Focus on Raelle
Ecz-motto: Focus within more than the skin.
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Often known as a nomad by my friends and family, I think out the box – and move the box as well.
Often known as a nomad by my friends and family, I think out the box and move out the box as well. I love people but also love my solitude just as much. Existing within nature fills me more than anything and I never grow tired of following blue skies, evergreen trees, mountains and waters’ streams. I’m equally a city girl raised by location, but even in the midst of building and concrete I searched for the stars.
I’ve had eczema since I arrived on this planet and 30 years later I’m able to say I accept where it will take me in life.
My eczema journey has been full of pain, on and off. In the off moments I would give my all in whatever pursuit I had because I never wanted to take my ability to live comfortably for granted. I appreciated life much more than the average person who did not have extreme chronic illness. With that pain came resilience, and that grit is what kept me strong through many battles in my life. It gave me reasons to seek higher learning and wisdom to focus on things that are beyond the physical. My eczema journey has built me to be tough in the face of adversity and tolerate pain. Yes these things are often praised and uplifted as they should be, but what this journey has taught me more than anything is not to accept having to fight as my only end-game for existence. Living past the pain, leaning on others to help and learning from them so that you don’t have to take on all of the weight of what is often out of your control: that is my greatest benefit of this journey. There is power and strength in seeking help, community and ease of life.
Once, my eczema landed me in the emergency room.
I remember when my eczema took me to the ER. I was young, but old enough to remember. It was yet another night of not sleeping because I was itching uncontrollably. All of the calming routines my mom did for me to be able to sleep did not work. My nightly bath or Benadryl didn’t even make a difference. I believe this was the first time I experienced topical steroid withdrawal. We didn’t know such a thing existed so of course that wasn’t a thought. My dad made the call to take me to the emergency room, as he may have not been able to accept me just staying up all night suffering any longer and he wanted to give me fast relief. They did all they could that night as he gave me the final say if I felt like I should go to the emergency room (unfortunately the ER was common in my childhood due to asthma, so I knew what my limit of pain was more than anyone else). Getting to the emergency room and being there was mostly all a blur. My parents keep me aware of some of the things I’ve selectively chosen to forget of the trauma in my youth. I truly can’t remember if it was this ER visit or another one when my asthma was the leading problem, but I ended up having an allergic reaction to the medicine they tried to give me to control my itch with the goal of completely stopping all of my senses from reacting. My father says I blacked out that night from the medicine they gave me. That’s the only ER visit I ever had for my eczema flare and I remember it more than any other visit there.
Jim is a NEA Ambassador. Learn how you can join Jim to make meaningful change for the eczema community as a NEA Ambassador.