How my dyshidrosis began

Where do I begin? Well, it all started with dryness on my left big toe summer 2012. I thought it was just that-- dryness. I am a runner, so I thought it was just one of the effects of this hobby that I'll just have to live with. I didn't think much of it. I chuckled when my stepdad said last summer, "That looks like fungus. I have some medication if you'd like." I had NO clue was he was talking about, and laughed it off, subtly changing the subject because I was a bit embarrassed to have him look at my feet. Over time, I noticed the dryness wouldn't go away, and I started blistering there, with little clear dots. Remembering my stepfather's diagnosis, I was certain those dots were fungus, so I treated it with over-the-counter antifungals from Target; it didn't show much progress. Around January 2013 I told my mother about my condition, and she gave me an antifungal medication she purchased while vacationing in Peru. It's called Iconyl(r), and it is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal. It contains betamethasone, gentamicin, and clotrimazole. WHOA! That thing worked like a charm. I was amazed by how quickly it showed results, compared to the stuff I had been trying.

A few months later I started developing the same little dots, but now on the bottom of my foot as well as on the same left big toe. I was certain they were fungus, so I bought Tinactin spray-- yet, the unsightly thing continued to spread despite my efforts! By May 1st, 2013 had a circle about 4 inches long and an inch and a half wide on the bottom of my right foot, and a growing cluster about half an inch wide and long on my left foot. I did apple cider vinegar foot dips, but that didn't work. It seemed to get worse despite my efforts, and now even my hands were showing those little clear dots that I thought were the fungal bodies. I was so disgusted and desperate!

It was frustrating. It was difficult to walk. I didn't want to walk barefoot either, lest I get a secondary bacterial infection. I didn't want to cover it in socks and shoes either because I heard that gives fungus the warmth, moisture and darkness they need to thrive. I was damned either way. I got two pairs oversized men's sandals. NOT pretty or flattering, but they gave my feet the comfort, air and protection they needed.

I finally went to the doctor on May 3rd. I'm unemployed and have no insurance, so I went to a random county doctor for this because I qualify for free service. The doctor looked at it and said it didn't look like fungus;  I was almost certain it was, considering the white clear dots.  He observed that it MIGHT be fungus in combination with some sort of rash or irritation, so he prescribed a clotrimazole and betamethasone dipropionate cream. That cream actually worked-- it dried up the vesicles and dried up my entire foot so bad it started to crack. I did my research, posted on forums, shared photos, and found it was DYSHIDROSIS. I wasn't diagnosed by a doctor because the free county doctors almost never conduct tests unless one is DYING, and the regular doctor is TOO expensive. However, after months of online research, this is dyshidrosis.

Right foot. May 3rd, 2013

Left big toe, May 3rd, 2013