At one point, Vicki’s symptoms became so searing, she told her nurse she “just wanted to die”. ~ New.com/au
Wow! This is quite sad considering she was diagnosed with eczema much later on in life. It’s also worrisome how there are a lot of products promoted to “cure” eczema. Unfortunately, eczema is complicated and each case is different. What works for some, might not work for others.
One of the hardest issues with eczema beside the condition itself is the time and MONEY spent on treating it. Depending on where you live in, it can be expensive. All the doctor appointments, medical evaluations, prescriptions, DIY methods, specialists, etc. it adds up.
So while seeing this headline isn’t too farfetched I was taken aback that she’d only been diagnosed with eczema in 2010. My heart goes out to those that are diagnosed with eczema later on in life. Those of us that have grown up with it, understand (at least to a certain extent) how to manage it for the most part, and how our lives were never really “normal” as you never know when your skin breaks out.
Those that are new to the condition can’t quite grasp that there really isn’t a quick fix cure. It may disappear for some time, but your skin will always be susceptible to it.
Here are a few highlights from the article:
- Vicki Layton from Brisbane, Australia noticed a rash across her stomach in 2010
- Thinking it was from yard work she brushed it off and went to work
- While at work she noticed it had spread to other areas of her body
- Soon after the rash started affecting her social life, daily routines, and sleep
- She tried multiple creams, diets, and to which no avail
- Not only was her skin covered in rashes, at one point it became inflamed and infected
- It wasn’t until Vicki’s friend found her collapsed on the floor and suffering “in a delirium” that she was rushed to the hospital and treated
- ***Never let your skin get so bad to the point of it being inflamed and infected. At this point, she should have sought medical help
- Her skin was so bad that it had broken through the bones on her collarbone and heels causing a severe bone infarction. <– this is horrifying
- It was after her hospital stay that she was diagnosed with eczema (to the point where it got so infected, not sure what else should have been included because that seemed to be more than eczema)
- Due to this diagnosis, she was determined to rid herself of eczema
“I feel like such a fool for spending this much money … but when you suffer so relentlessly for so long, it’s hard not to want to believe you have finally found a cure,” she said.
- She’s tried steroids, light therapy, pills, lotions, diets, bleach baths, and other radical treatments. So much so that she estimated to the tune of $50,000
- Her biggest obstacle with eczema was sleeping properly
- She even resorted to sleeping in the bathtub, on her back, or with her legs crossed with her head on the coffee table.
- The lack of sleep, the unbearable skin, and the overall frustration led her to isolate herself from the world.
“My face and body was constantly raw and weeping, so I withdrew from the world,” she said.
“I had no friends and no life outside my house, where I lived alone.”
- After 10 years of suffering, she was able to figure out a method that worked for her.
- Not only that but she decided to join an Eczema Support Australia group where others gather and support one another.
- She also had her happily ever after as she’s found a supportive husband and got married last September.
do you really need to go that far to cure ezcema, that too much
I agree that it’s very sad that she had to spend that much. Sometimes people are desperate and are willing exhaust all options.