My happiness project

2016 Update: My happiness project had to be put on hold for a few years as I couldn't take it on as all my focus was on getting our son better and I also had some health issues. 
I will be resuming it in the near future as I still think it would be a great thing to do, so I'll keep ye posted :) 

A few months ago I came across this book named The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and I put it onto my amazon wish list, but left it there and forgot about it. Then, just over a week ago I felt like life needed some changes so I went looking for it again, bought it, and voila! I was hooked!

What a wicked book! Some chapters were a bit tedious, which is understandable as everyone's happiness project is specific for themselves, and some aspects of her project weren't relevant to my life, but I took the ideas I needed from it and have decided to start my own Happiness Project for 2014. 

As the title of this blog suggests, I am a happy person, surrounded by people I love, living in a place that gives me comfort and peace, but there is room for improvement. I'm not quiet the bubbly, confident, outrageous Kathie I used to be, now I understand the majority of that comes from sleep deprivation, exhaustion, and just life, but I am determined to get my mojo back :) Bearing in mind I will be turning 30 in two weeks, I think this is the perfect project. I'm loving the fact of being nearly 30. I've learned so much over the last few years, and had my two babies, who are growing up so fast, and now I feel like a new lease of life, a fresh healthy start, with more wisdom is underway. I have an amazing fiance whom I can share this all with, the idea of a new number gives me a clean page - energy for a fresh start. I'm loving it!!! :)

So, right, my happiness project...I'll use Mrs. Rubins steps as a guideline...ie. I'm going to keep some mantras at hand that I love, and set myself goals. One for each month of 2014. Of course I'd love to do all of them at once, but I know me, so at the risk of getting nothing achieved at all, small steps have to be taken. 

Over the last few days I've been wondering what I need to sort out to become a happier person, of course Mr. T's health issues to go away would be my first and foremost, but we are already doing the best we can there, so here goes my new years resolutions if you like;

January - Catch up on sleep! I haven't had a full nights sleep since Morocco in January 2011! 
February - Be healthier. There's always room for improvement, and ailments can be made better. 
March - Time management. I'm such a spacer at times!
April - Be a better mum. I know I can and should do better.
May - Tom time. After a difficult year we need to have a bit more fun and time together. 
June - Accept my post baby body. A stumbling block for my usual confident self. 
July - Spend more time outside. A great healer for all sorts. 
August - Be a better friend/family member.  I love them all, so it's worth it :)
September - More me time. Where did that go?
October - Attitude. Find my crazy old self and take some new risks. 
November - Career. I don't want to be a jack of all trades and a master of none. Make decisions. 
December - Did it work? and enjoy Christmas. 

Then, I'm going to try hang up these mantras somewhere and hopefully they'll sink into my brain...

- Lighten up.
- Yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery, but today is a gift, that's why it's called the present. 
- See the sea.
- Behave as you want to feel
- Laugh when you can, apologise when you should, and let go of what you can't change. 
- Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength. 
- Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive & well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly elated and fulfilled, worn out, and screaming: 'WOO-HOO! what a ride!"

Well I'm excited about this. Even since deciding to do this I'm happier :) I may seem a bit self indulgent and boring to write a blog about my own happiness project, but if Gretchen Rubin hadn't written about hers, I wouldn't be full of excitement and determination now to do my own. A happier me = a happier family & more happy memories. To be happier is healthier, and better fun!

Thank you 2013 for the lessons I have learned, but 2014, I am glad you are nigh, please be kind, and lets have a blast. Have a great new years eve, and good luck to all in 2014! 

Happy Christmas!

I would hereby like to wish all my readers a merry Christmas and a really festive holiday season. Thank you all so much for following my blog, and fingers crossed the next year will bring more good news and experiences. 

As I realised today, Christmas can be a challenge for severe eczema/allergic babies with wrapping paper, plastic, egg filled cakes and biscuits, and plenty of visitors but thanks to Tom and my mother we managed it well and enjoyed the rest of the day. Stay strong folks! Our most wanted Christmas present of a healthy, itch & irritated free baby may not have been granted, but with will, work and wisdom we will get there. :) I've tried to just tell myself to stay focused, calm and strong. It seems like a mind boggling endless puzzle at times but we have come far in the last year. 

May 2014 also be a brilliant year for all. I am hoping to blog more about my ramblings, I find myself 'mentally blogging' a lot. I just have to get it on screen. I have a few projects in mind for the new year, and will hopefully be able to share more gardening stories as well as the usual infantile eczema ideas and updates. A little more positivity and fun! So if you're interested, keep an eye out. 

Well have a good one guys, cherish whom you have to share this time with. Most of us are very lucky to be with such loving family, with such abundant food and warmth. Have fun! I'm off to bed. Christmas dinner leftovers & Jamie Oliver's mulled cider is on the cards tomorrow. Yum! 

Infantile eczema update - December 2013

(I will provide links & better editing on this post in the morning when at the computer. For now, this is all that's possible via my phone)

Hey folks, 

I haven't given ye an update in a while as to how our little Mr.T is doing. I've been trying to get life a little more normal over the last few months. It's hard going when you're constantly fighting to keep your little baby (toddler now!) from being ill, and keeping the rest of the family sane and happy too, as well as myself,..... Must not forget! 

I had been warned about the colder months having a bad effect on Mr.T's eczema, but now that it's happening it's still difficult to watch. The winter winds make his cheeks drier and more prone so I try keep him greased up when he's outside.. But the warm air inside also makes his skin drier. The first weeks of winter this was very apparent and even the skin that had been healed under his organic clothes over the last 6 months got dry. Tom suggested we try the oatmeal baths. I had been cautious before as some people are allergic to oatmeal, but we decided to give it a try. He didn't react, and it definitely helps. 

