Good Morning! Its finally friday and that means it's another installment of positive things about eczema!
When I started this blog I said that I wanted to educate people about eczema and allergies, as though they are common, it is not something that is common knowledge.
What I have found is that eczema is a great talking point in conversations and can help you to meet some amazing people.
Here is an example:
The other day I was at work and chatting to one of my customers, who remarked on how nice my skin looked. The past few days my face and neck have been in flare, so this compliment was nice and brightened my day!
This lovely lady was purchasing a rather large amount of product, so we had some time to chat. We ended up talking about eczema and allergies and she told me that her niece had eczema but she still didn't quite know much about it. We remarked on the statistics, and how with 1 in 5 children having eczema or allergies, it is astounding that it is not a common talking point.
I walked away from that conversation feeling happy for a few reasons. Number One; I felt as if I had helped her to understand a bit more and Number Two; I felt happier knowing that whilst I felt like a swollen red panda ( how I feel when my face is swollen in flare) I didn't look like it!
Now I know that sounds a bit vain, but I'm sure you all understand that when you are in flare, you don't feel the best!
This is just one example, there are many occasions where I have been talking to people in chemists, at work or university and the topic has turned to eczema. Slowly but surely, I believe we are making headway in educating more and more people about what eczema is and showing them that it is a part of everyday life!
I remember being in a chemist one evening with my mother, waiting in line to pay for the vast amount of moisturizer, creams and medication that unfortunately comes with eczema and flares. The gentlemen behind us grabbed our attention and said: I'm sorry, but if you do not mind me asking, do you have eczema?
He seemed extremely apologetic for asking, and when we queried why, he said people have been offended and do not want to talk about it! What followed was a lovely conversation as we discussed eczema, as his wife suffers from it as well!
Eczema doesn't have to always be a negative, it can be a positive thing as well! It can encourage conversation, and if you find someone going through the same thing, it can help both of you!
I hope everyone has an absolutely lovely day today, and keep smiling!
P.S Please excuse the posting schedule this weekend, work is piling up like crazy due to Christmas!
