Ellie M. - 2021
Hey guys! My name is Elizabeth, I usually go by Elle. I was born with ARCI-lamellar ichthyosis, and have gone through a lot of obstacles through school, work environments, and just day to day life. I'm a married mother of 5 (6 including my bonus son), so my day-to-day life is pretty hectic lol. Through each pregnancy I was scared each of children would have my condition, due to everything I had been through, but love them regardless of the outcome.
Every pregnancy was different, I had different cravings, and the way my skin handled each pregnancy was different as well! With my oldest daughter, my skin was very easy to maintain, and I continued doing my normal routine, on top of putting more lotion on my belly throughout the day. With my second daughter, my belly didn't get as big, but I had a little more flaking than usual. My third daughter was stubborn and I had gotten bigger with her than the other 2, so I was putting on an excessive amount of lotion on throughout the day! Finally, my twin boys! This one was super hard! My hair was falling out, I could barely keep any food down, and my skin was stretched to it limit! I felt like I was always dry, and I kept lotion at my bedside! I had to have a c-section with the twins due to one of boys being breach, so my husband helped with making sure I didn't get an infection after the procedure.
After going through all of my pregnancies, none of my kids were born with my condition. But from what I was explained, even though they don't have the condition, they are carriers. The easiest way for me to explain my condition to my kids is by telling them I'm a mermaid and my skin looks like this because I'm out of water (ichthyosis means fish scales). I thought it would be a better way for them to understand until they are older.
Thank you for reading part of my story! I love that I can come to this page and have so many people I can relate to!
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Neither FIRST, its Board of Directors, Medical & Scientific Advisory Board, Board of Medical Editors, nor Foundation staff and officals endorse any treatments listed here. All issues pertaining to the care of patients with ichthyosis should be discussed with a dermatologist experienced in the treatment of their skin disorder.
