I did quite a bit of research about Staph infections after I caught one in a steam room, and it appears that Staph causes about half of acne, and is present in cases of psoriasis as well. I am aware of the mite connection to rosacea, but also suspect Staph with that, too. Too much playing around with Staph with ineffective treatments that allow it to survive can lead to the Staph superbug, MRSA, that everyone has been scared by lately. One thing that has been discovered, for example, is that a preparation with less than 3% of Tea Tree oil can actually lead to the production of a more resist Staph germ. The Staph germ is a commensual that lives on the skin and easily spreads there. If you have a lesion from it you can pretty much assume that it is infectious, and that the germs are at least present in a 4 inch square area around the blemish. Acne is produced when a hair root becomes infected with it. In my opinion, Eczema is an attempt by the skin to dispose of a germ it cannot kill by sloughing off instead. I strongly recommend pump soaps, because bar soaps can harbor the germ--even, in some cases, germicidal bar soaps. For actual blemishes, 10% benzyl peroxide (which will bleach clothes) is very effective for many strains of the germ if applied consistently at least twice a day until the blemish is completely gone. COMPLETELY is the operative word, because with staph, if you don't treat it completely and kill it, you are better off not starting--it can evolve into worse forms which are much more difficult to treat. That is, apparently, why dermatologists use cortisone preparations so frequently to deal with it. It keeps the patient from scratching the irritated skin, but does not challenge the germ. I'm a bit confused as to just what dermatologists actually know and think about these conditions; my two theories on the matter are that either they disagree among themselves, or they don't want to panic people into being overly conscious about a germ that is omnipresent. However, after having read up more on Staph, if I had an infant, I would certainly not allow his or her bare skin to touch the average grocery cart seat. In my experience, vinegar does help Rosacea; and, by extension, it might also be helpful in cases of eczema and even some acne as well. Because of the reaction of my dermatologist when I mentioned vinegar, I stick with the distilled white vinegar, which has no other organisms in it to add to the confusion. (Where other organisms are desired to balance off the effects of a course of antibiotics, stick to the recognized dietary sources of yogurt, apple cider vinegar, sauercraut, Kim Chee, Activia, etc. and the probiotics carried by most health food stores.) I used vinegar for several years on my rosacea, and rarely had to resort to the prescribed Metro Cream. Salicilic Acid is available in a number of tube treatments over-the-counter; it is not as strong as the 10% benzyl peroxide but can be useful in shampoo and bathing form--the liquid soap I use with that is OXY. Dermarest has come out with shampoo and skin treatments that have salicilic acid in them which I have found to be quite helpful. The next step up from salicilic acid is the benzyl peroxide, but it is only useful for small areas as it is so drying; it's really self defeating to use it for anything but an actual lesion. Next is coal tar and similar things. Neutrogena makes a coal tar shampoo that seems quite effective. You have to find out, for your own condition and skin, what is best in terms of how much, how long, and how often you can use a preparation. In between the heavy-handed approaches, I use the pump baby soaps for bathing, interspersed with a new eczema and psoriasis wash made by Flexitol Naturals. It is part homeopathic and part herbal, but it seems to help. So far I haven't had as much success with the cream, but I used that in my ears, probably not the best place to try it first. I think anyone with these conditions needs to entertain the idea that a germ may be a factor, and use some common sense about constant reexposure. Avoiding touching the nose directly, but using a tissue to scratch it, is one easy step (Staph can live in the nasal passages even if cleared from the rest of the skin). Changing pillowcases several times a week instead of just when the sheets are washed (that should be done at least weekly) can be helpful with facial skin problems. Nightly showers should be taken, but with care not to over-dry the skin. Less affected areas should not be washed after using your hands to wash more infected areas...for really severe cases, use disposable latex gloves on the worst areas, to avoid spread. Wear clothing next to the skin that can be laundered thoroughly in hot water. Wipe down computer keyboards and telephones regularly with alcohol. In hospitals, Staph is cleansed from the skin of patients with persistent infections using Dakins Solution. It is a mixture of chlorine and a buffering agent; the formula for that can be found on the web, and some pharmacies have it available for sale if asked. It is very drying to the skin and should probably be used just prior to a