Epox

Hi, I have eczema, I say this because I believe it is related to this issue I am having.

As far back as October I had a small rash on my index finger between my fingernail and my 1st nuckle (second joint on finger). It was itchy alot, and it dried out if I didn't keep it well moisturized and protected with anti-biotic cream, lotion, and/or vaseline.

When it itched I would either rub it to death or run it under hotwater. Both activites I'm sure were not good for the health of my skin. Actually I think maybe not only did I erode/wear away skin from friction scratching, that I may have helped my skin get to where it is today by using hot water is a treatment for my itching (repeated 0th degree burning of small areas addedup??).

I'm assuming that what happeend is that altho I didn't do a full physical scratching of the skin, I relieved it itching by wrapping my index finger and thumb (of my other hand) around the finger in question and ran them back and fourth using friction and heat to do my "Scratching". I believe this slowly wore away the skin on my finger and now today I basically have no skin on my finger in the effected area, its raw, and I can see the blood under the skin at times. Now it won't hold moisture on its own, and when it dries out it hurts reallly badly, and I lick it to try to relieve some of the drieness until I can get some vaseline or anti-biotic ointment on it (lotion doesnt really cut it).

The affected skins also seems to "ooze" or (what I though it to be) "sweat" from time to time. I figured at first it really was sweating even tho it didn't feel of an abnormal temperature, and then I thought maybe the skin was rejecting the relentless supply of anti-biotic ointment I keep on it, so I switched the vaseline and it basically done the same thing. I find the fluid stains the large bandaids I keep over the area and dries as yellow crust on the gause I had around one of my bandaids. It also seems to ooze/sweat mostly when I compress the skin; especially when I tried to indirectly releve the itching attacks I sometimes have by poking the skin thru my bandaid with my fingernail of my other index finger. or if I bend my finger upwards at the first joint (counting from the fingernail end).

I've been keeping my finger bandaged for weeks now and Right now I have a large bandage on it thats been on for well over a day.. going onto 48hrs now, with pretty good luck. I have to shower soon so I'll probably have to take it off and clean the area good because crust has formed on skin near the edges of the bandaid and I notice that when I take it off some of my skin is grey and sometimes this grey fim forms near the edges of the raw skin... it may be new skin growing (who know??)

I think it maybe a possibility that since I've started keeping the area bandaged the ooze or whatever has caused all the dead skin to peel off becuase when I started bandaging the area alot of skin near the edges was ready to come off. and it overall made the area more raw. It isn't getting anymore raw now but it just seemed to clean the area up when I started using bandages which held any fluid which escaped from the skin on the surface. So when I googled "red raw oozing skin" I got some diper rash results, it doesn't look anything like diper rash tho but the zinc oxidie they reccomended to dry out the skin and solve the oozing might be somethign to look into.

Being away from home, at school over 150 miles away I cannot see my doctor and I kept putting the issue off while I was home for break. Fortunately my friend referred me to a physicans group across the street from my school and I'll be having my first appointment this coming Wednesday. So yes I am seeking medical attention for this.

But I've come with this issue to HealthBoards to see if anyone can identify with me or offer some advise as to how to promote healing of my skin until I see this doctor, hoping he won't have to refer me to the inhouse dermatology specialist (even tho it might be best..) because I'd like an answer + treatment during my 1st visit, a 2nd visit means more money and more waiting time

Thank you all for your time, and I am sorry the post is so long. Even if I don't get too many responses here I'll have a collective writing of my issue that I can print and outline as a guide when talking with this doctor.

Thank you again! I hope to hear from someone!!