A Seriously Overdue Update

Has it really been two weeks since I posted anything? I mean, I knew I’d been busy, but didn’t realize I’d been that  busy! This is going to be a long  post. You’ve been warned. J

I took a little time off from writing to go be a florist for Valentine’s Day at my mama’s shop, and then for a bit of rest from the stress that comes with working the insane amount of hours that I do. We also took a little trip down south for my oldest daughter’s first archery competition, and it was nice to get out and about to somewhere we normally wouldn’t visit.

Caffeine: My Number 1 Suspect

Ok, so I didn’t make it through the week without coffee. I had to have caffeine to pull off the hours I needed to a few days ago. However, I did use real cream and maple syrup rather than my non-dairy creamer. My dyshidrotic eczema worsened. (By the way, I just realized I had a touch of dyslexia and have been spelling dyshidrosis and dyshidrotic incorrectly all this time. I can’t figure out how to change my labels, so I’m just going to let it be and do it right from here on out.)

Since I didn’t have any other drinks other than water, La Croix, and peppermint tea, I know it is something in the coffee that’s triggering my flares. Whether it’s caffeine or some other element, I’m not sure. So I’m moving forward with the second phase of experiments. I got some Coke. Caffeine-free Coke, to be exact.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I cheated today. I had Dr. Pepper. If I had been smart, I would have taken a bunch of water with me…or drank the La Croix that I did take with me. But no, I didn’t do that.

It started innocently enough. We had to go pick up my step-daughter for the weekend, which is a 2 hour drive one way. I wanted something with some flavor and that would last the trip, so I rationalized that Sprite did not have caffeine. I got a fountain drink and sipped on it.

Then, once we got M, my step-daughter, we needed to pay a visit to my niece since we’d have to miss her birthday party this weekend. We knew it would be late getting home, so we opted to eat at the cheapest place we could think of—Taco Bell. 6 people for less than $20…you can’t beat it. I got one large cup to share with the whole family. We put Dr. Pepper in it.

Finally...Dishydrosis Relief!

So, you know that I had to break the cleanse rather abruptly last night. One of the reasons I was doing the cleanse was in the hopes that it would help to clear up my dishydrotic eczema. I am happy to report that, since I began the cleanse, I have seen virtually no new blisters erupt. That means that the existing blisters finally had a fighting chance to heal.

In order for them to heal, however, I had to dry them out and stop the incessant itching. The vinegar soaks were helpful but less potent than needed. The saltwater soak worked wonderfully to dry the blisters, but within a few hours, the dryness and itching was unbearable. At that point, I was desperate and proceeded to apply generous amounts of alcohol to the lesions. Yeah, that was fun.

The alcohol worked as well, if not better than, the saltwater soak for drying. It certainly hurt enough to make me forget about the itching in any event. Still, in just a few hours, the incredible itching was back. It didn’t seem to matter what kind of moisturizer I used, either. Cocoa butter, Curel Intensive Healing, coconut oil, Carley’s Clear & Smooth products: nothing seemed to help for more than 15 minutes at a time. Though, I will say that Carely’s moisturizers were the most helpful—I love Carley’s!

Help is in the Kitchen

I had come down to the last natural option I’d read about but had dismissed because it just seemed like there was no way it would work: baking soda. Supposedly, you could make a paste from baking soda and a small amount of water, then cake this paste all over your problem areas for relief. The mild abrasiveness is supposed to help the dead, dry skin come off, and the pH of the solution is supposed to balance the skin somehow.

Again, I was desperate and out of options, so I tried it. It felt amazing during application…very soothing and only a mild sting here and there on the worst areas. It wasn’t until I rinsed the stuff off that the burning began, which I found strange. But…immediately after my first application of this stuff, I noticed my skin improving. It was more than just an improvement in the blisters, too; it really did help the dead skin to slough off.

I’ve continued applying the baking soda paste 3 times per day and it’s working wonders on my dishydrosis. I still have some blisters, but they are improving. My skin is pretty irritated in the worst areas and I still have some swelling in my fingers, but it’s nothing like it was before. I am actually beginning to see new, healthy skin forming where there was once nothing but blisters and hard, dry, cracking, thick scales.

It’s really important to stay moisturized so the skin can continue to heal. I’ve given up on everything except my Carley’s products and coconut oil. I alternate applying them about every hour or two. Carley’s seems to absorb better than the oil, but the oil is soothing and smells nice, so I like using it.