shower. Don't forget eyeglass frames, hairbrushes, and other frequently used items. Hairbrushes can be sprayed with a chlorine solution and then washed in the dishwasher; eyeglass earpieces and etc. can be wiped with alcohol on a disposable tissue. Long-term antibiotic treatment for acne can result in a more resistant form of Staph, so it is a two-edged sword. It is definitely not a treatment that should be stopped without consultation with the physician who prescribed it, because stopping an antibiotic too soo can allow a resistant germ to reproduce instead of being killed. Doctors seem to think that Hydrogen Peroxide solution will kill staph. In my experience, if you are dealing with a resistant strain, it will just spread the staph if you wipe down an area with it. Applying alcohol is even worse--it will allow the germ to get into the skin. By prescription, you can still use hexachlorophine if you are an adult (it was found to cause nerve damage in young children), and if all else fails there is a skin wash used for surgical preparation (it's red in color) that you can try, if the usual disinfectant soaps don't work for you. The Cetaphyl line seems to be that one dermatologists like for moisturizers and waterless skin washes; they are noncomedonic and come in pump form. According to a book I have on skin care, they include newly available lipids in their formulation that do a better job of moisturizing. An ingredient in shampoos and skin products that the book recommended avoiding is sodium lauryl sulfate (laureth is OK)--it tends to be comedonic, or pimple-forming. Several of the herbal and vitamin suggestions in this thread look promising; the only thing I can add is that, when I was trying to eliminate my origional infection, I found references in old herbals to the use of elderberry bark and pokeberry root preparations for resistant skin infections. The efficacy would apparently be the organic cyanide in these plants. I tried making up a solution by boiling some of each together, and it did seem to help a bit as an external application.

Here is the problem: There are thousands (and more unknown)types of fungi in the environment. They all cause different symptoms and can require different treatment protocol. The key to treatment is finding out the particular strain from which you are suffering. I have been dealing with kerion lesions all over my body for the last few months and I'm very quickly discovering that doctors and vets are CLUELESS in Mycology. They learn the very basics in med school and don't further their education. You have to be proactive with your health and do the research yourself. There are fungi out there that are zoophilic as well and you can pass infection between your pets and vice versa. You really have to see a doctor, preferrably a dermatologist and ask for a fungal culture. They will take a scraping of your skin, a biopsy, or hair samples and send it off to a lab to culture. There it will grow in a dish and go from there. Some fungi grow relatively quickly, others, it may take weeks for results. I just can't believe that the medical community isn't better educated. I went to the ER because I don't have insurance. I told the doctor about my symptoms, ranging from fatigue, hair and skin problems, all the way to arthritic joints. I also mentioned my 3 dogs have the same type lesions. I told him I thought I might have a systemic fungal infection and his response was "First of all, I'm not a vet, so what your dogs have is of no concern" and "Systemic fungus won't present this way". STUPID!! So...what does he do? Takes a skin scraping, goes and looks at it under the microscope and says to me that he didn't see anything crawling but he did see something that looked like it had 'branches'. Ummmmm, HELLO?!! Branches=Hyphae=FUNGUS!! So he prescribes LAMISIL and Bactrim (antibiotic). Well, if he knew anything about fungi, he would have known that antibiotic are the worst treatment for fungi. They kill bacteria and then the fungi have all the room in the world to grow. Making your infection even worse. Don't let a fungal infection spread, they can be very dangerous and I believe are the source of a lot of major illness. The post above me mentions the light and dark spots and not being able to get rid of them. I'm not a doctor but it sounds like Tinea Versicolor, which is a non-invasive fungus that can be treated with over the counter preparations with active ingredients such as clotrimazole or miconazole. You have to treat this for a long time and may never completely kick it. Don't start and stop any treatment because it can become resistant and stronger and your condition may get worse. Probiotics are readily available at any health food store or pharmacy. There are food products out there with them in it also. Not just any yogurt will suffice. It has to have live cultures in it and if it doesn't say that, it doesn't. I think Activia is a popular brand that has lactobacillus acidophillus in it. Just do your own research and take your findings to your MD. Hopefully, he/she is open to learning and listens. If not, seek out another doctor that is!!

