Seewalds 31: Jessa’s Maybe-Baby

[Jellybean]

@SassyPants inside elbow and behind knees are really common sites for eczema. 

Eczema can be triggered by food, but it can also be triggered by contact with stuff, like adhesives, deodorants, sunscreens, and detergents. My husband has eczema and reacts to a particular laundry detergent. It took us ages to work it out, but it was worst on areas that were close in contact with fabric - collars and cuffs of shirts, for example, and on the insides of his elbows.

If you want to try dietary changes, I’d recommend getting advice from a dietitian, especially if you can find one that specialises in allergies/inflammation. People have discussed above that there are different types of reactions. They may be allergies that are immune-mediated and cause release of inflammatory chemicals like histamine within the body. Some foods can trigger histamine release, just like in an immune-mediated reaction, but acting directly on the cells (mast cells) that contain the histamine (etc) without involving the immune system. There could be issues with clearing histamine from the body (histamine intolerance), so symptoms are made worse by foods that are naturally high in histamine. And lots of others. It’s quite a maze to try to negotiate alone.

A dietitian with experience in food intolerance will be able to narrow things down somewhat. It might be helpful to get testing for specific allergies or inflammatory markers. Exclusion diets can be a very helpful way to find out what helps and what doesn’t, but this is much easier with the help of people who know what they’re doing!

Good luck to all of you dealing with allergies and intolerances and contact reactions!

 

[SamuraiKatz]

^ B/C Instagram stories are usually mundane things that don't warrant an actual post. It's part of the fun~ (imo) 

Speaking of, this week's flavors of choice

Paid for product placement?

[SamuraiKatz]

Haha Spurgeon’s face!

I love Wal Mart pick up. I wish the service was available circa 1994.

[GuineaPigCourtship]

3 hours ago, Nowyn said:

This is the reason why I hate so many doctors (and because I am logical I want to be one).

I never hated vets, but the difficulty in finding a quality vet for my pigs when I was in high school was a big factor in determining my career path.

[Daisy0322]

My son got eczema, i found that when I put a humidifier in his room and gave him a few less baths it went away entirely. 

[Hisey]

On 3/5/2018 at 12:42 PM, Bad Wolf said:

They could probably adopt an older child, but newborns tend to go to couples who can't have biological children.

Actually, a birth mother in the US can choose anyone she wants as her kids' adoptive parents. And that's as it should be. Why should someone tell a birthmother who she choose for her baby?

[JenniferJuniper]

6 hours ago, Jellybean said:

Eczema can be triggered by food, but it can also be triggered by contact with stuff, like adhesives, deodorants, sunscreens, and detergents. My husband has eczema and reacts to a particular laundry detergent. It took us ages to work it out, but it was worst on areas that were close in contact with fabric - collars and cuffs of shirts, for example, and on the insides of his elbows

 

It can also be triggered by nothing external at all.  At least not anything that can ever be identified.

I had eczema in early childhood.  Went away.  In my late teens it came roaring back on my hands when I was working as a dishwasher in a restaurant.  Definitely a contact issue then. 

Then it would pop up on my hands in adulthood now and then for no apparent reason.  A very powerful steroid cream would clear it up, often for a long time.

Then about three years ago it came back on my hands - but it was totally different this time.   The itch is almost indescribable and what I am willing to do to my hands to try to not feel it is shocking to me.  I have to struggle not to scald them with hot water.   I know I am doing is making the situation far worse by drying out my hands even more, but the pain is preferable to the itch.

I have developed a few serious allergies in adulthood, shellfish having nearly killed me around the time the eczema came back, but no food or other type of elimination - and I've tried everything at one time or another - has helped.  It's not detergents or soaps or anything else.  It's just me.  

The most powerful steroid creams barely scale it back.  Next step is oral steroids which I'm dreading because prednisone really messed me up once.

And if one more person tells me to stop scratching my hands I will kill them.  Dead.  Yes, I know I'm doing.  Fuck off!

[QuiverFullofBooks]

27 minutes ago, Hisey said:

Actually, a birth mother in the US can choose anyone she wants as her kids' adoptive parents. And that's as it should be. Why should someone tell a birthmother who she choose for her baby?

Well, maybe because it’s incredibly unfair to the prospective adoptive parents, who have to wait for years if they don’t win the popularity contest.

