Hello everyone, it has been a while since my last blog and much has happened in the household of the girls of 82! As you are all aware my little angel Issi-May who suffers very badly with her eczema on and off now for many years, has been through a particularly bad time with the swelling on her fingers and has been complaining with pain in her joints.

This blog is particularly poignant when considering the fairly recent NHS clinic that Talkhealth ran for Psoriasis, where the dermatology experts discussed the fact that very often eczema sufferers may indeed be experiencing ‘Psoriatic Arthritis’ and not be aware as the symptoms can often go un-noticed until further investigations have taken place.

As Issi-May is so young (only 4 years old) the options for what she may be experiencing are more complex and therefor the investigations are wider and span further across the immunology spectrum (immunology being the wider term used for all of the possible inflammation diseases that can cause responses to the skin and inflammatory areas around the joints).
My angel is currently experiencing aching and swelling in key areas in her lower back, knees, fingers and legs and her fingers are still swelling up like little sausages to various degrees, again with splitting of the skin (which can be controlled with strong steroids but does required continuous use), persistent emollient use, which as you are all aware I am a very strong advocate of anyway (and on a personal note emollients are the best shave prep going for ladies legs) and as you would expect the usual sidekick of most eczema suffers is asthma. So we are also trying to stabilise the required use of inhalers which, with the pain levels at present is proving to be a little tricky. Asthma sufferers are not recommended to use forms of ibuprofen so we have to pace the paracetamol, and manage the process as best as possible.

Thankfully I do have a very brave little girl and a wonderful 5 year old Meggie who believes in the power of a ‘wet tissue’, I have no idea where this idea ever came from but whenever Issi-May is scared or in pain Meggie will dash to the bathroom and grab a wet tissue, hold it on the area that hurts and whisper in Issi-Mays ear, and say ‘don’t worry sis every things going to be fine, Santa will be very proud of you for being so brave. The tissue idea has been going for years now and seems to hold very magical powers!
Over the past couple of weeks we have repainted the bedroom and the girls have moved into the same room so that Meggie can sleep next to Issi-May and take special care of her younger sister throughout the night. There is only 11 months difference between my two girls but already the older sister protective behaviour is there and when I tuck them in at night and see them cuddled in together, I feel the proudest mum in the world.

I have no idea what the outcome will be for Issi-May yet, but I know that as a family we will be able to manage. I have enough knowledge to support what needs to be done and enough friends at Talkhealth to get the medical information to support me as a mum and fantastic people in the industry to provide me with the facts to give me a roadmap going forward. If all else is ever in question I have Meggie and the wet tissue Lol !
The most comical thing I have heard in a while is both of my girls saying to me earlier today – mum if I am good today will Santa be proud and put me on the good girl list? Totally priceless!

  

Anna B

I am a mother of three fantastic children aged 14, 5 and 4 (my youngest child is a severe sufferer of eczema and has been since her toddler moments), and I have enjoyed a career in sales and marketing for twenty years. My career has spanned both the not-for-profit and in more recent years in the pharmaceutical industry, heading up the sales and marketing functions, where I have gained experience in rheumatology and extensive experience in dermatology, with a particular focus on acne, clinically dry skin, and eczema with an in-depth knowledge of emollients and topical preparations. I am not a medic; I am a mum with many years’ experience of both industry and child, pushing for the best treatment and probably like you not giving up! I have also learned a few tricks along the way which may or may not work for you, but I am happy to share.

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