I think the cleanse, even no longer than I was able to do it, arrested whatever reaction it was that was making me flare up. This, in turn, allowed the topical treatments to begin working toward healing. So if nothing else good came from this, maybe I’ve gotten the eczema under control. I just hope my having to eat so soon into this process won’t undo the progress. I’ll have to be very careful about the types of foods I eat lest I aggravate the condition again. And it goes without saying that I cannot go back to Coke again. Still having a hard time with that one. 

The Master Cleanse and New Beginnings

It took me two hours this morning to get up the gall to do my flush, but once I started I was ok. I’m actually feeling pretty good right now. I’m working on my 10^th glass of lemonade and I only have a mild headache. Of course, I’ve been drinking water like it’s going out of style, too, so I’m wondering if that has helped to minimize the caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

I’m actually just a tad concerned that I’m not feeling like I’m about to die. Don’t get me wrong…I am most grateful that the first day has not been like it was the last time. But at the same time, I should be seriously detoxing from caffeine right now and I feel fine for the most part. So I have to wonder if the worst is yet to come, or worse—the cleanse isn’t doing anything.

The Master Cleanse and Hunger

I was not remotely hungry up until about two hours ago. That’s when the family ate. Grilled cheese sandwiches…and they smelled sooo good. C was originally going to make bacon and eggs, but I gave him a look, while calling him evil, that suggested his life may be at risk if he made me smell bacon cooking right now. ;)

Defining Addiction

I’d like to be clear about something before I get too far into this journey. I am not, in any way, trying to minimize serious addictions, make myself a victim, or intentionally publish false or inaccurate information. I do feel that “addicted” best describes my relationship with soft drinks because I feel like I have to have them. And, since Coke is my soft drink of choice, the play on words was too much to resist. But to say that cola addiction is a medically recognized disorder—no, that’s not what I’m doing. So please don’t misunderstand me.

Now that we have that cleared up, I thought it might be appropriate to discuss what addiction really is.

Dishydrotic Eczema: The New Leprosy

Ok, I admit that this title may be a bit misleading. Dishydrotic eczema, also called dishydrosis and pompholyx, is neither new nor a form of leprosy. But it can make you feel like you have a flesh-eating disease, so that’s how I’m justifying my choice of words.

I have had the lovely good fortune to develop dishydrosis in recent months. It started out innocent enough—just a few tiny little bumps on one of my fingers that were strange but didn’t bother me. It stayed this way for weeks so I didn’t think much of it. Then…well, it got angry.

Addictions Come in Many Forms

Street drugs. Prescription pain killers. Alcohol. Pornography. Gambling. Most of us know and recognize these things as forms of addiction. Mine is Coke. Not the white powdery substance you may be thinking—I’ve never actually even seen that stuff in person. No, my Coke is a darkly colored, delightfully sweet, and magnificently bubbled liquid…and I swear, the white stuff could not possibly be more addictive than what I’m using.

Coke is but one of my unhealthy addictions, but it’s the one that makes me the maddest because
it just seems so ridiculous.

I mean, they’ve long known that cigarettes have a chemical that make it difficult for your brain to let them go. That one I don’t feel quite as bad about—at least not from a psychological standpoint. But cola? Who the heck can’t go through their day without at least 6 cans of soda? Me, that’s who!

For the longest time, it was Dr. Pepper. For nearly 15 years it was Dr. Pepper. I didn’t even care for Coke all that much. Then one day several months ago, I got a craving for Coke and we’ve had a shameful love affair ever since. Now, I know that Dr. Pepper is soda, too—that’s why I mentioned it. For nearly half my life, I’ve been incredibly dependent on soft drinks.

An Addiction to Sugar, Caffeine, or Both?

I am a firm believer that high fructose corn syrup—the stuff they sweeten these drinks with—is addictive. I also believe that sugar in and of itself is addictive, no matter the form. I had periods of time that I didn’t drink as much cola, but I did have to have my sweet tea. I could go through a gallon of that stuff in one day all by myself. When I’ve tried to give up soft drinks by not buying them, I default to drinking tea instead of water. Our tea is very, very sweet.

Then there’s the caffeine. Oh, what would I do without my glorious caffeine? I can drink an entire pot of coffee in just a few hours and not think a thing about it. After that, I start in on my Coke. It’s ridiculous! I would bet I get more caffeine in one day than most people get in a week. I know it’s doing nothing for my insomnia except making it worse, but I seriously cannot get through my day without it.

Making a Choice

I’ve been this addicted to Coke and caffeine before. I gave it up—for a while. You can read my story here if you have a while to wade through it. So I know I can come off this stuff, however unpleasant the process may be. It’s staying off it that’s the problem. But I have to. My addiction is doing more than making me fat and keeping me up at night. I believe it may be killing me. And so, I’ve made a choice to begin a journey—and I hope you’ll share it with me.