[GuineaPigCourtship]

1 hour ago, JenniferJuniper said:

The itch is almost indescribable and what I am willing to do to my hands to try to not feel it is shocking to me. 

I developed a contact allergy to certain dogs (so awesome) and have dealt with it by wearing gloves at all times when I'm touching a patient.  Luckily I'm not allergic to MY dog because she is perfect in every way.

My hands would swell, crack, and develop these tiny blisters.  I remember waking up in the middle of the night over and over because of the itch and when I couldn't itch them as effectively with my bitten fingernails, I would start chewing on them to try and get some relief.  Anything.  The irony of general practice where I saw dogs every day for chewing their paws from allergies was NOT lost on me.

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

4 hours ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Well, maybe because it’s incredibly unfair to the prospective adoptive parents, who have to wait for years if they don’t win the popularity contest.

I get where you’re coming from. Infertility is complete shit and it feels awful to see people who are already parents have newborns while childless couples keep waiting. 

But seriously. Imagine what it’s like to be a birthmom choosing a family for her baby. After the choice to relinquish her child, the choice of who that baby should go to will probably be the most difficult one she ever makes. It’s not a popularity contest. It’s about choosing the people that she thinks would make the best family for that little one. Maybe she’d like them to not have children because she thinks her baby would be more cherished that way. Maybe she would like a couple with several children already (maybe adopted children) because she always dreamed of having lots of siblings. She shouldn’t be shamed, coerced, or guilted into choosing a childless couple. 

If you or someone you love is waiting to become a parent, I hope that happens soon. ♥️

[Nowyn]

9 hours ago, GuineaPigCourtship said:

I never hated vets, but the difficulty in finding a quality vet for my pigs when I was in high school was a big factor in determining my career path.

 For me, it is more about the medical science. I just love it and have since I was a child. But I can't say having medical issues and seeing bad doctors hasn't affected me. I'm also pretty much a bleeding heart type. I have been an aid worker for past two and half years.

[Rachel333]

7 hours ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Well, maybe because it’s incredibly unfair to the prospective adoptive parents, who have to wait for years if they don’t win the popularity contest.

But this is a child's life. Of course I sympathize with people having trouble adopting, but "fairness" to the adoptive parents really doesn't matter in this situation.

I do however think it's unfortunate that due to their fame Jessa and Ben would probably have a better chance than most people at being chosen by a mother to adopt her child.

[Rachel333]

7 hours ago, JenniferJuniper said:

Then about three years ago it came back on my hands - but it was totally different this time.   The itch is almost indescribable and what I am willing to do to my hands to try to not feel it is shocking to me.  I have to struggle not to scald them with hot water.   I know I am doing is making the situation far worse by drying out my hands even more, but the pain is preferable to the itch.

Exactly. It's so horrible, and when the itching gets really bad it's hard to even sleep.

I'm similar in that sometimes my eczema can be triggered by contact -- I had a similar issue washing dishes in a restaurant, and latex can also trigger it, like the time in high school I wore latex gloves once and it triggered a patch of eczema that lasted years -- but often it doesn't seem to have any obvious etiology at all.

One thing I've noticed as I've gotten older is that the location has changed. When I was really little I got it behind my ears, and then as a kid I often had it really bad on the insides of my elbows and knees. As an adult I haven't had it in any of those places and now it's mostly on my hands and feet.

I get a little frustrated sometimes when people try to tell me what I need to do to get rid of it, even though I know they mean well. If they have eczema themselves and are just sharing what worked for them that's one thing, but for the most part I don't really want diet advice I didn't even ask for. A lot of people have their pet diet that they seem to believe will cure everything. Keto, for example -- there's solid evidence in favor of keto for some conditions, and I think it's one of the more legitimate diets out there, but keto evangelists can be really obnoxious in how they talk about it like it will solve every health problem you have. I feel similarly about marijuana and its enthusiasts.

One interesting side effect of eczema is that in areas where I've had it for a long time, like my feet in some of my fingers, hair no longer grows at all even when the eczema is gone. If I'm shaving I no longer have to shave my toes. 

Oh, and does anyone else get dyshidrotic eczema? I get it once in a while on my fingers or toes. Often it seems to be triggered by stress, while other times I'm not sure what causes it. It's really not as bad as regular eczema, but it's just weird.

