[Narf]

There's another food allergy that I can prolly safely add to my list now, and it explains a lot for me too.

But first, a little history. For over the last 6 months, I've been dealing with a extremely severe case of Nummular Eczema. It's bad enough having dried, cracking skin on one's hands. It's really bad when it's in a lot of many places around the body and legions literally bleeding. Yes, it is as painful as it looks.
Nummular Eczema
Nummular eczema
nummular eczema - Google Image Search

I've been dealing with Eczema for over the past 25 years already, and through countless doctor visits, been told that it's incurable. The solution from "Western" medicine has been stonger medicine and more steroids to keep the symptoms in check. I'm sure my body has become pretty ****ed up in some way or another from all these years of this "solution".

Earlier in the year I forgone that route, and seeked alternatives. A key aspect was diet. Eating organic and avoiding a lot of "science" produced foods has helped a lot, but the rashes are still severe in several areas, with some areas of skin cracking to the extent that it bleeds.

So on added advice last week from a Chinese medicine "herbalist" (though some practiced for decades with solutions known for centuries, they can't call themselves doctors because they aren't "abiding by Western practices"), I think it's pretty much safe to say now that besides seafood, I'm allergic to beef.

A little further research, and apparently, about 90% of American beef is produced by cows with growth hormones.
WTO CASE FILE: the Beef Hormone Case

That explains why I don't really have much of an issue with rBst free milk, but often get upset stomach with ones that don't disclaim that. It's not the lactose I'm intolerant to, but the other ****ed up **** that science has provided to "improve our foods".

Monsanto says "no discernable difference between ..." those that are hormone injected and those without. I beg to differ. Like all the other chemicals that really doesn't need to belong in food, I'm seeing it more as poisoning people for the pursuit of profit.

At this point, I'm not going to question whether I can eat anything out of the 10% that's not treated with hormones and rather play it safe.

Yes, it's a bit premature in saying whether this is all that's left for curing myself, but in the past week along with herbal "tea", there's been much better progress. Indeed, I may still have a ways to go in undoing the past, but for certain, even those of you not suffering with any apparent ailments, just be careful what you're eating.

[Tigratrus]

Glad to hear you have some light at the end of what sounds like a very long tunnel indeed! What a horrible ongoing ordeal, I've been pretty miserable at times dealing with *normal* dry skin, nothing like what you've described.

We're big believers in alternative/holistic medicine as well. When Susan was pregnant with Alex she had TERRIBLE Carpal Tunnel syndrone, so bad that she had to sleep at night with her hands dangling off the end of the bed, if she *could* sleep. Her doctor toldher that there was absolutely nothing that could be done. She couldn't take any medication because of the pregnancy, and there were no other alternatives.

After weeks/months she finally went to a local Chiropractor. He gripped her hands, *snapped* her wrists and *poof* the pain was gone, pretty much just like that. There's a tremendous amount of knowledge available in healing traditions outside of the western medical establishment, and it's a shame that our society gets so narrow minded that all that priceless knowledge is often scorned as ignorant mumbojumbo by the Drs that people view as the font of all health based knowledge. I believe that Doctors are specialists in their area, but they don't know all there is about health, far from it.

That said, I think it's also inappropriate to throw the baby out with the bath water so to speak, Western medicine *has* made tremendous strides in treating many things that were completely incurable. There's no doubt that our society and culture (not to mention the rampant misuse of hormones, anti-biotics etc in the pretty horrific factory farms that people don't care to see) has created quite a few problems too, some of them pretty terrible. But having sat down and discussed science and technology and "How Things Work" with a 5 year old that *loves* learning, I have to say, knowing the why and how of the functioning of the world around us is a wonderful beautiful thing, it makes one appreciate the wonder of everything around us that much more. I do hope that the slow turning towards more green and responsible use of technology becomes more and more the norm and less the shining exception that it seems today.

It's also worth remembering that "Nasty, brutish and short" was not really much of an exaggeration, and it wasn't all that long ago.

I think I'd rephrase the Title: "Misuse of Science FTL. Seriously." We have tools, how we use them is up to us.

James

[Narf]

Excellent additions, James.

Correct that I'm not ruling out Western medicine, but just that the perscribed methods for treating the "incurable" by constant increasing of dosage isn't a real answer either.

Feel free to change the subject line ... it's not like I'm intending to rule out all science, but certainly that in which harms us more than do us good, especially in the foods we eat.

Yes, there are studies that shows that such is "safe", but it is also impossible to determine the consequences to everyone in the world; the very fact that some drugs get FDA approval, then subsequently revoked for dangerous and/or life threatening side effects is evidence enough that what gets out into the marketplace might not always be good.

