Seven years old. That’s the age everything changed. That’s the age when I changed, and I would never be the same again. At age 7, I heard the word "Eczema" for the first time. Eczema. Yes, that is a word. But does anyone know what it means? Well, I do. I know because that is what I have. Yes, I have eczema, but nobody knows what it does to my life and how it affects me. Nobody knows what it is like to be classified as being a person with a disease or a skin condition. I have had eczema since I was seven. Ever since I was seven years old, people have judged me and made me feel like an outcast because of my skin. Eczema doesn’t classify who I am. I classify what eczema is.Eczema is a skin condition in which the skin becomes inflamed and develops rashes. The skin becomes itchy, and if a person scratches the rash, then it will become worse. There is no cure for eczema, but doctors and researchers are trying to find a cure. While the doctors are trying to find a cure, I am still living with this skin condition and living with the effects of it. People ask me if I was born with this skin problem, but they are surprised when I say, "No, I got this when I was seven years old." I never had eczema until I was seven. After I got the chicken pox, my life changed forever. One day, when I woke up, I went to the bathroom. My chicken pox went away, and I thought everything would be fine. I was looking at my face, and it looked normal. But when I turned, my eyes deceived me. On each of my cheeks, there was a black rash. I had no idea what it was, and I was so confused. At 7 years old, I thought a monster conquered my face. I was sweating with an adrenaline to go to my mom. I woke her up, and she saw my face. My mom ended up taking me to the doctor the next day. We went to Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center, and the doctor told my mom, "Well, I’m sorry, but she has eczema." It was weird to hear this word. I was very young, and I had no clue what this word meant. My mom told me that eczema is just a discoloration of the skin. So, I didn’t even mind, and I let my life go on until I was nine years old.
When I turned 9, my skin became worse. I developed rashes on my forearms, underarms, neck, and inner knees. My skin would crack and bleed, and I would cry in agonizing pain. I thought that eczema was only a skin discoloration. I didn’t think that it would hurt and make my skin so irritated. My mom didn’t think that my eczema would irritate me though. I had so many questions about what will happen since I have eczema. Well, now I know what happens. People made fun of me, called me names, my skin became itchy, and I had to take care of myself more. I have been called "black cheeks," "burnt face," and other names that offend me too deeply to even mention. I overcame those names by being myself and showing off other things about me like my talents and my personality. I dance, sing, step, and I am a class clown. I always make people laugh and have a smile on their face. I am an A student, and I graduated as valedictorian of the 2005-2006 school year of Bronx Preparatory Charter School. I try my best to keep up my grades and stay on the honor roll so that I can achieve my goal of becoming a doctor and taking care of my family. I don’t let ignorant people bring me down because only God can judge me and keep me going for my dreams.
To tell you the truth, I think 7 is a lucky number. Since I turned seven years old, I have learned many things about myself and what I can do to perfect my mind, body, and soul. I have been through a lot of things, but I have an academic endeavor that I want to accomplish and that is to go to college and become a dermatologist. I want to be able to find a cure for eczema, and make every person with a skin problem feel more beautiful and happy. I want to make a difference for all the teenagers and adults who live with the effects of eczema. People think that having eczema is not a big deal, but if it spreads through the body and comes in contact with extreme sun rays, the skin can become extremely damaged and can lead to skin cancer. I scratch my skin sometimes, and later on I feel the pain of when I was 9 years old, my skin open, and blood oozing out of my inner knee. Having eczema has helped me learn how to take care of myself and be a better person. I use a cream called Elidel to relieve the itching, but the Elidel cream can never take back the pain I had while I was a child. Other than that, I am a fifteen year old living a normal life. I conquer eczema every single day, and that is why I am so unique from other people. I don’t complain about my skin problem, I try to treat it and make it better. I am like a flower. I bloom into something more beautiful and vibrant, and I use the light to show the positive things about me and not the negative effects of what eczema does to my appearance. Eczema is not the flower, I am.