Here's a picture of what it looks like. That's not my hand, but mine looks similar when I get it. Warning, it's gross and if trypophobia triggers bother you then do not look at it. What you might not be able to tell from the picture is that the bubbles aren't on top of the skin like blisters but start down in the skin.

Spoiler

 

[RainbowSky]

I have dyshidrotic on my hand.

Oddly, when I worked in a restaurant it wasn't horrible. I know hand washing is a trigger for some people. For me, i guess chemicals help lol. I've been home this winter because I had my baby and it's been pretty bad. I spend days wishing that I could tear off my fingers. 

[laPapessaGiovanna]

1 hour ago, Rachel333 said:

Exactly. It's so horrible, and when the itching gets really bad it's hard to even sleep.

I'm similar in that sometimes my eczema can be triggered by contact -- I had a similar issue washing dishes in a restaurant, and latex can also trigger it, like the time in high school I wore latex gloves once and it triggered a patch of eczema that lasted years -- but often it doesn't seem to have any obvious etiology at all.

One thing I've noticed as I've gotten older is that the location has changed. When I was really little I got it behind my ears, and then as a kid I often had it really bad on the insides of my elbows and knees. As an adult I haven't had it in any of those places and now it's mostly on my hands and feet.

I get a little frustrated sometimes when people try to tell me what I need to do to get rid of it, even though I know they mean well. If they have eczema themselves and are just sharing what worked for them that's one thing, but for the most part I don't really want diet advice I didn't even ask for. A lot of people have their pet diet that they seem to believe will cure everything. Keto, for example -- there's solid evidence in favor of keto for some conditions, and I think it's one of the more legitimate diets out there, but keto evangelists can be really obnoxious in how they talk about it like it will solve every health problem you have. I feel similarly about marijuana and its enthusiasts.

One interesting side effect of eczema is that in areas where I've had it for a long time, like my feet in some of my fingers, hair no longer grows at all even when the eczema is gone. If I'm shaving I no longer have to shave my toes. 

Oh, and does anyone else get dyshidrotic eczema? I get it once in a while on my fingers or toes. Often it seems to be triggered by stress, while other times I'm not sure what causes it. It's really not as bad as regular eczema, but it's just weird.

Here's a picture of what it looks like. That's not my hand, but mine looks similar when I get it. Warning, it's gross and if trypophobia triggers bother you then do not look at it. What you might not be able to tell from the picture is that the bubbles aren't on top of the skin like blisters but start down in the skin.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I have it exactly like that between my hands' fingers.

[Jellybean]

1 hour ago, Rachel333 said:

snip

I get a little frustrated sometimes when people try to tell me what I need to do to get rid of it, even though I know they mean well. If they have eczema themselves and are just sharing what worked for them that's one thing, but for the most part I don't really want diet advice I didn't even ask for. A lot of people have their pet diet that they seem to believe will cure everything. Keto, for example -- there's solid evidence in favor of keto for some conditions, and I think it's one of the more legitimate diets out there, but keto evangelists can be really obnoxious in how they talk about it like it will solve every health problem you have. I feel similarly about marijuana and its enthusiasts.

I agree about those who try to push their solutions onto me. I have a few friends whose opinions are incredibly valuable to me, mostly because they’ve had similar experiences and have a similar attitude/approach to treatment, but generally I try to steer clear of unsolicited advice.

Some medical conditions, even common ones like eczema and asthma, can be extremely difficult to treat and can have a huge impact on the quality of life of people with those diagnoses. I find it hugely frustrating to be told that it’s ‘just asthma’ when I’ve spent almost half my year in hospital with said asthma. As a teenager I found that people commonly assumed that I wasn’t taking my meds, which I always found grossly unfair, especially as I missed out on so much because it was so severe and so resistant to treatment. 

It’s understandable that people want to offer help and solutions when they see a problem, but sometimes it can just be nice to have someone agree that it sucks. Because sometimes it just does.

[AtlanticTug]

2 hours ago, Rachel333 said:

I do however think it's unfortunate that due to their fame Jessa and Ben would probably have a better chance than most people at being chosen by a mother to adopt her child.

