My hands are better than they used to be. In fact, all of my skin is much better than it has ever been. Every once and I while though, I feel that tear, the one that lets me know I need to redouble my efforts moisturizing my hands.
It has been so bad in the past that once, when I was writing under the document camera a student actually said, “Ms. Gillespie, your hands really freak me out!”
Sometimes, they really freak me out, too.
But not right now.
Although there are a few problem areas, right now, only the knuckle on the middle finger of my right hand freaks me out. There is a canyon that runs perpendicular to the folds of the knuckle. I can’t say it hurts, really, but I am certainly aware of its presence. I do, however, take great pleasure watching the canyon fill with cream, turning it white, from the red it was before. It brings a kind of relief – a flexibility of the skin where there was only tightness before.
It is an ongoing battle. Really more like skirmishes these days. Anyone with eczema has to constantly channel Winston Churchill and say
“We shall defend our skin, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the fingers, we shall fight in the crooks of our elbows, we shall fight on the feet and the backs of our knees, we shall fight on the forehead we shall never surrender.”
booksandbassets 
Glad you are getting some healing and relief. What a great description of your knuckle.
Love this title, humor and the positivity you use to slice about this painful and annoying condition. I have been dealing with dry skin from a medication that I’m taking.. it’s driving me cuckoo! Thanks for sharing this!
I’m bringing your slice to my girlfriend today. She struggles with it too. I’m glad the cream works. Don’t you just love it when kids say things like that? Your response was priceless. xo nanc
Thanks for writing this, and for describing your freak out-inspiring knuckle is a way that makes the wound sound almost beautiful. It’s amazing that daily life involves such small skirmishes that can take so much mental/emotional space.
Word play as its own sort of salve! Thanks for sharing — and continuing to fight a good fight on many fronts.
Glad you are winning the battle. Success comes one knuckle at a time.
Glad you are feeling victorious! For my daughter, it’s the backs of her knees that are hit the hardest with eczema. We’ve eliminated everything scented or coloured (detergent, soap, etc.) and are down to only the gentlest handmade soap we can find (which we also use to do her hair.) Still they get irritated at times and it drives her (and me!) crazy. My dad has had it his entire life, and I fear she is curse with the same fate. Time will tell!
I got it from my dad, too! Along with the asthma. Fortunately, his hair loss skipped me. I got my mother’s thick head of hair.
PS: Just finished “History of the Girl Next Door” on your recommendation. WOW! I really enjoyed it. It surprised me with some unexpected turns of events, which is what I love in a book!
So glad you enjoyed it. It is refreshing when an author can surprise us!