That's a pretty good list of differences, and it bears repeating over and over since someone inevitably comes on saying they have the cure for all of us, or we all have the same thing! The differences in peeling cycles and thickness is kind of an enigma, although at least one person, montrealhomegrown described the cycle going longer until it stopped, and having thin to medium buildup depending on certain foods. I would question #10, unless you are referring to Candida infections in AIDS patients. But I feel that's already covered under "fungal infection." Herpes causes cold sore blisters which scab up and go away, and HPV causes warts.

The oral pathologist I saw suggested 1000 or so cases worldwide, but he is not someone I highly trust (he denied ever having seen me when I was applying for insurance and they contacted him). Meanwhile he used my photos at some conference in Mexico and is an author of a 2009 textbook article on the subject. I think he said that it was just not a high priority area to research for the medical community (more of a curiosity, I suppose), and that I'd have to be my own doctor for a while.

There are hundreds of people who post on the Chinese EC forum, but sadly my google-translated questions and invitations to come here and share have gone unanswered.

http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kw=%B4%BD%D1%D7


Off the top of my head, there are cases from the UK, USA, Canada, China, Japan, Australia, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Russia and Brasil. What do we all have in common, more than access to a computer?

I really wonder if those without access to Internet in rural areas or places of extreme poverty, face the same problem but are totally undocumented and alone in their struggle. Or maybe many people out there just don't care and peel the skin off every day without thinking twice.

I strongly recommend, if you are serious about working on healing your condition, to read up on the existing medical literature -- that, paying close attention to the changes we experience with different diets and treatments, and a few case histories are all we have to go on. Rule things out one by one that have been confirmed as connected with EC, but don't be half-assed about it (like the people who try the Candida diet for a week or two).

http://peelinglips.wikispaces.com/Medical+Literature


If you can afford it, get tested for bacteria, fungi, deficiencies and allergies. If you can't afford it, try an Elimination Diet followed by a healthy Diet with probiotics (you can make your own -- called kim chi or sauerkraut), and supplement with Vitamin B, D, and iron (preferably in foods, cod liver oil and liver are good sources and you don't want a ton of iron). Get some sun if possible and don't blast yourself with your heater this winter!

http://www.rebuild-from-depression.com/blog/2010/02/liver_iron_content.html


Of course, I'm preaching to the choir for many of you, and what do I know, I'm not healed yet. Even though time marches on and I can't get back the last 6 years, the more I know about this and see improvements through natural methods, I do feel less desperate and helpless. Educate and collaborate before you medicate!

Onward,
C.S.

I started drinking a lot of green smoothies every day after getting a good blender.. seems like very healthy stuff from what I have read. Lots of green leafy stuff in them. Mostly raw, obviously. Hopefully that will cure my EC (I don't really think it will, but it's probably very healthy at least) ;-))