I honestly hope that isn't true. What "fame" they have is exclusive to their little world and of little to no appeal to most Americans, especially urban ones. 

Keep in mind that many adoptive parents are older, established professionals, often in the upper and upper middle classes like lawyers, dentists, professors, etc. I know if I was putting up my newborn for adoption I'd hitch my star to them instead of two uneducated, unemployed 20-year-olds living in a 2 bedroom tiny house in the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, who could easily have 15 more kids that your baby will have to parent. Thanks, but no thanks.

[SapphireSlytherin]

Just now, AtlanticTug said:

Keep in mind that many adoptive parents are older, established professionals, often in the upper and upper middle classes like lawyers, dentists, professors, etc. I know if I was putting up my newborn for adoption I'd hitch my star to them instead of two uneducated, unemployed 20-year-olds living in a 2 bedroom tiny house in the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, who could easily have 15 more kids that your baby will have to parent. Thanks, but no thanks.

My friends adopted (in Arkansas, through a church-based organization) when they were 23 and 25. They lived in a small house. They were CHOSEN by the birth mother, based on my friends' "adoption packet" they submitted to the agency.

[AtlanticTug]

3 minutes ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

My friends adopted (in Arkansas, through a church-based organization) when they were 23 and 25. They lived in a small house. They were CHOSEN by the birth mother, based on my friends' "adoption packet" they submitted to the agency.

Sure, it happens.

Presumably they also had some sort of schooling outside of their parents' dining room table and some sort of gainful employment? And didn't already have 2 small kids and potentially a dozen more on the way due to hyperfertility?

[HarleyQuinn]

So when will Jessa's damange control announcement happen?  

[CarrotCake]

30 minutes ago, AtlanticTug said:

I honestly hope that isn't true. What "fame" they have is exclusive to their little world and of little to no appeal to most Americans, especially urban ones. 

Keep in mind that many adoptive parents are older, established professionals, often in the upper and upper middle classes like lawyers, dentists, professors, etc. I know if I was putting up my newborn for adoption I'd hitch my star to them instead of two uneducated, unemployed 20-year-olds living in a 2 bedroom tiny house in the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, who could easily have 15 more kids that your baby will have to parent. Thanks, but no thanks.

Well, there must be birth-parents that think they can at least keep track of their baby's life if it is a reality show.

And probably regret it later.

[Rachel333]

I also think that if a young fundie girl got pregnant (in which case she will likely be pressured to choose adoption regardless of her actual preferences) then Jessa and Ben might be an attractive choice for her.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

6 hours ago, JemimaPuddle-Duck said:

I get where you’re coming from. Infertility is complete shit and it feels awful to see people who are already parents have newborns while childless couples keep waiting. 

But seriously. Imagine what it’s like to be a birthmom choosing a family for her baby. After the choice to relinquish her child, the choice of who that baby should go to will probably be the most difficult one she ever makes. It’s not a popularity contest. It’s about choosing the people that she thinks would make the best family for that little one. Maybe she’d like them to not have children because she thinks her baby would be more cherished that way. Maybe she would like a couple with several children already (maybe adopted children) because she always dreamed of having lots of siblings. She shouldn’t be shamed, coerced, or guilted into choosing a childless couple. 

If you or someone you love is waiting to become a parent, I hope that happens soon. ♥️

I appreciate that you you showed some concern instead of just downvoting me. I think that the traditional system, where birth parents got some input (religion, etc.), but didn’t make the decision, worked just fine. We decided not to go down the adoption path largely because we were over 40 by the time it was clear that fertility treatments might not work for us, and a friend who works in adoption told me that the birth parents are young and they would not choose us, so we would be wasting our time and money. 

[SapphireSlytherin]

49 minutes ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

a friend who works in adoption told me that the birth parents are young and they would not choose us,

I am SO sorry someone told you this. And I can tell you that this friend was so very wrong. I worked with a guy (in his 40s) and his wife (in her late 40s) who were chosen TWICE by birth parents because they could offer a good, happy life to their babies.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

6 minutes ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

I am SO sorry someone told you this. And I can tell you that this friend was so very wrong. I worked with a guy (in his 40s) and his wife (in her late 40s) who were chosen TWICE by birth parents because they could offer a good, happy life to their babies.

Where did they live? My friend is in in West Virginia, which is...special.