It is funny. I haven’t checked this thread in several weeks and went today to search for it and there were new postings. Things are improving. I think the previous posters who mentioned that I am probably experiencing grief vs true depression are right. I still feel a sense of loss and miss the building adventure but it is definitely becoming more manageable as time goes on. I haven’t cried in a week whereas for a while there I was sobbing several hours a day. (I’m not typically such a bah bah) I haven’t taken any medication as I didn’t see this as being a long term problem and didn’t want to start something that might be hard to get off. In the short term reconnecting with old friends has really helped. I sent out emails and reestablished my friendships with friends who aren’t SAHM’s. We’ve had a lot of lunch and dinner dates and it has helped to satisfy my need for adult conversation with those whose lives don’t revolve around kids. And my DH finally agreed to take a dance class with me. That exercise and time together laughing was a great mood lifter. I’m thinking of taking another class this fall. I’m a terrible artist (designing a house was easier - its just a bunch of squares put together with a few angles for character - but my husband and kids are quite talented and they think an art class would be a good creative outlet for me so I’m considering that if I can get over my “mental block”. I guess my advice to anyone reading this post is to be aware of the potential for "post-build-em" depression. I worried beforehand that I would miss my project but never thought it would hit me as hard as it did. I think anyone who becomes passionately involved in their build has the possibility of that occurring but for those of us who aren’t working outside the home and live fairly quiet lives the risks are all the greater. In hindsight I think it would have been valuable to have something planned ahead of time to start once the house was completed. I initially thought I’d relax over the summer, spend quiet time with the kids, and get settled. Now I see that was too extreme of a shift in activities and my mind couldn’t switch gears like that. Smoothtalker - I see you’ve had a similar experience. Hope your new build goes smoothly. All I can say is wow - you make my home life seem pretty simple! I was actually thinking of checking into 4-H as my kids are aspiring “farmers”. I still miss the project management and stress of building but I know I will revisit that experience again someday either building new or remodeling, for resale or to keep as rentals, and next time I will be better prepared for the aftermath!! Teresa - I worry that you will someday be in the same boat. Going from talking to (or arguing!) with several people a day to just talking to family and the check out clerk is a hard transition to make. Being in a rural setting might make it even harder for you since you will probably stay at home more often. If I were you I would come up with plans now for something you could do to fill the void. Are you close to a town or city that might offer something? Are you near family and friends? If not, make some, although it looks like from your blog that you know several people or are they all construction workers? It is weird sometimes to think of all the shallow friendships that are formed during a build that disappear once the house is done. I look around my house at the trim, tile, framing, etc. and think what a great job these guys did, how nice they were to talk to and how their “art” is now part of my home and I will probably never see them again. That makes me sad. How nuts is that?? Oh well, tis the joy of home building. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to respond. It helped a lot to gab on here and also to know that there are complete strangers out there who are kind enough to take a few minutes to write words of encouragement or advice. This forum has been a great help both during and after the build.

terriks, There are lots of great recipes at the joe cross website. These are some of my favorites: Carrot Apple Lemon Juice This recipe makes 2 servings. Ingredients: 4 apples 4 carrots 2 lemons, peeled Directions: Rinse all ingredients and cut to size for your juicer. Add ingredients to juicer. Enjoy! A lot of times I sub a grapefruit for one of the apples Green Lemonade Juice Ingredients: 6-8 kale leaves (Australian Tuscan Cabbage) 3 handfuls spinach 1 green apple 1 cucumber 2 celery stalks 1 lemon Directions: Rinse all ingredients and cut to size for your juicer. Add ingredients to juicer. Enjoy! Green Citrus Juice This recipe makes 2 servings. Ingredients: 2 green apples 2 oranges, peeled 6 big handfuls of leafy greens (kale, chard, spinach, romaine, etc.) Directions: Rinse all ingredients and cut to size for your juicer. Add ingredients to juicer. Enjoy! I usually sub out an orange for a grapefruit in that too. Mostly those make about 32oz. Gazpacho Juice 4 plum tomatoes ( I usually use 2 tomatoes and 2 carrots) 1 large cucumber 2 celery stalks 1 red bell pepper 1 small red onion 2 cups parsley (leaves and stems, roughly chopped) 1 lime the site below is also great. you can plug in your ingredients and it will give you recipes. I started out buying a juice a couple times a week from a juice cafe, then every day, then I got a juicer. trying it out when someone else makes it is easier and cheaper at first. :) there are also a lot of juicers out there and you have to figure out your goals before you buy one. We have two. a centrifugal and a masticating. one is MUCH easier and faster to use than the other. once you start making them every day you start subbing and come up with your own recipes. I try to use cabbage, kale, bock choy, broccoli, romaine, spinach, swiss chard, etc in the green lemonade. I just use two each day and switch it up. I usually have two 32 oz of the green lemonade a day. Here is a link that might be useful: recipe site