[laurie]

I hope there's relief in site!!!

After being in a car accident many years ago, I underwent just about everything possible (physical therapy, etc.) to rid myself of pain in my neck and shoulder area. When nothing was working, I went to a doctor who used accupressure. Surprisingly, it helped more than all the months of physical therapy.

My mom has always been one to suggest a pill for this or that, but I'd much rather sleep off a headache or not take antibiotics if at all possible. I think antibiotics are wayyyyy overdone.

[DesignDiva]

My friend's son has had severe eczema since he was born. She literally has to grease him down twice a day, and he is at risk of being immunocompromised because of the large doses of topical steroids he has to take. I suggested a chiropractor and a nutritionist, and they worked wonders with him. The skin is your largest organ, and your largest source of what goes into and comes out from your body. The health of your skin is very closely connected with your internal workings. Food allergies can wreak major havoc on skin, as can improper nerve functioning or digestive issues.

I see a chiropractor weekly. While I'm not at all into the spiritual side of alternative Eastern medicine, I do believe that there is a natural cure for everything here on earth, we may just have not found it yet. I've seen the miraculous changes that simple essential oils like evening primrose, or shea butter, can make on skin.

**necessary disclaimer** Shea butter is derived from a tree nut, those with allergies to nuts should be extremely cautious and test first.

[GardenOfDarwin]

Thanks for the stories all, and for the disclaimer Eva!

I'm always amazed at the things that Native Americans and other tribal cultures, holistic health practitioners, and eastern religions have found about our collective health and the effects of herbs and natural remedies can/will have on our well-being. Just simply taking deep breaths, staying well hydrated, getting sufficient quality sleep, eating healthfully and reducing our stress levels can have a profound effect on our general health and yet this is not mentioned in your standard yearly physical or even in a visit in which you express a health concern. Bizarre, yet unquestioned in our society. Should be malpractice!

Narf - your condition sounds hellacious. I'm sorry to hear you are suffering this way and I hope that you are able to achieve a measure of relief through whatever methods are available to you. I've often thought that the rise in cancers and other incurable illnesses are no doubt caused by those things that science deems 'safe' given the current knowledge and ability of humans to comprehend the consequences of our actions. The truth is we have NO way to predict how things that we are doing today impact the things we don't currently understand about our bodies, nature, widelife, the earth, the universe, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. And there's plenty we don't know even though our arrogant human selves don't want to admit it.

As I found when I was a starving student, fresh fruit and vegetables grown at home represent the cheapest (and safest) diet available. Trader Joes is a good help. Keep us informed as to how things are going!

Susan

[Mariposita]

I read your post with interest because my daughter has had problems with her skin from birth (not as bad as yours) but enough to send us to a dermatologist. So far, we haven't found anything to stop intense dryness around the eyes. Her lid gets so dry that it looks like powder. Also, below the eye does the same. She started developing this dryness around the mouth as well. I have been trying to switch over to organic everything and hoping to find a natural way to help her dryness. I also believe a lot of our health issues come from the supposedly "good food" we are sold. Hope you'll find what's causing your problem and something that could bring you relief.

[SlithyToves]

Mari,

My 19-month-old son has minor, yet persistant eczema (just discovered a food allergy too, so now we trying to figure out if there are multiple food allergens that may be contributing to his ezcema...). Given that condition, we have taken care to try to cut out common irritants, such as using dye- and scent-free laundry detergent and lotions, as well as using organic skin products (like California Baby's suntan lotion rather than more popular brands like Coppertone or Bullfrog).

But, what really improved the dry skin around his eyes specifically was the switch from Johnson's Baby Shampoo to Cetaphil. We were specifically targeting the skin around his eyes as we had gotten the rest of his skin to be at least manageable, but we couldn't get his eyes cleared up. We'd been using Cetaphil to wash his body, but it doesn't lather well at all, so we were using Johnson's for his hair.

You may already be doing this, but I thought I'd share our experience in case it might help...

Josh

And Narf, I hope your new diet continues to improve your base condition... Wow...

[Mariposita]

Josh, We use Johnson's shampoo, Cetaphil for the face and recently began using Cetaphil lotion as well. Still, she has this dry, itchy skin in those areas. We've tried so many "gentle" cleansers and even those that boast about being "natural" without any luck. Diet must have something to do with it. I get so angry thinking of the steroids, anti-biotics and pesticides in our foods Thanks for the suggestions.

By the way, has anyone found a good sunscreen that does not irritate the skin?