The Miracle Cure

Ok, so maybe not exactly a miracle cure, but it certainly has helped tremendously.

Avery took us on an adventure into the land of severe eczema this winter. He's had it at times in the past - he has ALWAYS had skin issues - it's always been very dry, but this winter it went from dry to scaly and then from a little bit scaly to full blown scaly, cracking, bleeding, covering the entire back, and creeping down the arms and onto the neck and belly etc. He was close to becoming very, very miserable (if not already there!).

So I called my dermatologist... and they told me that since Avery was a new patient they couldn't (or wouldn't) make him an appointment until mid-February. Seriously? My four-year old is scaly and bleeding but you can't squeeze him in until February? (and I was calling at the beginning of December!) Ya think I'll be calling them here in a week or two with a complaint?? Oh yeah.

Long story short I begin to inquire about the more homeopathic remedies for eczema... and while on vacation visiting some family friends, the mom told me that her son had it when he was little and she learned it was a zinc deficiency, so she increased his zinc intake and bam, the eczema cleared up. Note to self indeed.

So meanwhile, I flag down a dermatologist in our congregation at church and asked him to look at Avery - I hate doing that to the medical professionals of our church (asking them to check out my kids problem when they are heading into worship and without bothering at even trying to make an appointment) but I was desperate to get the rash clearly identified. He collaborated that is was in fact eczema and prescribed a steroid and told me to use a lotion that I had already tried on Avery which would send him into a panic of stinging hot fire... so I went to the store and got the vitamins.

Now Avery isn't the best eater for sure, and I would force (bribe, beg, plead) him to ingest some sort of variety of foods at mealtime, but admittedly I probably should of had him on a multivitamin months, if not years ago. So I went to the store and got a good multivitamin for kids as well as an additional vitamin that had an extra kick of vitamin D, zinc and something else that sounded really healthy...anyway,

THREE DAYS LATER... yes, only 3 days later the scaly, bleeding skin was almost completely cleared up! Now his skin is still not smooth and fully hydrated feeling, it's a bit rough and dry, but it is not eczema, it's just basic dry skin.

I wish I had taken before and after pictures. Really I do. It was that amazing of a difference. I will tell you for full disclosure that I asked my dietitian friend about the zinc deficiency/eczema link and she had never heard of it... and looked a bit skeptical. BUT regardless, something within the vitamins has helped tremendously - this could not have been a coincidence. Also, if we forget to give him the vitamins for a couple of nights (like when he stays over at grandmas or we have a busy bedtime routine, etc.) his skin will start to scale up once again.

Crazy huh? So there you go - if a child of yours starts to break out with eczema, give the vitamin thing a try... it's worth a shot!