Here you will find a compilation of photos from Catherine's TSW Journey and excerpts from this blog since the beginning of the process. Please Click Here to Continue

After our experience with many pediatricians, allergists and dermatologists, we were afraid to go to a new doctor. All of them prescribed steroids with different names and they didn't care about our opinion. Last August, we needed to go to a new one because Catherine seemed to be infected. Thanks God, this time our experienced was different [READ MORE]

I have never been a fan of any Disney princess in my life. In fact, I have always believed that they are not a good reference for little girls, only an example of an excellent marketing campaign. However, since last year, I changed my mind. Catherine's self esteem improved since she watched the movie Cinderella. 

The process of TSW is hard, not only for the withdrawal symptoms, but the low self esteem. Before watching the movie, she was very shy, she looked down every time people were staring at her or tried to hide her face from them. It was frustrating as a mother to see that scene every time we were in the park or in the supermarket. 

After watching the movie, she started dreaming. She believed she was a princess, and she became more confident. Coincidentally, during this time she got better from her skin.

Last week, Catherine met Cinderella at Disneyland, she was so excited to meet her in person that she hugged her for a long time.   

For that reason, I'm not a princess hater anymore. I'm truly thankful with Cinderella for making my daughter believe that dreams come true. 

Recalling Cinderella's song:

"Have faith in your dreams and someday, your rainbow will come smiling thru. No matter how your heart is grieving, If you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true"


Hang in there TSW warriors! One day the nightmare will be over
                                      

Catherine had a very mild flare up after my last post, but a week later her skin was almost perfect. I said "almost" because her arms have been very dry and scaly like always.

Regarding food, we didn't introduce anything new; I only made different recipes with the same options. For example, zucchini boats filled with ground turkey with vegetables, corn tortillas with homemade refried beans and chicken, egg & gluten free pretzels, and chicken nuggets with tapioca flour. 

At night, I can't complain because she sleeps better and therefore, we do too. 

Our life has changed, we are doing projects that we postponed a year ago and going out every weekend like any other family.
 

Today, I cried tears of joy. I feel very happy because Catherine's face has cleared up. Finally, after 16 months! READ MORE 16 Months TSW

Great improvements! Every day, Catherine is getting better and better. Now, she doesn't use gauzes anymore!. However, she is still very itchy, her skin is dry and scaly, and mild flare-ups occur every now and then. 

The good thing is that now, flare-ups only affect areas that she hasn't improved. 

Regarding her daily routine, we bath her twice a week, her diet is based on the results of the allergy tests (IGG, IGE, skin prick test), and we applied a homemade cream and vaseline twice a day.

We give her Zyrtec or Benadryl at night because she always has problems to sleep. At least, It helps her for a couple of hours.

We are going to continue with this routine until she clears up completely. 

Catherine's skin is slowly healing. Finally, her face is on its way to clearing up. She has been on a restricted diet for about 8 weeks based on the IGG food intolerance test results. It is a long list of restricted foods, but the elimination is for a limited time only. 

Regarding moisturizers, we have been applying a homemade cream made with zinc and mupiricin when needed.

Challenges
Even though Catherine is improving, she is still very itchy. At night, she wakes up 3-4 times. We have tried antihistamines, cold rags, and chamomile tea to relieve the itching, but nothing seems to work. On the other hand, we are trying to expand and diversify her diet because her menu is almost limited to soups. 

We feel happy for the great improvement, Catherine looks happier than ever. Her torso looks wonderful like if she were eczema free.