Out of the dark...

I have disappeared from this blog for about a fortnight. Apologies to people out there waiting for my next post.

This period was the most gloomy time I have had since I arrived in London. My hair started falling out in bunches, nose bleeding got worse, my hands were flaking and I started to itch all over my body.

I became very depressed and lost a lot of my confidence over my hair issue. I went out with a cap all the time, even if it wasn't that cold.

Finally, a good friend persuaded me to see a doctor.

I went down to the school doctor yesterday at Penrhyn Road campus. It was a long wait as the doctor was behind schedule.

My doctor was a patient looking Asian lady and I really felt at ease when I was with her. I told her about all my problems and after rummaging through my hair and looking at my nose through a microscope-like instrument, she concluded that either my body is unable to adapt to the cold, or I am under a lot of stress, or maybe both. In simplified terms, my inner nose walls swelled and the blood vessels burst. I have eczema on my hands.

Unlike Singapore, consultation is free and the doctor gave a list of prescription which I had to go to any pharmacy to get the prescriptions. Prescriptions are at a flat rate of 7.20 pounds. The doctor did not give any brand, so if I was able to find the same product on the shelf at a cheaper price, I could do that. Ended up, there was only one item I could get off the shelf for half that price.

Now I have a strict regime to follow and I think I am getting the hang of it already.

It goes like this:
Hair
- Wash with Ketoconazole shampoo twice a week, leave on for 5 mins before washing off
- On the other days, wash with anti-dandruff shampoo
- Apply scalp application at least twice a day
Body
- Wash with aqueous cream
- Apply Epaderm cream at least twice a day
Nose
- Take cetirizine tablets once a day
Hands
- Hydrocortisone Cream


After one day, I felt that my hair was dropping half as much, although still a lot. I woke up in the morning to blow out a ball of dried blood from my nose.

Bathing with aqueous cream isn't the most pleasant thing to do and coating myself with loads of epaderm cream just make me dread it more. I smell like a hospital.

Overall, I feel more cheerful after seeing the doctor. I definitely improved psychologically. Now I can also concentrate on my work, thus removing some level of stress, breaking away from the vicious cycle.

Thank you to my dear friend for enlightening me through the darkest period in my life...