Nurture Your Own

Releasing the pressure, it’s good for the teapot and the water. Try it sometime. ~Jeb Dickerson, www.howtomatter.com

Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you. ~John De Paola

If you have ever suffered from eczema or know someone who does, you would know that the ulgy, unsightly rash when the skin ailment hits.

The unsightly red, angry rashes with scratched marks lining here and there can lead to major embarrassment for the sufferers. For those who are fortunate enough not to encounter the unbearable itch and unsightly rashes first hand, they might simply waved it off as “just another skin problem”. However, many sufferers are genuinely tormented by the constant discomfort and inconvenience. If you are new to dealing with eczema and worried about the reaction of others, please continue reading on for a few helpful tips.

Dealing with Eczema Embarrassment Tip #1 – You Are Not Alone

Indeed you are not. Babies to senior citizens can get eczema without any reason. It seems that one day they are not there, and the  rashes are all over the body on the next day. You may feel that you are the only one in the world who want to tear off your own skin, well, you are not.  You may not know but your next door neighbour or your colleague could be just hiding from you. In fact, you may be able to find local and online support groups where you can meet others.

Dealing with Eczema Embarrassment Tip #2 – You do NOT have to hide!

It is a common skin condition and it is not contagious. People may be surprised or even shocked at your angry red patches and could be really nosy to ask lots of questions, however, you do not need to hide away the rashes.  Hiding them under long sleeves and long pants may actually do more harm because your skin needs to breathe. I used to hid them but the itch can get worse when the weather gets hot. I rather expose the rashes than to suffer the excruciating itch.

Dealing with Eczema Embarrassment Tip #3 – You can Talk about your condition

Don’t hide and in fact be brave and own up and simply say “I have eczema. It is a common and non-contagious skin condition.” That should shut those nosy folks up. Somehow they are more embarrass to ask questions when they sensed that you are not.

Dealing with Eczema Embarrassment Tip #4 – You can Seek  Relief & take care of yourself first

Don’t worry about what other thinks, take care of yourself. When you seek treatments to heal yourself faster, you do not have to bother with the itch and the rashes will be a lot less noticeable for people to whisper or gossip.

Live YOUR life and not theirs. What they think is their business, take care of your health and yourself is much more important.

Additional Reading on Experts’ Views on Eczema

• Eczema Free Forever by Rachel Anderson
• Cure Child Eczema by Audrey Lyn
• Beat Eczema Now by Susan Clark
• Eczema Diet Secrets by Evelyn Lim

A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety. ~Aesop, Fables

The field of consciousness is tiny. It accepts only one problem at a time. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The only liberty an inferior man really cherishes is the liberty to quit work, stretch out in the sun, and scratch himself. ~H.L. Mencken

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now. Very nurturing to the soul.

I was forwarded this story via an email which did not specify who is the writer. If anyone out there knows who wrote this wonderful piece, let me so that I can include a credit line.

THE WOODEN SPOON
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in- law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’ s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in- law became irritated with the mess.

‘We must do something about father,’ said the son. ‘I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.’

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather’ s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.

He asked the child sweetly, ‘What are you making?’ Just as sweetly, the boy responded,
‘Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. ‘ The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather’ s hand and gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I’ve learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things:
a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I’ve learned that making a ‘living’ is not the same thing as making a ‘life..’

I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands.You nee d to be able to throw something back sometimes.

I’ve learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you

I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.

I’ve learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch — holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I’ve learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about ..I just did.

There is more to life than increasing its speed. ~Mohandas K. Gandhi

I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once. ~Jennifer Yane

If your bundle of joy is suffering from eczema, he/she will surely cry and even scream when the itch became unbearable. On top that, he/she has to deal with dry skin and even sores.

Thankfully there are quite several home remedies that parents and caregivers can experiment and see if they work for you

Moisturize
The first step is to keep the skin moisturized. Use a natural Aloe Vera lotion several times a day will help. You may reapply frequently to keep baby’s skin from drying out. Avoid any lotions that contains fragrances and alcohols. Beside moisturizing externally, let her drink plenty of fluid to ensure he/she is well-watered.

Oatmeal Bath
An oatmeal bath is very soothing and help skin heal. You can pour two cups of oats in a food processor (or use a coffee grinder) and grind them into a powder and add them to a running bath of lukewarm water. let your precious one soak in the oatmeal bath for about 10 – 15 minutes. After which, carefully rinse with clean water and dry with a soft towel. It is OK bath baby with an oatmeal bath twice daily.

Healing Lotions
Healing lotions and certain oils (such as Watermelon and Coconut Oil)will shorten healing time, moisturize and protect the baby’s skin. Lotions to look for are those made with blueberry leaves. Blueberry leaves are really excellent at relieving inflammation of eczema, irritation and itching.

Zinc is also a great ingredient. Apply zinc lotion directly on the affected area.

Lotion that contains vitamin E, or apply vitamin E oil directly on the affected area, can work well too. It will quickly reduce itching and improve healing. Continue applying the vitamin E oil until the skin is healed.

Reduce Irritants
Some babies experience eczema because they are allergic to detergents. You may want to change to a pure soap for bathing as well as all cleaning and laundry to see if your baby’s eczema improves.

Luckily, most babies outgrow eczema, or at the very least, it will improve as he/she gets older.

Additional Reading on Experts’ Views on Eczema

• Cure Child Eczema byAudrey Lyn
• Eczema Free Forever by Rachel Anderson
• Beat Eczema Now by Susan Clark
• Eczema Diet Secrets by Evelyn Lim

Additional Reading on “Homemade Eczema Treatment” by Vivienne Quek

• Homemade Eczema Treatment (10) Milk
• Homemade Eczema Treatment (9) Almond Oil with Vitamin E
• Homemade Eczema with Oolong Tea
• Homemade Eczema Treatment 8: Cure Eczema Eyes with Aloe Vera
• Homemade Eczema Treatment (7): Butter
• Homemade Eczema Treatment (6): Mango Peels
• Homemade Eczema Treatment (5) – Wheatgrass
• Homemade Eczema Treatment (4) – Watermelon & Coconut Oil
• Homemade Eczema Treatment (3) – Crisco
• Homemade Eczema Treatment (2) – Ice Therapy
• Homemade Eczema Treatment (1) – Oatmeal

Stress is the trash of modern life – we all generate it but if you don’t dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life. ~Danzae Pace

Sometimes it seems your ever-increasing list of things to do can leave you feeling totally undone. ~Susan Mitchell and Catherine Christie, I’d Kill for a Cookie

To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring – it was peace. ~Milan Kundera

Is everything as urgent as your stress would imply? ~Carrie Latet

Some of the secret joys of living are not found by rushing from point A to point B, but by inventing some imaginary letters along the way. ~Douglas Pagels, These Are the Gifts I’d Like to Give to You