For anyone wanting to try it here goes:

- Put a cupful of organic oat flakes into a muslin cloth, tie together with a hairband to keep it nice and secure. 

- Put it into your bath as you fill the hot water first. What is recommended is that you only run the hot water and leave the oat flakes steep until the bath is the correct temperature for your child. ( the same temperature as your elbow when dipped into the water.) Usually though we don't have that much time as it's either bedtime soon or Mr.T is itchy and needs relief fast. So we run the hot water, leave it steep a while, and then run the cold until it's at a suitable temperature. 

- the muslin bag will feel slimy and squishy. We use this as a sponge to wash him down, and then just have a bit of play and splashing until he's ready to get out. 

The oatmeal baths leave his skin lovely and soft, and after that we've been applying the itchy baby balm or Vaseline on skin that has been thoroughly dried with a clean soft towel. (Yes, I know, I'm not a fan of petroleum products, but when you're seeking anything at all that can give your child relief, then sometimes needs must, even just for a little while. ) I generally leave his good skin alone now after a bath, why try fix something that isn't broken eh? The skin thats healthy seems to be happy doing it's own moisturising. 

On the contrary, I can't say the same for his cheeks, ears, and hands. If I left them moisturise themselves Mr.T would have itchy bleeding sores. After his oatmeal baths we dry these areas as best we can, and then,....well I haven't found a solution. We've been trying alsorts. Here's some that spring to mind immediately:

- homemade lard - we're lucky enough to live on a small holding where we had our own two pigs for the freezer (appropriately named 'Rasher' and 'Chop'). Thanks to Toms geniusness as I call it we now have our own pig lard, homegrown, without antibiotics and GM food. I usually use it for cooking when olive oil, grape seed oil or rapeseed oil aren't called for, but we decided to try it as a moisturiser. What harm could it do? At least we know what's in it,.... Well, it wasn't the miracle cream. It moisturised, and I still use it on him sometimes, but it didn't ward off more sensitivity. 

- sudocreme, works well sometimes, but I feel it can be quiet harsh when he's badly inflamed. 

- cumin seed oil/ coconut oil/ beeswax, all do the same as the lard really, good for keeping the skin moisturised, but does nothing for being inflamed. 

- steroid cream, yes. At our wits end we tried it. I didn't want to go back using it as I feel in the long run it makes Mr.T more susceptible, but we did try a course of it. I thought maybe our house was detergent free enough that maybe his skin just needed a helping hand to heal. Maybe it would kick start a cycle of stronger skin cells that would in turn be stronger against mild, occasional, unavoidable detergent exposure, but no. We tried the steroid cream, thinly, for about 4/5 days and though it stopped Mr.T itching and the redness might have faded slightly for an hour or two, it would be back. It wasn't worth staying on it. Needless to say, I still have detergent in the house, but where? It's heartbreaking. 

- Since my own face is super sensitive I now use organic chamomile tea as a toner. We're also trying to dab this on Mr.T's sore areas after washing, then dab that dry again, and either moisturise or leave air at it if it doesn't look dry. 

- Hopes relief intensive moisturiser, this seemed great for a while but it seems Mr.T is like me and builds up intolerances to skin creams after a while. Hopes relief is one of them. I tried it on my face to test and my face didn't like it. Lol. Sounds strange I know, but if my face can handle a cream, then it's MILD! :)

So yeah, that's what springs to mind. I must have detergent in the house. It baffles me. We had a week in September where I thought we might have crossed the final hurdle but no. Then we've had someone stay with us that was secretly smoking, and made Mr.T exposed to perfume which set us back again. We've also had wintery weather. I keep going through it in my head, what are we missing? We've been at this for 9 months now since we discovered Mr.T's reaction to detergents, and we should have gotten to a stage of maintenance rather than detective work 5 months ago. Instead we're exhausted and not thinking clearly, running round in circles. Don't get me wrong, we have achieved masses, Mr.T has skin on his body now, soft, baby skin, and he sleeps without having to be 'restrained' by us from scratching, and he hasn't got infected bleeding sores anymore, but this last hurdle, grrrrrrr,.... It's invisible and we haven't managed to combat it. 

His cheeks, hands and ears are what still give him away as being a child with severe infantile eczema. I am trying to figure out step by step what is causing it. 

There is a forum from the solve eczema site, that I haven't yet had a chance to look at. I think this will be my next port of call when I get a chance over the next month. 

I put Mr.T to bed tonight and looked at him and thought what a strong little boy. How special is he. I just wish he wouldn't have to go through this. I just said sorry, for not having combated it so far. He doesn't know what a carefree life is yet, but it is my mission as his mum to provide him with a loving, balanced carefree childhood. I just have to try stay focused,....... The answer is right in front of me - somewhere. 

Infantile Eczema - Healing from the inside out Part 2

A few weeks ago I posted a sort of intro to this topic as well as part one, so if you are interested in this, please read this first as it has important factors to consider if you want to take this route. For today I will share with you the actions we are doing to help Mr. T's severe infantile eczema from the inside out with Diet and Nutrition.

Please note I am not a qualified medical professional, these views and experiences are my own, and I take responsibility only for my own actions. I share this information in the hope it will help others who are suffering with severe infantile eczema, food allergies, and leaky gut syndrome/malabsorbtion syndrome but if you decide to take the action we have done, common sense and personal judgement has to be used, and of course you have to do your own research and talk to professionals you can trust. 
A lot of the following are adaptations we have made thanks to Dr. Pagano's book mentioned below, but they are simply our way of hoping to help our son. I am not trying to sell his book, and have not received any moneys in order to write this post. Some of the information in this post is also simply stuff we have learned ourselves, and common sense :)

Part 2 - Diet and Nutrition

Aside from drinking lots of water, good water ie. not mains connected water, there are other things we are doing to try help Mr. T's skin. 
Of course he is still having to drink his Neocate formula a few times a day, as he has only just turned one  year old, but at least we can introduce new solids slowly. 

