e-s-d

The lovely @EczemaSupport asked me the following on Twitter: "what do you think about emollients - do they help the #eczema? What would life be like without them?" (Bit of context for the unaware - I suffer some really nasty eczema on my hands, called pompholyx.  It significantly impairs their function) Emollients - moisturisers.  They're absolutely essential.  They can help cool the itch, sooth the sting, and of course help lessen your skin cracking like the grand canyon.  I once got a big tub of Hydromol lotion with a pump-top that had broken, so we had to take the top off.  Plunging my hand deep into that was pure bliss.  Utter momentar

As you may be aware, I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  These are "invisible illnesses" - the symptoms aren't visible to you.  I don't have a missing arm, I don't have lesions all over my face, and to look at me you'd probably think I'm just really hung-over. I'd gotten used to people not seeing that I was ill, gotten used to the disbelief and outright rudeness from others, gotten used to having to explain my illnesses to people through either necessity, or in response to questions asked.  It's a trust thing - if you can't see it, how do you know it's really there?  There's that niggle (or with some peop

It's "adventure season" again, with it's own set of challenges and rewards.  What is it?  Well it's The Boy's school holiday and his mum has taken time off work so we can cram some adventures in - zoos, theme parks, days out, fun stuff - but also very, very tiring stuff.  Already my CFS/ME has taken quite a hit, and we're not done yet. There is the obvious reward for a parent seeing their children have a great time (and even the not-so-great times, like when The Boy got off the rollercoaster.  "Too fast, too high, too scary"), but it also presents me with things I don't see every day - like Eagles, Pandas, trains in fancy dress and people.