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My confessional: Isabel, atopic dermatitis

Updated on October 23, 2024

For Isabel, an atopic dermatitis patient, eczema is a common thread in her family medical history.

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Transcript

00:00
I think my lowest point with eczema is when it just keeps-- you keep getting flare-ups and you're not understanding why.
00:08
Or when they appear in places that you don't like, for example, on your face, or on your chin, or in your hands when you're reaching
00:14
for something or someone. And they see that, and they're like, oh, god, no. No, thanks. Don't touch. I'm Isabel and this is my confessional.
00:24
I'm 27 years old. I work for a financial asset management group in Midtown East in New York City.
00:30
So eczema does run in my family. My grandmother had it. My mom has it. My aunt has it. My sister has it. My cousin in Florida has it.
00:37
We all suffer from this style of eczema. So we're all very in tune to each other's needs and triggers and flare-ups.
00:44
I have had recent eczema flare-ups. I get them a lot on my hands and it becomes like itchy and red and puffy, like right in my knuckles.
00:51
Right here. I keep getting the flare up there. It's just not fun, and, you know, it really kind of makes you feel like you're a lot older than you are and you're a lot stiffer
00:59
than you are. Now I'm going to go into my bathroom and show you some of the products that help me with my eczema. As you can see, over here I have plenty of lotions and creams.
01:06
So this actually provides me some instant relief. I've been using it for years and it just is something that immediately soothes me.
01:13
When I do have eczema and I do have a flare up, I do still like being active. I don't let it keep me inside. So something that's nice is I live
01:20
in a very woody, green area, so I'm able to take a lot of hikes throughout the day.
01:27
I'm working from home currently, so that's been nice to get some exercise. Some food that's always stocked my pantry is--
01:33
my doctor is not going to like when I say this, but cheese. The healthy kind. I have avocados always.
01:39
I have quinoa, which is good for when I want pasta, I reach for the quinoa instead.
01:45
I just try to keep everything very balanced. I do like a lot of fruit. I like my vegetables. I try to stay clear of candy, but it's not the easiest.
01:53
More easy said than done, for sure. I think advice that I would give to others with eczema is definitely seeing your triggers
02:00
and where they're coming from. Pay attention to it. Take care of it. Know how you can take care of it. And continue living your life.
02:06
I try all the things I can try and travel where I want to travel and I don't let things like eczema hold me back.

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