Help is Here, Now

I went to the dermatologist the other day because I’ve been having these seriously itchy hand and forearm flare ups and I was not exactly sure but not exactly not sure that perhaps I’d contracted a flesh-eating virus of some kind. The derm, actually the derm’s PA, said she was pretty sure it was blah blah blah eczema – aka: dry skin – and gave me some moisturizer to put on. It cleared up almost instantly. I’d been suffering with the flesh-eating virus story, along with the itchiness and scratching myself bloody, for only a couple of weeks before I sought help. I probably suffered for a shorter period of time than I normally would have just because I was a little concerned about being contagious.

Anyway, the point is, it never would have occurred to me that my problem was dry skin. I just didn’t see it that way. I saw flesh-eating virus, or maybe some kind of overall wart/fungus, or stress, or something really bad and intractable.

And it could have gotten worse if I hadn’t sought help. It’s not like dry skin is nothing. There’s a chick at my tennis clinic who tapes up her fingers over dry skin because they’re cracking and painful and the tape keeps the skin together. Seriously.

I’m not gonnna let myself get to that point. I’m going to take care of this body, the permanent home for this soul, in this life. I’m going to do what it takes to feel comfortable in this body, even if that means seeking help for stuff I don’t want to seek help for AND actually doing what’s recommended.

And I’m going to pay attention, not just to how I look but also to how I feel – my organs and bodily functions and qi and all that stuff. I’m going to take care of myself like it’s my job. It beats the alternatives.

Even though I always thought moisturizer was kind of a scam, I’m okay with now being someone who needs moisturizer. I’m even grateful there is moisturizer readily available to heal what ails me. I’m gonna get to it.