I have heard a lot about the fact that in order for your body to be in good health it needs to be more alkaline as opposed to acidic. There are sceptics out there that say this is nonsense, but when you look at the food that people advise to eat that believe that alkaline is better, then I do tend to believe them. Why not eat healthier and greener? I love the idea. Less chemicals and sugar and fat, more greens, veg, salad, etc. Whatever about the different theories, there are a lot suggestions that alkaline is better, and I hereby say that yes, I am now a believer too and don't mind trying it out all the way. It takes time to learn a new eating lifestyle, and I'm nowhere near perfect and still have to abolish a lot of 'baddies' but I'm on my way there. I think if the whole family takes this route then Mr. T will benefit as well as us, and mealtimes will be easier to prepare. The following meals are with this in mind.

So here are the foods I have been trying Mr. T with recently, as suggested by Dr Pagano's book - Healing Psoriasis. (In case you are new to this blog, our Mr. T has severe infantile eczema, but by following Dr. Pagano's regimen it can also be helped. Please also read previous posts)

Breakfast: 

- Dried Apricots
- Dried Figs
- Dates
- Apples
- Pears

Please note that all of the above are organic, and the apricots and figs contain no sulphur. I then chop them all up and put them in a big pot, add a little water, and stew them before I whizz them and put them into BPA free pots in the freezer. I then mix this with his morning porridge (Organic maize & rice baby porridge) in the mornings. 
According to Dr. Pagano, most fruits are alkaline forming within the body except for cranberries, large prunes, plums and blueberries. This doesn't mean I don't give him these, it just means I don't fill a huge pot of them and stew them for him. Blueberries for example have a ton of other beneficial qualities, so he eats them as finger food, but just in slight moderation. 
I only give him fruit in his porridge in the mornings as too much fruit can induce elevated triglycerides as excess fruit sugars can be retained in the body tissues as stored fat. Apparently people affected with eczema should be especially careful of this. Again, moderation and management is key I think. 

So far we have discovered that Mr. T is allergic to the following food so we cannot feed him them: (maybe you should consider this when trying new food with your own hyper sensitive baby)

- Strawberries
- Kiwi
- Pineapple
- Banana
- Melon
- Egg
- Dairy
- Goats milk
- Soy
- Yeast

People with eczema should also stay away from citrus fruits ie. oranges, lemon, lime...and their juices. Also, apples should only be eaten stewed, or on their own without other food if eaten raw. 
Please note people suffering from eczema should stay away from nightshades ie. white potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, paprika, chilli, aubergine. 

Lunch:

For his lunch he usually joins us, and eats whatever he can that we're having,...for eg. lettuce (a lot of that ends up on the floor for now;), organic rice milk vegan yeast free spelt pancakes, cucumber slices, grapes, raisins, celery slices, grated raw beetroot, or sweetcorn. He usually feeds himself these as finger food, which gives us a bit of peace to eat too.
Whenever possible, ingredients are organic, and always washed with pure soap and then rinsed once they are home from the shop/stall to get rid of any detergent residue or chemicals that may be on them.

Mid afternoon 'dinner':

Whenever someone goes to the market in the city I usually get them to bring back vegetables from the organic stall as we don't have the option to choose from a lot of organic vegetables in our local town, especially at the moment when a lot of it is out of season. Our own garden would produce a lot, but in November it's winter here in Ireland and not much from the garden can make it to the table. 
I usually get the following from the organic stall:

- Sweet potato
- Broccoli
- Onions
- Carrots
- Leek
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Beetroot
- Turnip
- Spinach
- Garlic

I thoroughly wash all veg and then fry the chopped up onions and garlic in a little water and keep moving in the pan, and maybe add a little oregano from the garden for a bit of flavour. Then add the rest of the veg chopped up (excluding the spinach) with a bit of water and bring it to the boil and turn it off. I then add the spinach and leave it sit a little bit. The veg carries on cooking without being overdone. 
Then I whizz it, and pop it into little BPA free pots to freeze. At the moment we still have kale growing in our garden so I use a lot of this too as it is amazingly healthy and alkaline and yummy. I add it at the same time as the spinach so it doesn't overcook.
In the evenings I take a fruit pot and a veg pot out of the freezer for the next day. On occasion I add a few drops of organic first cold press hemp seed oil to his mid afternoon dinner after heating it as the omega oils in it are said to help eczema. 

Dinner:

At dinnertime he also joins us and feeds himself anything suitable from what we are having. Any of the vegetables mentioned above might be on his dinner plate, as well as some lamb, chicken or salmon. (Lamb is much better than beef as your choice of red meat for eczema and leaky gut sufferers.)
We get our lamb from a local trusted butcher, and if we don't have our own chickens for dinner I will always buy free-range/organic chicken. The salmon is always fresh. It's hard to find meat and fish nowadays that hasn't been injected with antibiotics, or been fed on genetically modified corn/food or has been fished sustainably in 'clean' seas but I try my best and am very careful to ask questions and read labels. 

When cooking lamb or chicken I find roasting or broiling is best as you don't need to use any fat to cook it. Fat is bad when having to deal with leaky gut syndrome, hence I also cut off any fat off the lamb before I give it to him. 

For carbohydrates I also cook him some organic rice or millet or organic wholegrain spelt pasta. I try stay away from cous cous and normal bread as I think for someone so sensitive wheat and gluten isn't good. When I make him bread or pancakes I use organic wholegrain spelt flour as I feel this will be easier on his gut. Some people sensitive to gluten are also sensitive to spelt, but here, I am only talking about our own experiences. 

