3 Months Later After Starting With Dr Richard Aron

Before finding Dr Aron

It's been 3 months since we started using Dr Richard Aron's Eczema Regime for our daughter Tomato. If you've read my 2 previous posts about this, you will know what we have been through. If you haven't, check them out at these links Skin Deep and The Eczema Chronicles.

3 weeks into treatment

After searching and searching and trying every medication and treatment under the sun, I stumbled across the Facebook page that changed our lives. Many people have been confused as to why it took me so long to find this group, and I too wondered how I could possibly have missed it in all my many google searches over the years. I have found that answer and many more over the past 3 months. See my first post about finding Dr Aron and how we got started by clicking on this link, if you haven't seen it already The Day I Found Dr Richard Aron and Our Healing Journey Began

Firstly, this Facebook page was only set up a few short months before I found it. After searching for years and coming up with no answers, I had blindly followed the advice of the medical professionals who all agreed on the same method - moisturising, topical steroids combined with long-term oral antibiotics to treat infections, I trusted that there was no other option. Secondly, I discovered that the brilliant doctor had not set this group up himself, some amazing, selfless parents, whose children had ended their suffering using Dr Aron's regime, had set up a Facebook group to help other parents discover this regime. Thirdly, Dr Aron practises in South Africa and the UK and began online consultations in 2008 to allow patients globally to benefit from his method. The only problem, was that his website was not easy to find. This is why the Facebook group was started.

TSA, TSW and RSS
I have also learned about something called TSA which is an acronym for Topical Steroid Addiction and TSW which is an acronym for Topical Steroid Withdrawal. Also RSS wich is an acronym for Red Skin Syndrome. To read more about TSA, TSW and RSS, click on this link - What is TSA, TSW and RSS?

So many parents and potential patients of Dr Aron are concerned about TSA. The huge difference between other methods and the Aron regime is that Dr Aron uses a VERY diluted mix of (the dreaded) topical steroid together with a topical antibiotic. BUT this method, steps down the number of applications of the diluted ingredients until the cream is no longer needed at all! This is indeed a much better way of stopping the steroids suddenly, as no withdrawal is experienced. 

Before Starting with Dr Aron

How is Tomato after 3 months of Treatment?

Well I am thrilled to tell you that we started sleeping (yes the whole family got to sleep through the night) from the very first day! She no longer takes any medication, apart from the cream - no anti-histamines, no oral antibiotics, no oral cortisone, no anti-anxiety medication, NOTHING! And her skin is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! She has not itched since the second day and if you met her today, you would never know that she had ever had eczema (apart from some scarring that is slowly fading.)

How long did it take us to see results?

We saw positive results within the first few days.

What did we do?

1. Due to the severity of her skin, we started on 6 applications per day for 5 days. 
2. We then reduced to 4 applications per day for a period of 7 days. 
3. Then we reduced further, to 3 applications per day, with 1 extra application on stubborn areas i.e. arm creases, behind knees and ankles. This continued for 2 weeks.
4. We then reduced to 2 apps per day for 10 days.
5. Tomato then had a very slight flare and we went back to 5 applications per day for 4 days.
6. Then we went down to 3 applications for 10 days and reduced to 2 applications for 4 weeks. At this point Dr Aron stressed that we should not become over-confident as eczema does flare and due to the severity that Tomato had experienced for years, we needed to reduce very slowly to allow the skin to remain non-reactive.
7. After 3 months we are now down to 2-1-2-1-2-1 meaning one day 2 applications and the next 1 application, the next 2 etc etc. We are on the 3rd day and her skin looks like it is maintaining. We will remain on this for the next 4 weeks.

Each and every time, we were guided via email by Dr Aron as to what to do. If I was concerned, I emailed photos, but for the past few times there has been no need as her skin is perfectly normal.

Looking Back
Unless you have been to that dark place that a parent of a child with eczema has, you cannot fully understand. Many times in those dark years, I had thoughts of leaving, just running away. Many times, due to years of sleep deprivation and continuous screaming and clawing and bleeding I wanted to give up. I would read terrible stories of desperate mothers, who like us, had no support, who were also awake night after night after night with difficult children, who couldn't see an end to the suffering and killed their children to put an end to the madness. I certainly don't condone that behaviour, but unlike most "normal" people living "normal" lives, I understood the desperation that those moms felt. I am so grateful that I was strong enough to never be tempted to do something like that. I sympathised, often causing friends to think I was crazy. Often I would think "there, but for the grace of God, go I."                                        

Looking Towards the Beautiful Bright Future

I cannot begin to explain the relief we feel. This doctor, whom I haven't even met, has given me and my family back our sanity, our zest for life and a beautiful, glorious light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. 

Tomato has told me that she wants to fly to Cape Town to thank this man, who has changed her life forever. [update click here to see the post when We met Dr Aron!

If you are reading this post, and have a child who is suffering, take a chance and start with this remarkable man, who is slowly but surely, one patient at a time, healing families around the world.

Eczema is not only a disease of the skin,

it's a disease of the soul

Where are we now? See the latest links: 9 Months Later 

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