Today, I’d like to share my experience of developing palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) and chemical sensitivity (CS), and how I gradually managed to get my daily life back.
Many people share their experiences of living with illness.
I find it encouraging to see how they make adjustments to fit their own lifestyles and keep moving forward, even if they haven’t been able to completely return to the lives they once had.
I hope that sharing my experience may be helpful to someone else, too.
When I was 17, I suddenly started developing eczema on my legs, especially around my shins and calves.
Little did I know that it would continue even after I entered university and eventually started working.
I had a feeling that it became worse when I ate meat, but when I mentioned this to my doctor, I was told that it was probably just my imagination.
I didn’t know much about health or nutrition at the time, so I simply thought, “Oh, I guess so.”
Even after entering university, I noticed that eating meat or greasy foods seemed to make my symptoms worse.
I tried cutting back on meat a little, but I never seriously reconsidered my diet.
Later, while I was busy conducting experiments at university because I wanted to become a researcher, I developed palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP).
Pustules would repeatedly appear on the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet, disappear, and then come back again.
They were incredibly itchy.
And they just wouldn’t go away.
After that, I started working at a research laboratory for a chemical company.
But the eczema gradually spread over my entire body, and eventually even managing everyday life became difficult.
That was when I finally thought, “This is serious.”
I desperately began rethinking everything about my lifestyle—what I wore, what I ate, and the environment I lived in.
Even though I wasn’t feeling well, I kept going to work like a zombie.
I loved my job, and perhaps working hard had become something I relied on emotionally.
But there was actually a problem with the work itself.
I was working with a lot of chemicals.
It was a job I had chosen because I genuinely wanted it.
I even thought it might be my calling.
So I tried to turn a blind eye to what was happening.
Some people can work in the same environment without any problems.
But apparently, I couldn’t.
My face and body were covered in red rashes, and my hands were in such bad shape that I always wore cotton gloves.
My feet were painful from the pustules breaking open, so I could barely walk properly.
On top of that, I developed bronchitis and was constantly coughing.
Inflammation around my collarbones and ribs also made my movements awkward and painful.
Looking back, I think I must have looked like I was very clearly at my limit!
When I talked to my supervisor about my condition, I was immediately transferred to a department where I wouldn’t have to work directly with chemicals.
For me, “clothing, food, and shelter” also includes the “work environment”.
I came to feel that unless I addressed all of these areas, it would be difficult for my symptoms to improve.
The severe eczema gradually improved over the next few years, but then I began suffering from headaches, nausea, and fatigue.
Eventually, I became unable to go to work, and in 2019, I was diagnosed with chemical sensitivity (CS).
In order to get my daily life back, I began seriously rethinking every aspect of my lifestyle.
Avoid exposing my body to chemicals as much as possible.
Help my body eliminate chemicals that had already entered.
Build up my basic physical strength.
Since there is no magic cure or definitive treatment, recovery has meant making small, steady changes to my everyday life, one by one.
It may be a slow process, but I have gradually and steadily felt my body getting better.
Today, I’m able to live my daily life while learning how to manage my sensitivity to chemicals.
To be honest, I’d love to work hard again and be more active.
But when I look back at how difficult things were at my lowest point, being able to live this everyday life feels almost like a miracle.
I believe that my experience may offer some ideas or clues to people who are struggling with illness right now.
That’s why I decided to write about everything as honestly and openly as I could.
I hope that even one thing in my story might be helpful to you🍀