itchy

Just got back from seeing Carl, the practice nurse. I think he's gay; very nice in any case. Apparently the unbearable itchiness of the torso is excema. Not scabies or ringworm, excema. In a way I was hoping it was some nasty little bug thing that I could zap with chemicals or otherwise, and it would all be over with. Instead I have now got an enourmous tub of emollient cream, AKA paraffin-for-babies. I'm sorry, I just cannot see the theraputic value of smothering oneself in paraffin. There must be something else I can do.... I have already changed my washing liquid to Ecover, which I know is fine, and it's non-bio. And de-clogged the washing machine filter of pipe-cleaners and large bits of fluff, which was eventually causing it to not work at all, but it hadnt been rinsing properly. This was months ago and did co-inside with the beginnings of itchings inside the elbow. I haven't been wearing so much wool, but I did reallise I was in my lambswool tank-top (which covers the main area of itch almost precisely) as well as my new, afore-mentioned jumper-jackety thing, also 100% wool. But I have never been allergic to wool before. The only other obvious thing I can think of is diet, and cutting out dairy, which I have done on may occasions before, in fact I have a very low- dairy diet. But, as Carl said, now is not the time to go on a diet, it's too cold!
Which reminds me of last night when Freddie would not eat his pasta-with-broccoli-and-pesto-and-cheese. He said it tasted sour and I thought it might have been the cream cheese that I had added. Fortunately I had a taste and reallised he had smothered it in salt! Ah! The temptation of the toucan-salt-cellar! Must remember to remove that from table before he ruins another perfectly good meal. There was some left in pan and he did eat it- phew! More hearty stew and dumplings tonight. I found some leeks in the garden when the snow melted!