Eczema

This is how it all began:



The week we moved to Texas, Fiona developed what Southerners call "prickly heat," a bumpy red rash that appears in response to the summer heat. By her fourth week of life, her cheeks had morphed into the weeping, crusted, infected skin pictured above.

I rushed her to a pediatrician, and he explained that she has atopic dermatitis (eczema) and that it is very common. At the time, it was only present on her cheeks. He prescribed Desonide (a low potency cortisone cream) and gave us instructions for how to manage the problem.

Two months later I feel as if I've lost an uphill battle. She is now covered head to toe, front to back in that same horrible rash. She spends every day, literally 24/7, wearing mittens to prevent her from clawing her scalp off or gouging her eyes out. If I put her down for even a second, I find her doing this:



We have tried everything to avoid using the prescribed steroid cream, but it is the only temporary fix available. An entire drawer in her dresser is overflowing with the lotions, moisturizers and creams we've used - well over $200 worth of useless remedies. Aquaphor, CeraVe, Eucerin, calendula cream, almost nothing has worked. I have modified my diet to cut back on known trigger foods, and I almost lost my milk supply in the process. (Sidenote: I almost have to consume 3,000 calories a day to not feel starved all the time. Breastfeeding is draining!) I have a pretty strenuous routine: bathing her frequently, laundering all clothes in All Free & Clear, scrubbing down the furniture, vacuuming constantly, covering her in lotion head to toe 5 times a day, and much more.

The discipline required to maintain her skin is starting to take its toll on us. We take turns at night staying awake to hold her hands down, because it is far too hot to swaddle her and risk her overheating and flaring up again. She doesn't sleep deeply because of her itching, which is frustrating since she has been a good sleeper all of her short life. I can't put her down without her screaming and clawing at her face, and Benadryl doesn't put a dent in either her alertness or her itch at night.

The scariest part of this process has been the evolution of the rash. What began as a cosmetic but ultimately inane concern has morphed into a legitimate health problem. Every time we spot a flare up and respond with Desonide, the rash moves to a new place on her skin, taunting us like a game of Whack-A-Mole.

Since I have not attempted a *formal* (meaning structured) elimination diet yet, I am starting one next week, using a plan that avoids all of the known eczema flare up triggers like dairy, peanuts and soy. I'm guessing I will get very bored by my food options, but I've gone without eating food for 10 days so I guess I can do anything ;) If I complete the diet and Fiona's skin hasn't improved, we will be able to rule out a food allergy as the cause of her troubles. Unfortunately, it could mean that she has an environmental allergy, which means we will have to face the idea that she is allergic to our pups :( Please pray it isn't that.