How Did Eczema Even Get Here?

Just like we don’t know how eczema decides to pop up on our skin, sometimes I have no idea how I got here. No, I don’t mean how I’m on planet earth, nor am I in any special period of my life. Nope, nothing special going on here except this clear skin! The gratitude is abundant on a physical level even though I am still facing the consequences of not performing 100% for 2 to 3 years of my past fast-paced life.

An opportunity

Most of my lingering aftermath is mental. I simply have never been where I am right now in my life before, and instead of seeing that as a negative without direction, I see that as an opportunity. To take advantage of the opportunity, I have to have a vision and vividly see myself doing life Monday through Sunday with all that includes.

Managing my priorities

I am very glad that I documented my experience with topical steroid withdrawal because, as I suspected, now that I am quite healthy, I am experiencing a form of amnesia to attempt to move on with my life. The eczema community has done so much for me emotionally, mentally, and physically that I never see myself uninvolved. Still, the reality that working full-time takes a gigantic chunk out of your time is daunting. It is equally daunting to think I am not as involved as I once was because it is so needed and important to be here. Maybe it comes down to better scheduling, but the fact that taking care of myself while sleeping enough is a part-time job in itself at the very least, I wonder about the future of my involvement with advocating for this community.

Getting through the worst of eczema and TSW

I speak about this openly because writing down worries like these of not having enough time causes me to simultaneously think of ways that I do have the time to do it all. As I am typing, I think that Instagram and social time-wasters can definitely take more of a backseat in my life. Procrastination can take the furthest seat to the back as well. When I say that I wonder how I got here, I mean that I wonder how I’ve gotten so close to this stage that I could only imagine two years ago at the beginning of my worst eczema period and TSW.

A healthy anxiety

I am medication free and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and recently started strength training again, having the ability to lift heavy like I did before TSW. I am happy. I cannot only visualize my future, I can live it. That does cause me anxiety, but I now know that is healthy anxiety, and it’s way better than the mental strains of not being able to fulfill your wildest dreams.

The power of community

Thank you, eczema community. You keep me active and remembering how far I’ve come as your stories are so relatable to read. If you keep fighting and learning your body and new ways to cope, you will also be able to say, “How did I get here?” in the most lighthearted, joyful way possible.