In February 2016 I went on rehab with Josefa and Paul. This were very interesting four weeks in midwinter in the Allgäu alps. The rehab clinic (Alpenkilik Santa Maria) never had an ichthyosis patient before, but they listened to us and to Dr Giehl and learned very quickly. The clinic usually hosts asthma and neurodermitis patients, all children. It was an eye opener to see how quick most of the neurodermitis patients got better and could reduce their therapy and on the same level to keep up the daily routine with Josefa. Her take home message was: " I have ichthyosis, I could eat everything. I have no allergies" which still is very important to her and to us. Our take home message was: “Compared to the other patients we are within the top ten of the most demanding cases." On the weekends my pregnant wife visited us and we had some great days in the snow. That was the time when Paul first showed signs of neurodermitis. In June I drove with Josefa 

With sixteen months Josefa went to day care and we were so fortunate to get a group where the personal looked very good after the kids and listened to our advices. We had exciting times, went to the pool and kept our minds open to if there was anything that made the skin better or worse and acted on that outcome. When Josefa turned two years and three months her brother was born. It was the same birth centre, but I can't remember the details as good as at the first time. What I remember is, when my wife went into labour I got sick and got fever. What I also remember is the thunderstorm and our drive home with a healthy boy, Paul. Fever is another interesting topic: in Josefa's case there is no "elevated temperature". We learned to deal with ibuprofen, paracetamol and wet packs very quick. As she can't sweat her temperature will rise fast and straight. It is important to get a hand on that in time. After Josefa's second birthday at the corres

Yesterday 5 years ago our first child was born. I still remember that particular weekend in every detail. Our midwife was on vacation, one weekend during the whole pregnancy. That weekend! We had chosen a non clinical birth centre instead of a hospital to be the  place of birth. My wife had furious pain from friday on. She couldn't sit, let alone lie down or sleep. On Sunday morning we checked with our midwife's proxy and she sent us to the hospital for a check. So we had to go to the place we tried to avoid. After a very disillusioning visit there we checked again with the midwife and went home. It was a very hot and damp day with a full moon and a good chance of thunderstorms later that evening... After a few hours we went to the birth centre, not knowing we would stay the next 18 hours there. When finally our daughter was born (with a thunderstorm going on and a full moon glancing through the clouds, 2am, monday morning) we were very happy holding our li