I have yet to try  Mr. T with other fish, and oatflakes as we are only slowly introducing new things, which can prove scary when he has so many allergies. I also keep him away from nuts as his egg and dairy allergies are so severe that a nut allergy reaction would be too dangerous to chance.
To drink I stay away from giving him juices, I just give him water, which in our case comes from a trusted well. 

Finger food snacks:

During the day when Mr. T gets peckish and wants a snack, I usually offer him grapes, raisins, cucumber slices, cooked cooled peas, blueberries or organic wholegrain rice cakes. All the fruit and veg has to be washed with soap as soon as it gets in the door from the grocery shop of course. 

So there you go, maybe that provides some ideas for you on how to start your own toddler/baby on food. Our Mr. T has just turned one year old, and that is where we are at at the moment in terms of feeding him with his allergies, leaky gut and severe eczema in mind. Maybe there is something useful for you here in this post, if so I would really recommend reading and researching more, as Dr. Pagano's book is so much more informative and relays the correct information and reasons for his regimen. If you have any other questions or suggestions just comment below, there is always room to learn more! :)
Thank you!

Infantile Eczema - helping it from the inside out

When you're trying to conquer eczema on the scale that we are you look at all options. No matter how far fetched they may seem you just need to try them all just in case one would work. One mans waste is another mans treasure, the same goes for health and remedies I think. One person swears by homeopathy, the other by reiki, and some don't like looking further than textbook western medicine..etc. 

In our efforts to learn more I heard about Dr. John Pagano and his work healing people with psoriasis. (Link to book on Amazon.co.uk) Psoriasis isn't the same as eczema, but he has a chapter dedicated to eczema, and states that by following his regimen patients that he has had that suffer from eczema are now free from their troubles provided they stick to it. 

I won't quote everything from the book, I'll just share with you in my own words what I found relevant for us, and the actions I'm taking. 

Some people think Dr.Paganos research and work is unfounded and disagree with it. I read and absorb books like his with a pinch of salt, and intend to keep my wits about me. I believe in 'You are what you eat' so whether Dr. Paganos theories are correct or not, I am inclined to believe the majority of his book and am willing to give it a go as his methods can only make us healthier. Eating better and learning how & why can't be a bad thing. I have since shared my findings with our family doctor and public health nurse and they also agree for the most part. 

Leaky Gut Syndrome which is linked to both psoriasis & severe eczema has different names and can be understood slightly differently by different medical professionals. Some call it Malabsorbtion Syndrome, and say it's the failure to absorb the right nutrients needed..either way whether the gut lets toxins through or doesn't absorb nutrients properly, both boil down to the same thing. A problem with the gut, with too many toxins in the body, that shows itself in many ways including eczema. For the purpose of this blog entry I will call it Leaky Gut Syndrome. 

Also, seeing as I don't want to bore people I will break this post up into a few parts. I'm gearing this towards people like myself and Tom who are desperate to help their sick child and I know its difficult enough as it is to find the time to research and read. I strongly recommend getting a copy of the book though if you are interested in this topic. 

Part 1:

One if the first things I learned from Dr. Paganos book is that both psoriasis and eczema occur due to certain areas of the intestinal tract being too thin and porous. Instead of passing along the intestinal track and being eliminated, toxins leak into the bloodstream and lymphatic system. Mr.T's lymph nodes in his neck have been swollen since day one. No doubt ones kidneys and liver are then overworked and can't do their job properly so the skin and lungs come to the rescue and try help purify the body and get rid of toxins. 

There are a lot of reasons why Mr.T could have acquired Leaky Gut Syndrome, one of which could be me having to take antibiotics when pregnant, another could be that I was very depressed in his pregnancy making my body acidic, it could be a sensitivity due to genetics, or even environmental pollution. I have had kidney and bladder problems for the last ten years and when I was pregnant, both times my kidney infections were chronic and though I tried to stay away from them, I had to succumb to antibiotics in the fear that my overloaded kidneys may fail with such a severe array of infections and the added work of looking after an unborn baby. 

Improper elimination of toxins also makes the body more acidic, which in order to be healthy should be relatively alkaline. My goal with Mr.T is to try stop more pollutants getting into his bloodstream, to strengthen his gut, and to cleanse and rebalance his body. One way I am already keeping pollutants away from Mr.T is going detergent free (which has made a big difference!)

The first step in Dr.Paganos regimen is internal cleansing. Having enemas, colonic irrigation, laxatives and apple diets would not suit a baby as I feel there is no need, it is invasive, and they need a balanced diet but I'm sure any mother reading his book would come to the same conclusion using common sense. I am however putting more effort into making sure he always has water at hand. Drinking enough water is the major factor in eliminating toxins. Of course you also have to bear in mind that the quality of the water needs to be good. Fluoride, chlorine, & chemicals are not good. We are lucky enough to have our water connected to a well on the bottom of an uninhabited mountain. Our water has been tested and is better than mineral water apparently. :) luck!

Also I try make sure Mr.T has fiber in his diet. He is still on dairy free formula, but mainly on solids. I'm sure the formula doesn't help but right now I need to weigh up the odds and at his age a bottle of balanced milk is still needed. When I make him organic rice milk pancakes (he's allergic to dairy, goat & soy milk) I always use organic wholemeal spelt flour. I also give him organic unsalted rice cakes as a snack. 

He also gets plenty of fruit and veg (excluding nightshades & citrus) with skin on if organic. If not organic I peel the veg due to spraying of pesticides. Almonds are high in fiber and highly alkaline but I haven't tried him with nuts, almonds, or almond milk just yet in case he's allergic to them. 

