What have we tried to "cure" the kids?
- take out certain foods from their diet
- have SK allergy tested
- get a full home water filtration system (thanks to my dad for that!)
- clean out our air ducts
- remove any lotions, detergents, soaps, shampoos, bubble baths, creams, etc from our house. I wish my laundry smelled as good as other peoples but we just can't do it. I did find some dryer balls that help with static b/c that had become an issue.
- no perfumes, dyes, etc in any product that touches their skin. Yes, even organic.
- used steroid creams which I don't care for, personally, although some did/do seem to work. And I can't help but think there could be long lasting effects of steroids seeping into their skin for extended periods of time
- see this "specialist" and then another and another...
- oatmeal baths
- every cream, lotion, bath product on the market that claims to help with eczema
- wet wraps which did actually help
- ask the school to make sure ALL nap mats are sent home and washed every week. They carry viruses/germs and all the mats are stored in big plastic containers together. Gross!
- Pray! That should have been at the top of this list because we pray continuously that God heal our babies of this disease. We know and trust that He can. We continue to pray.
- wearing "puppets" (a pair of daddy's soft socks) at night to keep from scratching unknowingly
- large patches of dry, itchy skin almost year round
- other children looking and asking what is wrong with them
- stares from parents who must think we do not properly take care of our children hygiene
- countless nights crying because their skin hurts
- picking up viruses from school that children with "healthy skin" carry and don't even know it b/c they show no symptoms. i.e. staph, scabies and molluscum
- missing school due to the above viruses and being contagious because they show symptoms. They get these viruses because of the breaks in the skin and are easily infected. Although these children who carry it and don't know it are also contagious but continue to attend school. FRUSTRATING! Because then our kids are exposed to it over and over again.
- Having the broken, infected skin literally scraped to confirm scabies
- horrible stinging and burning of the steroid creams on the open wounds
- having the molluscum treated with beetle juice which turned each bump into a blister and then having to heal from the blisters
- SKs skin burning so bad with lotions and come to find out she is allergic to propylene glycol which is in soap, shampoo, lotions, etc. All but one...Free and Clear. PS Please don't ever go out of business!
- scars...SK already has pigment discoloration on her hands from all the sores and treatments
- Vaseline petroleum-jelly Original- This is used every day, after every bath, and sometimes throughout the day. It is the ONLY thing that has proven to protect their skin and keep it hydrated.
- Free and Clear shampoo and liquid cleanser- this is the only product that we are aware of that does not have propylene glycol in it. We cannot use the Vanicream made by the same company due to the addition of these products.
- Gold Bond Ultimate Hand Sanitizer Moisturizer- this also does not have propylene glycol and it is the only hand sanitizer that does not burn her skin when used. We always have a small tube with us in our bags and the larger pump is kept in both bathrooms in our house.
OM is 8 days into this third and hopefully final treatment. He is looking much better and I plan to post some updated pictures soon as he continues to heal.
Thank you to everyone who has been praying for these sweet children! They are troopers and will be stronger in the long run for having gone through all of this.
God has great things planned for SK and OM!
I'll leave you with one of my favorite verses:
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11