More than 5 years ago, I set out on a journey to detox my family. While most detox makes you think of eating cleaner foods, after a while it occurred to me that maybe food wasn’t the only problem. Could I need to also detox my house? Here are my thoughts from February, 2012, more than a year after we’d healed my daughter of her sleep issues:
The other day I blogged about my divine confirmation of doing this gluten-free diet. It made me happy, but nervous as well – how far can I go, given what a disaster I’ve been at it so far? That’s just for my kids, mind you, but I’ve noticed that not doing things 100% is exactly what’s led to slip ups and infractions. (And maybe this pronounced reappearance of Zoe’s stimming?)
But in my prayers for clarity, I asked God to make me 100% sure.
Whoa, lady, be careful what you ask for…
You see, ever since moving to PA 9 years ago, I’ve had insanely dry skin on my hands. At first I thought it was pregnancy, after that I thought it was just the bitter (horrible) cold Pocono winters. Then I moved here, which averages 10 degrees less than the Poconos, and not only did the chapped hand situation get worse (I can hardly wear my platinum wedding band at all, and no earrings of any kind), the first thing that happened was I got a HEAD TO TOE RASH. I was covered with fine pimples that were painfully itchy and covered every exposed area. (A blessing, I suppose, couldn’t imagine what to do with that rash on my armpits, ugh!)
It went as mysteriously as it came, so I chalked it up to dust settling in our newly built house.
Yea, right.
Anyway, I’ve recently gotten a rash on my wrist. I’ve had it for a while. I was just thinking today that I might have gotten it from my new mousepad, which doubles as a writing pad, the paper and glue irritating my arms.
EXCEPT.
Tonight I was reading to Amelia and my hand started to throb. When I looked at it, my dry skin on my knuckles had spiked into a similar rash (like that on my wrist) and started to wind down my finger. It looked EXACTLY like my rash from my wedding band, except I don’t wear anything on my right hand.
HUH?
YUCK. And it hurts, like I spent the day rubbing my knuckles with sandpaper. See my knuckles, and that lovely pink spot on my wrist? So, what am I to do?
The only thing I can figure out is that I should do a full detox, and cleanse, even myself, of glutens. Time to rethink hair and skin products and make up too. And what about everything else, like lawn care, toothpaste, laundry detergent, clean water?
I don’t even know where to begin. I have new cleaning people who are shortly changing their products to some Hydrogen Peroxide formula, but could it be that? And, as if all this weren’t enough, I have two itchy spots on my back. Not enough to say rash, but this is something I NEVER get. I feel like I have the cooties.
Will I have to move forward through this? Can I do it??
Whew, it feels like so long ago! But I’m happy to tell you that I DID detox my home (everything except the water, which I’m saving up for) and it HAS made a difference! That rash? Yes, I’ve had it again over the years – twice more – and YES, one time I had it in my armpits and that was absolute agony. However, it was never as severe as the first year and it was remedied with homeopathic products, nontoxic moisturizer and careful attention to keeping my skin warm and dry.
