Back with a whimper

Being a lean week at work, I took 3 days' leave beginning Monday to look after Ash. Saturday's UV radiation itself had done him a world of good. The cracked skin began to heal and new, fairer skin began to show up.

On the doctor's advice, we got bold enough to try introduce all food except peanuts and soybean in his diet. The first day we tried seer fish and he seemed ok. Of course the night itching continued to some extent. But yesterday's diet experiements with fish, french fries and tomato sauce went awry. Maybe it was the preservatives in the sauce. He itched like hell yesterday and the skin began to look worrying again. I guess we have to shelve our experiments till he is better.

He has completed 3 UV sessions. The nurse told us yesterday that Ash was a brave lil fellow to stand in the UV chamber alone when even 10-yr-old kids cried in fear. Our only worry is if he will open his eyes or remove the adult goggles provided - but I think he is enjoying wearing the goggles the most - so V keeps bellowing instructions. The doctor will see him after tomorrow's therapy.

Today he jumped out of bed at 7 am wanting to go to school, but after a while changed tack. Achacha mogham murinjirikuvaa (my face is all bruised), he explains. He has also changed the diet rules. "Chochchil maarathilla (This itching wont go). I will eat and scratch myself," he tells me when I tell him that he can have something after his itching is gone.

As for me, I did not get much rest or time to read even the newspaper while I was on leave. The kids, excited to have their mother at home for a change, had a whale of a time in the afternoons. While the maid napped, I managed at the most a 3-minute nap to be awakened by a shriek or a slap.

I also tried to make up for the lack of attention I gave Mira in the last week when Ash was the focal point of our attention. She has been coming to me with an imaginary itch, some which she claims are caused by mosquito bites, and expects me to rub in some ointment. We shudder to think what we'd have gone through if it were Mira who had the eczema and not Ash. Ash, save for his occasional tantrums, is an uncomplaining child and suffers in silence. Only, in recent times he cannot seem to take the suffering in silence anymore.