Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Overly Sensitive

There's no denying that this kid belongs to me.


The blonde hair, the blue eyes, even the chubby little cheeks are a dead giveaway.  Those are most certainly my set of genes shining through.

He's got a personality that parallels mine, as well.  He's got a spark in his eye, a will as strong as an ox, & a fearless attitude that lets nothing stand in his way.  Once this boy sets his mind to something, fuhgeddaboudit.  And though it pangs my pride to admit it, it's when he's at his naughtiest that I see so much of myself mirroring back at me.  I mean, let's face it, he didn't get that spunky, stubborn, bull headed personality from his laid back, happy go lucky Daddyboy.  Nope, that fiesty little demeanor of his trickled right on down from the Momma gene pool.


And if his dashing good looks & spicy spirit weren't enough to make you believe that this boy is a chip off the ol' block, then there's one last thing you can look at for further proof that it is undeniably my DNA running through those baby veins.

His skin.


He has the worst skin in the world.  It's fair, it's sensitive, it burns easily, it's dry, it's rough, its scratchy, & it only takes the slightest irritant to send it into a flaming red rash.


Looks like Meatball is following right along in the footsteps of his Momma.  And more than likely, those footsteps are going to lead him straight to the front door of the dermatologist.  Poor thing.


I'm no stranger to itchy, dry, scratchy, bumpy, horrible skin.   And me & my dermatologist,  we're like this {crosses fingers}.  I can't wear bandages, the adhesive makes me break out in horrific rashes.  I'm allergic to stitches, luckily I've only had to have them once.  Any kind of tag on my clothing will wreak havoc on my skin.  I've got eczema that rears its ugly head from time to time. I have to apply lotion {lots of it} every single day.  I break into hives when I'm cold, when I'm nervous, when I'm upset.  And the latest lovely issue I've had with my skin is a condition called Melasma {aka "pregnancy mask"}.  It's a brown tinted area that showed up on my face one day out of the blue, that I later found out was caused by all of those crazy, raging pregnancy hormones that went rushing through my body.  Oh, what fun.  


Yep, my poor little Meatball comes by it honestly.  And this last little flare up on his skin which covered him from head to toe in a red bumpy rash had me worried.  After a very uncomfortable & sleepless night in our house {for Meatball & Momma}, we bolted off to the doctor's office, praying the whole way there that it would turn out to be nothing serious.


Turns out,  he has severe eczema.  


Doctor's orders:
Switch detergents, shampoos, body washes, lotions, & sunblocks to hypo allergenic.  Discontinue the use of fabric softeners, dryer sheets, & products with perfumes & dyes that can leave residue on clothing & bedding.  Lube our boy up with lotion four times a day.  Apply a super potent steroid cream on all red areas {in this case his whole entire body} for the next two weeks.  Oh, & curse this blasted skin we've got one to three times a day, or as needed.


So far today we've already been to Wal-Mart, Target & Walgreens to gather up all the necessary products, & we've still got to hit up Babies R Us for one more item.


The good news is that his skin is already showing signs of improvement and he's back to sleeping like a champ.  Music to a momma's ears.


Well I gotta run.  I've got a little boy waking up & it's time to get him all slathered up {for the third time today}!

1 comment:

  1. My daughter suffers from eczema. I know all about it. We can only use Dove soap and Tide detergent, as all others break her out in a rash. She is even allergic to certain brands of toilet paper! She is sensitive to chlorine in pools, but especially if it is mixed with hot water, like in a hot tub. Creams and lotions. Lotions and creams. LOL We love Cetaphil. Pricey, but it works!

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