She thinks there is hope

As promised, even though it is a bit delayed, here is an update on the Dermo Nurses first and second visit.

Visit One: She looks at his skin, and is happy that there is no longer a 'crispness' to the skin, it means that I am doing a good job on moisturising him often, but his skin is still red, angry and inflamed. She wants me to carry on using the antibiotic cream until her next visit. She is also sending a letter to my GP practise to prescibe a new bath additive(one with anti itch in it), a new shampoo, a new shower gel type emollient, a new stronger, higher sedative, anti histamine and a new cream. She also wants to change his cortizone cream for the body to the strongest one available, but we need to finish with the antibiotic one first.

Inbetween: Phone the GP practise 2 days later, they have not received the fax from the Dermo dept. Follow up with Dermo nurse who refaxes it. Go see GP practise the next day, first they tell me that it has not been received and then they find it. They ask me to collect the prescription later in the day. I fetch it at 5pm and take it to the pharmacy, who don't have everything, but order it in for Monday. The only prescribed him a 200ml bath oil and a 50g cream - they are both finished already and more has been ordered. Dumb Ass GP.

Visit two: Dermo nurse is not here long, she is happy with his skin. She does not think that we need the strongest cortizone cream anymore. In fact she tells me to stop using the antibiotic one and go onto our usual one once a day (we were on twice a day before antibiotic), and after 2 weeks his eczema should be clear. And to carry on with the rest of the products in the usual way.

Today: His sleep has gone back to topsy turvy. He has scabs all over his body from scratching, but his skin is not quite as red and angry. So I am not sure if we are starting a flare up or one is busy going away.

I must admit that I do think that the Dermo nurse is a bit loopy if she thinks that in 2 weeks his skin will be clear, but I am really hoping that she is right and I will have to eat my words.

She will be back a week from today. In the mean time she has asked me to keep a food diary so that we can see if there are any foods affecting him and if we should send him for an allergy test (yay!). I have not started this yet as I am going away on for the night on Friday night to meet some Internet Friends, some of which I have known for 3.5 years already, but have never met in person (I am very excited and nervous about this). But, due to this, I will start the food diary on Sunday as I get back Saturday night after James' bedtime. And yes, I could ask Gareth to do it while I am away, and yes, he is a loving and caring Dad, but lets face it, he is a man, so Sunday it is. And then I have to keep the diary for 6 weeks.