So that's what I've done so far in the internal cleanse process. Pretty easy really if you have access to good water.  Not only will Mr.T benefit, but also the rest of the household. Living to the best of our ability and being happy is all down to the information we receive and how we receive it. I am enjoying our venture to happier healthier us :) This last year has been one of the most difficult I have ever experienced, and myself and Tom are utterly exhausted but I have high hopes for our future. Winter is settling in and I'm loving it. 

Crisp frosty mornings with fires lit and misty fog over the mountains. Warm snuggly clothes and cold nosed walks in golden hour sunshine. I just love it. 

In my next 'Healing from the inside out' post I will cover the next few steps we are taking in Mr.T's process. At least this is a start. I apologise for the lack of posts, I have yet to master the challenge of finding time to write and think at the same time as being a mum to two young kids :) 

Thank you guys for all your support!

Thank you

I have decided to change the look of 'The Reality Of A Perfect' life. Rather like a blog birthday I guess for having reached over 3,500 views, which in my eyes is absolutely amazing as I only started this venture 7 months ago. 

I hadn't expected such a great uptake on the blog, and am delighted it's being viewed by so many all over the globe. It is time to take on a more clean, focused look as I am more serious about it now. I realise now that I can really try help people especially parents battling the fight against infantile eczema and I am driven to spread the word. It's how I first came to learn how we could help our little boy, and his life is a hundred times better for it. When I think about the battle we have behind us and the rewards we have reaped I realise how the spread of real-hands on information is so important in a world full of useless tabloids and marketing schemes. My experiences may not help everyone, or have all the answers, but when you are desperate to find out anything, anything at all to help someone you love you feel incredibly elated when someone finally provides a clue as to what you can do. 

I am by no means a medical professional, and do not want to belittle any doctors advice. I appreciate everything our doctor has done for us. I take his advice, but I also use my common sense, and an approach that covers not just medication but also natural healing from the inside out. Some wise words: 

"Let your food be your medicine - let your medicine be your food." -

                                                                           Hippocrates - The 'Father of Medicine'

Modern medicine is great for diagnosing, and sometimes treating, but we can do a lot at home also by learning about what our body needs to be tuned and to work healthily at its peak. I am nearly 30 and think that by the time I reach 35 I will surely have learnt after extensive research and reading what my body needs and how I can feed it so that it's happy and healthy. I aim to encourage my family to do the same. Every individual is different and has different requirements. 

At the moment this blog concentrates mostly on infantile eczema, allergies, and leaky gut syndrome, as these are the main focuses of my life at the moment. I will share my experiences with you and hopefully help anyone that stumbles upon it in need of support, and I will hopefully not bore the rest of ye to tears :) I promise, as the road to Mr. T's health gets easier I will also post other topics. 

I would hereby like to thank anyone that has shared my blog. You are making a real difference. Mr. T has taught us a lot in his little life, and I believe good teachings should be shared. It is you that can make this possible, and with six degrees of separation we will surely be able to help more little babies out there who need our support. 

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart :)

Infantile Eczema - September - Reminders to myself

This is seeming to be a blog simply about infantile eczema.....so apologies if people think I'm ranting on. It's just that it is my primary mission at the moment, and any free time I get I try learn as much as I can about it. I then try relay it here, as just like I found out, when someone else tries and tests stuff before you it can be an immense help, and can save lots of money.

Today I'm going to remind myself, and you...if you are on the same mission about the whole - going detergent free issue. I have realised that due to only having sporadic time to research and read I have forgotten a lot of the important information about what I should be focussing on. I haven't been doing a 100% job when trying to get this house detergent free. Sleep deprivation and lack of being able to concentrate makes for a scatty cleaner :)

Mr. T's condition has improved dramatically since April when I started going detergent free, but I have always struggled to get rid of his outbreaks on his face and neck (front and back). I went back to the drawing board, back to www.solveeczema.org and this time printed out the whole website so I could read it while walking the buggy or cuddling Mr. T. Even though I have read her website at least three times I was never able to focus on it properly. Now I read it through, and highlighted all the bits I wasn't doing. I also got stuck into more literature about it, but that's another blog date. 

So if there's parents out there that are still battling with eczema outbreaks after months of hard work getting rid of detergent in the house, consider these reminders:.... I needed reminding myself :) Thank you to A.J. for all the following information, and please excuse the fact I have been emailing you questions for which the answers are already here. I have been a little frazzled :) 

Please note, the following information is from www.solveeczema.org by A.J. Lumsdaine. Excerpts used with permission. I am simply writing a reminder for myself, and others who may find themselves a little lost and unfocused with the task. 

- One thing that sprung out for me this time is Mr. T's sensitivity to everything around him. Pollen, dust mites, food, animal hair,.... Surely a little boy can't be allergic to everything. 

Solveeczema quote: When our son is exposed to oak tree pollen - which gives him the usual respiratory symptoms - he then breaks out from lower levels of detergent exposure. But absent any detergent exposure, the pollens don't seem to cause him eczema. 

So I stuck Mr. T in the shower, made sure he hadn't come in contact with anything that could have detergent on it. I then tested him. I put coconut oil on one of his hands (he had reacted to that a few months ago) and I put beeswax on his other hand (I wasn't sure if he was sensitive to it or not). Three hours later he was still looking normal, and hadn't reacted to either. So when he had reacted to coconut oil in the past, it was simply because he was exposed to detergent at the time too....phew! thank goodness. Finding real soap or castille soap without coconut in it has been a nightmare over the last few months. So now I'm back to being able to use Dr. Bronners castille soap. Yipee!

