Senior Year and Thereafter

I've never traveled and flown on a plane before and my senior year at Temple University was the first time I would be able to. It was our spring break, and we decided to take a trip to Miami. My thoughts were on the sun; how would my skin manage?!? Would I have enough skin care products to last me the week I would be out there? While I was there, my skin felt as dry as a reptile, and I had to moisturize, stay out of the sun, and hydrate because drinking alcohol in the sun while not knowing how my skin would react to this would be a bad idea.

Entering the real world

I had just graduated and didn't have any health insurance, so I was dependent on trying different products to see what worked and didn't work while I looked for a job. I finally landed my first job post-grad, and I had to adjust to working and dealing with my eczema.

While dealing with the flare-ups, pus-like pimples, and dryness of my skin, the one thing that lessened were the dry skin flakes that I would have to wipe off my bed daily. At this point, I had a list of products, ointments, and medications I'd tried, and I was ready to address my concerns and give updates once I found my next dermatologist.

I found a new dermatologist

I found a dermatologist at Jefferson, and for the first time in my life, I felt I understood what kind of care and treatment I needed. I wasn't rushed, my questions were answered, and the ointments I was given were of some help but didn't keep my flare-ups manageable. Over time, I began questioning if I would ever be cured and wondered, "Why me?" I thought that I was the only person going through this.

My eczema spread to my face

The eczema moved to my face, where I developed dark circles and dry skin around my eyes. The facial cleansers I used from Cetaphil, Neutrogena, Cerave, Eucerine, and Dove just worked on my skin temporarily and would dry out. What made things worse were the lotions that were applied only dried and irritated my skin even more. I would go back to the dermatologist for follow-ups and get prescribed new medication. Things started to become the same cycle where I saw little to no results. It became overly frustrating, and my eczema impacted everything I did, from going out, dating, and wanting to be social to just wanting to be alone where I thought no one would understand what I was going through.

I had to make a tough decision

While working 2 jobs, continuing to live on my own as an adult, and dealing with real-life obstacles, I was trying to navigate how I would live my day-to-day life with eczema. I decided to stay with Jefferson Dermatology but switch dermatologists. I told myself that this was the last time I'd ever see a dermatologist, and if this didn't work, then I'd just have to deal with my condition.

I finally caught a break

After the first visit, my dermatologist saw what was prescribed to me wasn't working. During the next visit, he presented what was known as "light treatment," where I applied the triamcinolone ointment and went under ultraviolet rays weekly before work. I was all for it. Although, I had to deal with ointments seeping through my clothes. I began to notice a difference in my skin. The once dry, scaly irritable flare-ups began to lessen, and the lotion I reverted back to, Eucerin Intensive Repair, kept my skin hydrated. I haven't felt this normal since high school. The next test was to see how I felt while I was in the gym.

I tested out the gym

Going to the gym was my go-to therapeutic release for me. While the sweat made me feel uncomfortable, I bared with it and got through my workouts. After completing my light treatment sessions, I was scared to think that if I began sweating during my workout, I would go back to having the eczema I had before. I didn't feel my skin burn or flare up that first gym session. I now realized that I had to study more about myself and what I could and could not take, clothes that wouldn't irritate my skin to keep my eczema manageable.