Do you remember my complaints about having dodgy skin all of a sudden, posted a few days ago? All day yesterday my face was very red. Last night after watching Idol, my face had turned itchy; I had to fight the urge to scratch off my cheeks all the way home. As for today at school, the skin felt so tight and dry and inflamed that I ended up using an ice pack to numb it. And an anti-histimine tablet. And an Elizabethan collar. Not quite on the last one, although I might as well have - nothing that I was doing seemed to help the skin reaction.
My usual doctor was booked out this afternoon, so I headed to the closest medical centre to get some sort of diagnosis. I figured I might be allergic to something, but he decided I have something called Slap Cheek syndrome. Caused by the human strain of Parvovirus. Yes, just like the animals get. The perks of working with kidlets, I guess, but feel free to make fun of me now. My piss weak immune system and I can take it. [Sniffle.]
And get this; the doctor at the medical centre? He told me to GOOGLE slap cheek disease. Now I've always joked bout my relationship with Dr Google (who is friendly and helpful and always gives me options without having to wait in line, if only he gave out medical certificates though . . .) but to be told by an actual doctor to look up my own skin condition? Priceless!
Looks like I'll stick with my usual lack of a skin care regime, as it could be that my spots were just caused by this virus. Now if I could just refrain from scratching off the top layer of my face, I'd feel much, much better.
You poor love.
ReplyDeleteI am imagining that you are dying to drag yourself across the lounge carpet, on your face. xx
Slap cheek syndrome. It is a bit funny, sorry. Hee. :D It's the first time I've heard of it, and now I'm turning all hypochondriac and wondering whether I should see a doctor too. I keep getting blotches but I always thought it was due to allergic rhinitis.
ReplyDeleteP.S. You might want to wear mittens before going to bed. One time I nearly did scratch my face off in my sleep.
Oh poor baby, I did wonder about the wonderful kidlets. It’s not their fault understand but having so many all in one place, with they’re amazingly small immune systems learning how to be immune by catching everything going & passing it around like a pass the parcel game! It’s a wonder that the adult don’t get sick more often, I know I caught the chicken pox off one of our little lovelies (my mum used to be a child minder) when I was 15! I’d managed not to have it all that time so just when I was having a stressful time at school I had to take 2 weeks off to get over it! And when they just had 1 or 2 spots I had them everywhere inside & out, down my throat & in other interesting places if you know what I mean, soooo not fun.
ReplyDeleteYou should ask the chemist if they have an anti itching cream you can use like lasacom
(I think that’s how it’s spelt)
Hope you’re feeling a little better, have you tried wearing mittens so not to scratch yourself? Or boxing gloves? He he.
"Don't taunt the fear demon... It's just tacky."
Seeya Hugya
*G
After a bout of strep throat last year, I developed yucky red blotches all over my body. Post-strep psoriasis. My doc thought it was so cool because it's very rare. He told me to google it...and then invited his entire staff to come look at my rash.
ReplyDeleteAnd try some hydracortisone....it works for my eczema...but it could make your face oily too...
OUCH. I can't believe your doctor told you to google your illness! I'm always trying to hide the fact that I've googled all of my symptoms before I go to the doctor!
ReplyDeleteUgh! that sounds bad! I hope it gets better quickly.
ReplyDeleteGoogle it! haha.
i always end up using google but that's usually before i head to the doctor. to hear that actually come from a physician is a little unnerving! i suggest oven mitts duct taped at the wrists like phoebe and her boyfriend did on friends when they had chicken pox! lol :)
ReplyDeleteLast time I went to the doctor about my knee pain, I brought the print out of exercises I downloaded from the internet. Her diagnosis? "Yeah, do that." The thing I love about Dr. Google, he requires no co-pay.
ReplyDeleteThey were just talking about Parvo on the radio this morning. One of the shelters here is temporarily shut down because one of the dogs had it.
ReplyDeleteAt least your kids didn't give you worms. Now THAT is embarassing, let me tell you.
That sounds horrible! I hope you feel better soon. I feel like such a whiner for complaining about all my bug bites this weekend.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure that your bunnies didn't give it to you??
ReplyDelete:)
Aw, poor thing.
ReplyDelete-R- just told me that I now have a parvo buddy. Sorry to hear you've got it too. The aveeno hydrocortisone worked for me...maybe it'll work for you?
A friend of mine had this when we were kids. I always thought I couldn't understand his mom's accent, but thanks to your misery I now know she really WAS saying slap cheek.
ReplyDeleteI about fell out of my chair laughing. Not at you. At some uncreative idiot who came up with "Slap Cheeck Syndrome." Way to be Captain Obvious with that one.
ReplyDeleteAt least your routine can continue.
that cracks me up that your doctor told you to google it. haha. i hope you start feeling better soon!
ReplyDeleteWhat a riot of a name for a disease! You poor thing! I know what you feel like. I seem to get everything that comes down the pike. When I was nursing I didn't. I guess I got immune to most things while I was at the hospital/nursing home. I would rather be sick and NOT dealing with sick and dying people though! The most humiliating thing I have had recently was shingles - which is mainly an "older" person thing. Talk about feeling like a useless old fart having shingles in your thirties!
ReplyDeleteoooh my gosh, you poor thing. I am prone to skin ickies like excema, but I've never had what you have. What a funny name! I can't believe you were told to Google it. What is our world coming to?
ReplyDeleteOh no! That sucks! But at least you know it's not pimples and that it will go away. Hope are back to 100% health soon.
ReplyDeleteLOL at the Elizabethan collar comment!
ReplyDelete(Hope you feel better soon.)
Wow, what a bizarre virus. Half the adult population is supposed to be immune, so you must be one of the unlucky ones! Slapped cheek syndrome... you can always tell when a doctor has come up with the name, it's always something no-one else would use. Hope you feel better soon! ;)
ReplyDeleteBtw, my feed reader must be playing up; I haven't seen any new posts for a while, so looks like I've got some catching up to do! :P