- Another thing I have learned is that the detrimental effect that detergent has on the body is made worse in small amounts of water. Hence eczema always being worse where babies sweat. Which explains why when some babies 'grow out' of eczema, they develop asthma. Their skin is less permeable at the age of two than before, but of course the lungs still have to be permeable to leave oxygen in, and contain water vapour, so its rife for detergents to attack. There's motivation for conquering the detergent if ever I saw one! I want my little man to be healed when he's two, not have it develop into asthma. 

- I have also learned, rereading the site that I have to be more specific everytime I see a breakout. I hadn't yet written a diary on when breakouts happen. I felt I could remember myself, and who has time to write a diary with a little girl and a baby in the house.... I am now going to start taking written notes. I need to use the clues Mr. T is giving me. They seem random, but when written down I'm hoping the picture will become clearer.  A list of probable causes like A.J. says, then eliminate or test each probable cause and write them down too. 

- I am also using any free time to google ingredients in products that I keep seeing but am unsure of. I am creating a list of 'not good' and 'good' ingredients. I have a notebook now for notes and ingredients so its all together. 

- It also seems that barrier creams, not moisturising creams are more effective. Terminology is different in different countries as what comes under the heading barrier or moisturiser, but the creams like Aquaphor, or Vaseline seem to work better as they protect the skin rather than absorb into it. This of course is only true if you are sure that there is no detergent on the skin before putting them on. I use itchybaby balm as Aquaphor is not available here, and I only put it on after Mr. T has a bath as then I'm sure there's no detergent dust on him that may get trapped. From our own experiences it seems to be better than the moisturising creams. Even the gentle zeoderm moisturising cream that was natural seemed to be too 'strong' for his sensitive skin,  and Mr. T had a horrifying reaction to the emollient prescribed by the specialist we went to see. I can still remember him shaking and screaming with pain. Here in Ireland Infantile eczema is stated as being random, unknown cause, unknown cure. The fact it may be detergent related to the extent that I have learned is not even considered. Maybe this is why emollient moisturisers are still being prescribed as opposed to questions asked beforehand whether the child is sensitive to detergents. I stay away from such prescriptions now as long as his sores aren't infected, and use the balm above or sudocreme if he scratches himself to bleeding point on his cheeks or neck. 

- Mr. T seems to be allergic to everything, but on solveeczema I realised he may not be allergic to a specific food, but rather the environment it was made and packaged in. With this statement I am by no means encouraging you to take risks with your childs health, I am only stating my own personal experiences and what I am doing. I feel that as Mr. T's parent I am making the correct decisions based on the knowledge I have learnt in the last year about his illness, and also using common sense and a high respect for the allergies he does have. Obviously you always have to follow the advice and warnings given by your doctor. Nonetheless I have decided to look at the matter from a different angle, maybe some of his more 'normal' allergies could be investigated.  

The dairy and egg allergies that Mr. T has cause a reaction that is so severe that I am  too afraid to investigate these, but little at a time when I know there is no detergent around him I am going to try anew to see what he is really allergic too. I have to think about it all, all the steps of the food he eats. Where it is grown, by whom, with fertilisers and pesticides? What pot is it cooked in? What is it stored in?  Organic doesn't matter, it only has to be 79% organic apparently to be stated organic. Water is classed as organic, so as an example, if something contains 79% water, all other ingredients could be detergent/non organic/synthetic additives but it is still allowed to be called organic. The best bet is to have your own vegetable plot and grow your own organically and process it in your detergent free home. Luckily I have the luxury of being able to do this as our vegetable garden is a hobby of mine that I am hoping to get back into in the spring. 

- I have been looking up ingredients online of products I have found in our health food shop, and have been baffled trying to figure out what is a detergent and what not. I have also been trying to understand surfactants on a molecular level, and it's all a bit mind boggling. First I thought that anything anionic may be safe, but it's not that simple. Only traditional anionic SOAP is safe. Detergents can be made from plant, animal, and petrochemicals. So the whole family of 'plant based surfactants' is still not suitable for our mission. Looking at the products available, there's not much left to choose from, but in a way that's ok. Thank goodness there's such thing as castile soap!

- One of the places Mr. T still have breakouts is his neck. I hadn't realised that synthetic combinations in collars of clothes don't have to be labeled, so I am also going to write down what tops he is wearing when he has a breakout. All his clothes are made of organic cotton now, but maybe the collars are not! Crazy. I also have to try and keep his cheeks and neck dryer, as I have to try stop the increase in permeability that happens when his skin is wet. 

- I have also been giving Mr. T porridge and baby food from packets occasionally. I am now in the process of reading John O.A. Pagano's book "Healing Psoriasis" and it is also an amazing find. Even though Mr. T has eczema, not psoriasis, Mr. Pagano makes a clear link between the two. I am hoping to find out as soon as possible what way I can help Mr. T's condition from the inside out, and then either get the veg out of our organic vegetable garden or an organic stall at the farmers market. I am trying to get away from processed, packaged foods. Lets face it, even the most freshest, organic veg you can buy in a mega superstore probably rolls down shoots that have been scrubbed with disinfectant and detergents, and come from warehouses that have been scrubbed with detergents and have people around them that wear detergents. Our garden is the best bet, and a farmers market with local organic stalls is the second best option. I then want to make Mr. T's solids in our detergent free kitchen, in bulk, and then freeze. In pots that are BPA free....complicated! :) I have also been advised to use ice cube trays, good idea!

