its heels. With the drop in temperature my eczema is flaring up again. It�s very odd to me, the design these dry patches take on my left hand and lower legs.
It doesn�t happen on my right hand. Maybe this is the dermatology god�s way of throwing me a bone, seeing as I�m right handed.
Anyway, if you have never experienced the itch of eczema, consider yourself more than lucky. If scratched, the itch -- while just noticeable at first -- becomes a full-blown wild fire of intensity and reaches almost orgasmic proportions. It�s like the itch emanates from the bone and not the skin.
So the scratching is extremely satisfying while you�re at it, but as soon as you stop the orgasmic ride quickly disintegrates into searing pain.
Frequently the itchy area becomes a dry, scaly patch. And if you dare to join the ranks of the All-Star League of Eczema those scaly patches become bleeding, oozing scabs. Yeah team!
I�m trying to stay on top of the itching this year (my 11th year as an All-Star member!) and I resolve to moisturize more and scratch less.
Strangely enough, I never had eczema before we moved into this house. I don�t know if it�s the heating system (we did add a humidifier to the furnace, didn�t change anything for me) or if it's just garden-variety black mold eating away at my flesh.
Perhaps I will never know the cause.
2006-10-23 at 11:19 a.m.
