Narrative Essay about My Skin

Ever since I can remember it was always a big yes from me if I'd get asked for seconds or if I wanted to eat more. My diet consisted of a wide range of sweets and spicy foods, almost anything put in front of me would be enjoyed without a problem.  Having a larger family, it would also be common for us to have these large gatherings with all my family members present. I remember being at my cousins' parties at weekends and eating was almost the main thing I would look forward to at those events wed even get sent home with food from the party for the day after. There wasn’t a time that I didn’t come back with a full stomach and a bag of treats. It wasn’t around the end of seventh grade when I developed a rash that wouldn’t go away. It was obvious that it wasn’t a normal rash that could have neem treated with lotion or anything I could remember to this day my mom saying to me in Spanish, “looks like we're going to have to take you to the dermatologist.” I didn’t really understand as to why, but I kept on doing what I was doing without really paying much attention to it. Once I had to go to the dermatologist in person it was a whole different idea. She asked me the strangest questions such as, “Do you enjoy eating spicy foods” and one that really threw me off was,” what does your diet mainly consist of.” It really made me think of what I was putting in my body for the first time and the last thing I was expected to be told was that I had atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema. From that point forward I was instructed to eat foods without artificial coloring or foods that would be bad for my skin and that I’d need to apply special topical antiseptics. As a kid I 

3remember this being the worst news I could hear, I would no longer eat the foods I wanted when I wanted and on top of that there was a special ointment, I had to use on my skin to prevent it from getting worse. To add insult to injury the dermatologist even told me to avoid swimming in chlorinated pools and at the time it was almost unheard of for me not to be swimming or playing outside in the water.Like any kid I didn’t comply for the first few months of regularly taking medication and applying moisturizers. It was super easy to fall into a bad habit and push things off I would love to make excuses to forget or not need to follow the instructions of the dermatologist or I would make it a point to only make it seem as if I was taking my medications and making sure that I was noticed applying or trying to apply the lotions and whatnot. My parents without a doubt catered to my needs and started buying different foods for me to eat, ones that were healthier and wouldn’t have a negative effect on my skin. Since the doctor herself stated that, “If he eats correctly his skin should be healthy and back to normal by the time, he is eighteen.” my parents had no trouble reminding me if they ever saw me eating something I wasn’t supposed to be. As clever or as underhanded as I may have been in trying to hide what I was eating it would never escape my mother's eyes,” Your skin shows me what you’ve been eating and not you," which was true if I ever ate the food I was instructed not to shortly after the skin in the middle of my arm above my hands and around my neck would become irritated and rash up. Not only that but even at times when I sweat from any physical activity my skin would become incredibly irritated, preventing me from being outside. After my parents let me run rampant, they sat me down and told me that I had to be more responsible and basically care for my skin. They asked me if I ever wanted to enjoy the food I used to eat, the spicy chips I love, or go swimming 

4without having to get out because my skin is burning. After my mom said, "the next time your skin is itches and you can’t stand it I'm not taking you to the dermatologist unless it comes out,” with the most serious look on her face, I knew I needed to get my act together.Of course, I had help from my family, but if there was anyone, I truly learned from it was my grandparents. I thought it would be impossible to enjoy the foods I love or be able to go to the beach again until I saw how my grandma and grandpa with type two diabetes were eating anything they wanted. Hearing them proudly say, “I already enjoyed enough sweets for today I don’t see why I should eat more,” as a kid I didn’t really pay attention to this but later realized that they couldn’t eat more, or they’d be in trouble. They showed me that they truly savored what was eaten and they’d enjoy it a lot more. After that I didn’t eat foods that would harm my skin as much. This showed me how impactful my decisions were and that they truly did have long lasting effects on me and those around me. With moderating my diet, remembering to take my medications my skin cleared up. After setting that goal of being able to swim in a pool with friends and family, enjoying foods that my parents and brothers would at times give me a look and say,” are you supposed to be eating that” they’d even say “oh I didn’t know the made that without artificial color anymore” it was a lot easier. Now I don’t eat all the food items and junk foods that would cause me harm but not only that I noticed that my family’s diet improved as well. Getting this rash opened my eyes to understanding that my choices are important and do influence those around me. It showed me that regardless of your positioning you can still directly have an impact on your life and those around you and it shouldn't stop you from doing the things you enjoy.

5I'd love to hear what your first impressions were and if it's conscience and clear. When writing I had a clear image in my head, and I hope I effectively got that message across if not please help me as to understand what points the story didn’t make sense or what made it unclear.