- Another problem I am faced here when going the anti-detergent route is lots of people visiting and lots of people in 'farm' clothes coming into the house for lunch. I have been trying to combat this problem in several ways, but now that Mr. T is crawling, I can see that his contact eczema is worse on his hands. ie. there is still detergent being brought in and left on the floor. Farm dirt is usually 'safe' dirt like soil, but when pollen or other allergens stick to their clothes its very hard to pinpoint the cause of a reaction and how to treat it so for now I'm playing it safe. I have gotten two storage boxes, one for 'house' clothes, and one for 'outdoor' clothes, and put them in our hallway for people to change into. People that don't live here currently sit on a plastic chair in the sitting room that I can easily wipe down,...even if it seems a little unsociable :) Generally I clean the floor and seat after people leave but it's easy to get lost with this regime when something else important has to be done at the time. If they stay a day or two they get sent to the shower straightaway and I give them my clothes to wear. Poor Mr. T was getting a little affected at the lack of socialising with other kids due to being a bit isolated so now I take him to the playground once a week where he has a ball.  He's an adrenalin junkie with the slide already :) It's healthy 'dirt' thats there, and though he gets the odd reaction to something there, he is generally happy and as soon as we come home I stick him and his sister in the bath.

- Finally, it has been very hard to find some detergent free products here in Ireland. Many companies like Cal Ben don't ship to Ireland. I'm using a bar of olive oil soap for hand washing dishes at the moment and can't seem to find a trustworthy alternative.. I looked up a recipe on how to make some myself with castile soap, but I wasn't impressed. I am still on the lookout, if anyone has any ideas, please shout. Ecover is not an option at this point as it contains detergents. I have emailed them and they replied saying detergents are not actually as harmful as many people think. I think I won't argue with them, Mr. T's case is proof enough for me. Marketing officials are obviously on their own mission. 

         There is hope that Mr. T will become less sensitive to detergents. I know this is definitely his number one problem. Some people may think I'm crazy doing all this when doctors here don't seem to see it mainstream, and it is such hard work. Or that I am crazy for following one website so closely and believing every word. Well solveeczema just puts it all together, and her research is well founded, and similar evidence can be found everywhere online. Also I know that if I put Mr. T into a normal baby suit, washed with normal "hypoallergenic, for sensitive skin" detergent he would flare up and become upset and disturbed, and his skin would be covered in itchy sores. I am working off what works for him, and I can see he is happier and healthier this way. My aim is to have a happy baby boy that can play and move as any other, and that doesn't have to worry about having weeping elbows or calves when he is trying to crawl. 

So here lie a few reminders that seem plain and easy, but I still have to brush up on them. There is still a missing link to Mr. T's eczema, and I am determined to find it. Although his legs are sometimes still itchy, his body (the areas that are covered by his sleepsuit and clothes) has brilliant skin now. Baby soft and kissable :) There must still be contact detergents in my house somewhere. His cheeks, and neck are still flaring up at least every 36 hours.  Mission not completed yet,....but it's not mission impossible :)

Please note: I am not qualified as a medical practicioner. My views and opinions on this blog are due to my own experiences and information I have received. By no means do I encourage any parent to take risks with their child or go against their doctors wishes. My actions are due to my own decisions and as far as I am concerned I am doing the best for my child with the knowledge I have. 

Infantile Eczema - July 2013

It’s been a while since I last entered a post in this blog, so apologies to anyone wondering how our progress with the eczema is going. 

We have been experiencing a heat wave here in Ireland for the last month! Ireland without rain for a month is really not the Ireland we are used to. I’m not complaining though :) It’s been the best summer in decades I’d say. A little rain woudn’t go astray now for the plants, but I’m sure we’ll get it sooner rather than later. 

I’m still trying to research and learn as much about the eczema as I can, but time has been very limited and myself and Tom are utterly exhausted. I haven’t gotten much further with my book regarding how eczema and psoriasis affect the gut and stomach, and how to treat it with food, I’ve also gotten tips from others regarding hemp oil, black cumin seed oil, neem oil, and different strains of probiotics more specific to eczema but I will be researching it as much as time will allow. I was hoping to have more progress and information in my next post, I know anyone out there in our situation would appreciate it, but I can only blog at rare occasions. When you are so sleep deprived and need information that’s not readily available it’s handy when someone can put it together in one place.... Apologies, I will post the info as soon as possible.

Mr. T’s current state is slightly confusing. In his eight months he has never been 36 hours breakout free on his face. March and the beginning of April were by far the worst months for him, he barely had skin on his thighs and elbows, his cheeks were a weeping infected mess and the rest of his body was red, itchy, scaly, and soft skin only existed on his chin. In March we realised that he was not only just lactose intolerant, but actually allergic to dairy. The continuous vomiting ceased to that of a baby that simply has a bit of reflux, but we still had the eczema to contend with. I then discovered www.itchybaby.co.uk which changed all our lives. I cried when I read it, and we went full throttle ahead doing what the lady on the website did. Eliminating chemicals, detergents, and allergens. It’s taken lots of hard work, help from some amazing people, personal sacrifices and stamina, and a hefty electricity bill from two months of SAFE non stop clothes and fabric washing. Now, it’s the middle of July and Mr. T’s torso looks normal most days. He has skin on his elbows, thin - but it’s there and it’s soft. He doesn’t have any infected areas anymore. He still itches, I can’t leave him naked, or leave any skin showing except for his head and hands as otherwise he’ll scratch, so we’ve not conquered all detergents just yet. At night he still has to wear scratchsleeves, but at least he can now (sometimes) sleep in his own cot. Last month that wasn’t possible at all as you would have to restrain him all the time and block his hands from his face and block one leg when it tried scratching the other. His head used to always turn left, right, left, right in an attempt to itch it off anything he came in contact with, but he only does that now when he gets irritated. His body from the neck down looks and feels normal most days now. His neck and face and back of his neck still flare up at least every two days, usually everyday. He is definately looking a lot better, and feeling a lot better though. But I remember reading on one of the websites that it takes four months to get detergent out of ones home. We are now three months in. This week Mr. T went 36 hours without a flare up on his cheeks, so we are getting progress. I just still have some detective work to do.

