Mother's Hands

When I think about my own mother's hands, or about a mother's hands in general, there are certain characteristics I'd think of: soft, small, dainty, thin, long nails, little knuckles, and some nicely manicured. My own hands are pretty much just the opposite of any type of "feminine" hand I would think of. My kids are going to have interesting memories of their own mother's hands!



After since my oldest was a baby, I've suffered from constant eczema on my hands. It is sometimes not bothersome, but in the winter and especially right now during a flare-up, it's quite unbearable. My fingers are all cracked and itchy, swollen and red. I've tried all sorts of medications, lotions, and even dietary changes, but still the eczema plague continues. Washing dishes can be excruciating, and simple things like tying shoes are a challenge. I can't even attempt to apply normal lotions or hand sanitizers...talk about stinging!



I also have the great gift of double-jointedness. My fingers will not straighten normally. They bend backwards and flex strangely. Add a life-time of knuckle-popping and there you have some messed-up hands!!!



But yesterday I met my "knight in shining armor". We'll call him Tree Winn, and he's a Harvard-trained dermatologist who made my day. Not only was he able to see me on a few-hours' notice, but after describing my symptoms, he looked me in the eye, and said, "we're going to fix this." Just what I wanted to hear! I almost started crying!

Now, eczema isn't really curable but we will get it managed and have a plan in place so it doesn't get this bad again. It's actually not the worst it has been, imagine having water blisters covering your entire hands...I had to wear gloves for days and take oral meds to get that cleared up many years back!



So if you see me wearing medical gloves or failing to wash my hands in a public restroom, if my dishes are stacked high and my toilets need scrubbing....well, I have a good excuse! And Walgreen's sure better have my prescriptions ready this afternoon! This mama is ready for some healed-hands...