If my blog were a pet,

it would probably be buried in the backyard with a little cross shaped out of two twigs and secured with some superwash sock yarn.  Anyway, I’m here, with a list.

1.  Wally World pharmacy is the enemy.  I dropped off the baby’s prescription at 11am, was told to come back at 1pm.  I got there around 1:30, and they were on lunch.  Fine.  Then they didn’t have it ready…for a long time.  Then they gave me attitude when it became apparent to me that they have no organized system to handle their customers.  I have a $10 copay wherever I go, so I’ll be going somewhere else from now on.

2.  No more eczema!  This cream is like a miracle, we have been using it every night and giving him Zyrtec before bed and he is doing amazing!  I can’t get over it.  Even the texture of his skin is better, it’s like he’s got that nice baby skin back.  I didn’t even know how worried I was about it until I realized I was so bored the other night.  I thought to myself, “What am I doing differently that I’m bored tonight?”  Then it dawned on me that I wasn’t researching eczema, trying different products, and settling down a baby whose itch has woken him up from a sound sleep.

3.  Knitters can never really be bored.  I have launched into a pair of socks for a gift.  It’s a secret, though.  I don’t know if the recipient reads this, but it’s someone who has really helped us through this with their generosity and good natured spirit.

4.  Easter is tomorrow!  How did that happen?  I am amazed that we are still hanging on as a couple, paying (most) of our bills and keeping food on the table.  Time flies whether you are having fun or not.

5.  I don’t think I would change a thing, even with our struggles.

6.  I have nothing to wear to Easter services tomorrow.  Usually we go to the 8am service, but I think we will go to the 10am one so the baby has some time to play with his Easter basket toys.  I got him mostly toys, but also a sugar-free chocolate bunny.  You have to have a chocolate bunny!

7.  I am going to the doctor on Monday to get my heart checked.  My brother’s cardiologist wants us all to be checked, and I am the only one who hasn’t done it yet.  I am nervous because I know I have an irregular heartbeat, I can hear it when I get over-anxious or excited.  I also know he’s going to tell me I’m too damn fat.  He’ll probably say exactly that.  He’s a great doctor, but not exactly known for his bedside manner.  Aunt Kathy, got any good tips?  If anyone knows about weight loss, it’s you!  You are awesome!

8.  State taxes.  Ugh.  We owe, as usual.  I just keep faith that we will have the money to pay.  I don’t want to file an extension, but I guess I will if I have to.

9.  Easter Bunny.  Do you tell your kids there is an Easter Bunny?  My church didn’t teach that, we also never believed in Santa, but we go to a different church now, and I don’t know if I’m going to tell the baby about the Easter Bunny or not.

That’s it…I know it’s a long one, but I wanted to catch up as best as I could.  Enjoy your Easter, Passover, whatever you may do, I’ll have a slice of ham and glass of wine for all of you!

Eczema

has taken over my life.  Seriously.  When I’m at work, I think about eczema.  When I’m home or on coffee break, I google eczema.  When I meet new people or chat with my family, we talk about eczema.  Did you know that children with eczema will likely outgrow most of their symptoms by the time they are 5 years old?  Or that their parents likely suffer from hay fever, asthma, or airborne allergies?  Did you know that even if you use Free and Clear laundry detergent you still have to run clothes through a second rinse cycle to get all the detergent’s chemicals out?  Oh, and dryer sheets are the DEVIL.

What started as a few bumps on the baby’s back developed into the worst case of eczema I have ever seen in my life in 7 short days.  We have been to the pediatrician, a dermatologist, and then back to the pediatrician.  We have an appointment with a specialist at A.I. but that’s not until JUNE.  I have tried Cetaphil, prescription foam, Cerave, Triple Cream, Arbonne, Vaseline, Nozema, Formula II, and Aveeno, all the while dosing him with Zyrtec, which I don’t think can possibly be good for a baby.  I think we have finally found a treatment that works.  I give him a bath every night, letting him play in the tub for awhile before washing him, so that he isn’t playing in soapy water.  I wash his hair and skin with pine tar soap, so when he is good and clean he smells just like a woodstove.  After bath, we apply a topical steroid cream prescribed by the pediatrician.  At bedtime he gets 1/2 tsp. of Zyrtec.  We’ve only been doing this for one day, but he is already 75% better.  I think we may have this licked.

Oh, and the doctor told me that if this doesn’t work we will have to do an oral steroid because he may have SCABIES.  That’s pretty much when I involuntarily screamed and scrubbed my entire house with bleach.  Wasted effort, it turns out.  Scabies is caught from other kids, not from dirt, so the baby may, in fact, have to spend his entire life in a plastic bubble.  (NOT SCABIES, by the way.  The treatment is working well, so it’s just plain old eczema.)

Next post:  How I was treated at the WallyWorld pharmacy and why they may never get another penny from me.