One of the factors why I think Mr. T hasn’t recovered as fast as I had hoped is probably down to Miss J’s birthday party. There was a lot of people in and out of the house wearing detergent and allergens. When they sat on the couch they left the detergent residue, and the lint off their clothes floated around in the air. We didn’t leave anyone that hadn’t used safe products hold him, but he was still itchy and irritated for a week after as I tried as hard as I could with Astrid’s help to get the house safe again. It was an absolutely great day for Miss J, and she needed it, especially seeing as the last few months have been very hard on her aswell, but we have decided we won’t be having any gatherings or parties until Mr. T is better. Birthday parties will have to be on other premises and Mr. T will have to stay at home. 

In the last few weeks Mr. T has had several breakouts. I'll share them with you, maybe then you can keep an eye out for the same triggers with your little baby
One day, while making egg mayo I gave him a hard boiled egg in its shell to hold. I know he can’t eat eggs, but I didn’t think holding one would be an issue. I was wrong. I noticed that he started rubbing his palms off his thighs and got very irritated and grumpy. The rubbing became frantic and I had a look at his hands. They had swollen slightly, and were burning red with white bumps on them. He had touched his face and chin and that was also looking burnt red in patches. I washed him straight away which took the edge off the itching and then with some cuddles he was finally a little more settled. Poor little fella.

The second allergen was wheat. Sleep deprived and not thinking, I gave him a rusk biscuit. His hands flared up again, and the bumps also appeared on his neck where the crumbs and slobber had fallen. Again, I stuck a very irritated and whimpering Mr. T into the bath and then washed it off and then he was better. 

Mr. T after his wheat reaction. Hives and bumps not visible in image.

The same then happened when I was out one day and Tom had been mowing the lawn. He had changed his clothes, but had forgotten to wash his arms and Mr. T then had a reaction to his arm when he was held. I'm guessing it was due to pollen.
Another trigger is shopping bags. I returned from food shopping, and put the bags on the floor. Usually Mr. T doesn't go near them, but getting more inquisitive he decided to shuffle over. He got a reaction from the shopping bags and groceries in them. I should have been more careful as I know that warehouses, shops and delivery vans are full of grime and detergents.
The latest outbreak he had was from the couch covers. Mid heat wave a baby with severe eczema can get very irritated so we thought we'd change getting Mr. T naked and letting him play on the couch. We have covered our couch with homemade organic cotton couch covers, which I was once a week but this was a Sunday. Two days before it was due to be washed, and he got an itchy allergic looking reaction to the covers. In 5 days the covers had attracted enough detergent and grime from people's clothes to give him a reaction. Poor little fella was showered and cuddled again.

It’s incidents like this that slow down the healing process of the skin. I understand that the skin needs two months without a breakout to fully heal all its layers and become skin that is more resilient to breakouts. When thinking of this fact we still have a long way to go, but with the progress we have seen in the last two months I am confident that we will get there. Once the skin is outbreak free for two months we can stop worrying so much and work on hardening him up a little for the future. 

Mr. T's couch cover outbreak. His face, belly & body red.

Mr. T's couch outbreak on his back.

About 6 weeks ago we also started taking Mr. T to an acupuncturist that was recommended to us by several people and that has a 90% success rate with eczema in babies. The practices the old type of acupuncture and looks at birth charts aswell. With someone Mr. T's age, he doesn't use needles, he uses acupressure. It seems to be working slowly but surely. I will keep you posted as the weeks go by. 

When it comes to combating the detergent and allergens in the house I am still on a full time war schedule with cleaning. I will share my cleaning schedule with you in case it helps you come up with one yourself...you never know. Do whatever works for you, but this is what works for us:

By the way, by deep cleaning I mean: everything off shelves and surfaces, dust, steam clean, hoover & wash any fabrics. I usually work my way around the room and if there's too many surfaces/cupboards to tackle one day then I do as much as I can and do the rest the next week. To wipe surfaces I alternate between a homemade soapnut spray or a vinegar & lemon juice spray.  

Sunday: Catch up cleaning & family time

Monday: Deep clean Miss J’s bedroom & general house clean

Tuesday: Deep clean sitting room, strip couch covers & wash, Clean high chair and walker. 
Wednesday: Deep clean stairs, recycling area, and hallway. General house clean. Hoover car & wipe down interior - (for Mr. T going to acupuncture on Thursdays)
Thursday: Deep clean kitchen, general house clean
Friday: Deep clean bathroom & utility room, general house clean. 
Saturday: Deep clean bedroom & family time

As well as this I regularily wash all of Miss J’s cuddly toys and dress up dresses so the dust and allergens don’t settle on them. I also get her to wash up her tea set every fortnight or so - she loves it. 

All I do at the moment is clean, cook, and make sure the kids are happy and get some play time and some one on one time too. Astrid and Fabiano our friends are an immense help, it is so important to have people that can lend a hand. I could never manage it all myself. Tom would have to stop working if I had to do this all by myself. I have gone into self preservation mode and stopped doing anything else like photography, gardening or socialising but I don't mind. I am much happier preserving my energy and focusing on this period of life at the moment, and I know that in 6 months time things will be a lot easier and I can do things for myself again. Right now it's making me happier to concentrate on Mr. T's improvement and Miss J's happiness, alongside keeping Tom and myself strong. As I  said to Tom, it won't be forever. I am confident we can battle this. We have already conquered the eczema on his torso. I am now on a mission to conquer the general itch, and to continue to conquer to breakouts on his neck and head. We can see a massive change on his body, and a definite improvement on his head, that's what keeps us going..... :)

Mr. T before starting anti detergent process....

...Mr. T before starting anti detergent process

Mr. T now, still has eczema as you can see but no more scaly, sore skin.

Good luck to all ye fellow eczema parents, stay strong! x