rash

I finally made it, and today I met some nice doctors including Dr H who was called in by the doctor I saw to take a look, and who as it turns out later became my doctor for this nightmare I was about to experience.  I was looked at and “Hmms” were exchanged.

Dr H told me at a later date after the biopsy confirmed the diagnosis she suspected it might be Pemphigus, but at the time thought it more likely to be seborrheic dermatitis because part of the rash was also in my scalp.  So I was prescribed a month’s worth of Fluconazole antifungal tablets which as it turns out wasn’t any good for my condition, but none of us knew this at the time.

In retrospect, these antifungals did seem to do something.  They seemed to arrest the spread of the rash, but it didn’t get any better.  So I’m not really sure what was going on there, but I’ve captured that in my head for further consideration and study.  Why did they help?  They shouldnt have done a damn thing, but they did.

A month later (I’ve lost the date) I was back at the hospital and was examined by the original doctor and also another doctor was called in.  They were both puzzled and I received a “you don’t seem to be one thing or the other.”

Hmm.

I was then prescribed some Protopic ointment which is designed to treat eczema.  This caused the rash on my face to double in a week, and I stopped using it after two. It made it worse somehow, and I’m not sure how.  Again, a strange reaction to something that I don’t think should have done anything in my case.  It’s a puzzle to me still.

Time was moving on and still no closer.

I don’t blame the doctors for this at all.  Pemphigus is rare, and Pemphigus Foliaceus even rarer.  Dr H hadn’t actually seen a case in her 20 years in dermatology until mine.  So it’s no wonder we weren’t getting anywhere.

It wasn’t until the biopsy was arranged for the 21st June that we were to actually get somewhere, and then it took another month for the lab results to come through.  All that time, the rash was spreading across my face, scalp, shoulders, chest and back.  For some reason the itchiness had stopped thank goodness.  Small mercies.

At the local surgery again today.  I had my referral letter come from the hospital for the 19th May, so that was good.  Then a few days later I had another letter saying it was cancelled.  I told the GP this and he was very concerned and said, “No, you need to go in straight away.”  He phoned up the local hospital and booked me in for 10:00 the next morning.  I am very relieved as I’m starting to get concerned now that this has been going on for months with the opposite of progress.

He then asked to look at what remained of my wart, took a scalpel and deftly shaved it down as much as he could, then re-froze it.  That was to be the last time as a couple of weeks later it was completely gone.  I still think it was the wart that triggered all of this, damn it!

So, I finally get to see a specialist tomorrow thank god.

Did I already say I was very relieved?  I’m also now quiet nervous.  The GP seemed very concerned, and knowing he used to be a dermatology specialist, I suspected he had some idea that it wasn’t a run of the mill type of rash and that something deeper and more unpleasant was going on.

If that was the case then it turns out he was right.