Moonstar Mosley, Me & The Problem with Self Diagnosis
The problem is -- sometimes you're wrong. I thought I had 5th's disease based upon several facts. My cheeks looked slapped, the rash traveled downward and it is running rampant through our church.
I also had 2 nurses and one woman who played a nurse in a doctor's office for years take a look at it. The 2 nurses thought it was 5th's disease - the non-nurse didn't give an opinion.
Turns out though, I was wrong. Now as much as I enjoy being right, this time I am really glad I was wrong because I don't have to worry about sore joints.
This evening I was literally crying - real tears - over how much my skin was itching. If I had a Ginsu knife, I think I would have started peeling it off just to be done with it. Andi got on the computer (not literally, but just looking things up) and we tried every home remedy known to stop itching - oatmeal baths, corn starch, witch hazel, all the while watching more and more whelps and bumps appear.
I finally just went to the ER, where they were kind enough to take me right back to my little cubicle so that they could stick an IV in me to start some relief pouring through my veins.
When she went to get her supplies, I happened to look down at the bracelet they had slapped on my wrist and it said my name was Moonstar Mosley. Now - as much as I'm not fond of the name Perri, I'll take it over Moonstar any day. I deliberated for a moment about what type of drugs Moonstar might be getting, but then decided she could be in for something like an ear ache and her medicine might not help me at all. With that in mind, I mosied up to the window and pointed out their error and got identified correctly.
It took a couple of attempts to get it started, but once that woman told me I would feel better in 15 minutes, she could have said she needed to jab it into my heart and I would have let her.
The IV went in finally and all I can say is AWWWW, sweet Prednisone, how I love thee. Added to the steroid was some Atarax for itching and another antihistimine. Within 30 minutes, my legs looked pretty much normal and the welps on my arms had gone down tremendously. As I lay there I got to thinking about what could have caused this reaction and I think it was the hospital linens I slept on when Andi was in the hospital Sunday night.
The only place I had this rash was the part of my body that actually touched the sheets -- my face, arms and legs. Plus, my arms started itching first and not my face. These were things that had caused me to doubt my self diagnosis of 5ths - because the rash skipped my trunk area - but it didn't on anyone else.
So there you have it - medical mystery solved - tears over. I came home with a prescription for more of all the medicine and some pills to take twice more tonight. I went to the hospital alone and the doctor was reluctant to let me drive home (even though we only live 3 blocks away). He even offered to drive me home. I assured him I would make it and here I am at home, safe and sound and on my way to being itch free.
And when Andi goes back to the hospital - if I stay the night with her, you better believe I'll be packing my own sheets. Additionally, when in doubt of your diagnostic skills, get a second opinion.
I also had 2 nurses and one woman who played a nurse in a doctor's office for years take a look at it. The 2 nurses thought it was 5th's disease - the non-nurse didn't give an opinion.
Turns out though, I was wrong. Now as much as I enjoy being right, this time I am really glad I was wrong because I don't have to worry about sore joints.
This evening I was literally crying - real tears - over how much my skin was itching. If I had a Ginsu knife, I think I would have started peeling it off just to be done with it. Andi got on the computer (not literally, but just looking things up) and we tried every home remedy known to stop itching - oatmeal baths, corn starch, witch hazel, all the while watching more and more whelps and bumps appear.
I finally just went to the ER, where they were kind enough to take me right back to my little cubicle so that they could stick an IV in me to start some relief pouring through my veins.
When she went to get her supplies, I happened to look down at the bracelet they had slapped on my wrist and it said my name was Moonstar Mosley. Now - as much as I'm not fond of the name Perri, I'll take it over Moonstar any day. I deliberated for a moment about what type of drugs Moonstar might be getting, but then decided she could be in for something like an ear ache and her medicine might not help me at all. With that in mind, I mosied up to the window and pointed out their error and got identified correctly.
It took a couple of attempts to get it started, but once that woman told me I would feel better in 15 minutes, she could have said she needed to jab it into my heart and I would have let her.
The IV went in finally and all I can say is AWWWW, sweet Prednisone, how I love thee. Added to the steroid was some Atarax for itching and another antihistimine. Within 30 minutes, my legs looked pretty much normal and the welps on my arms had gone down tremendously. As I lay there I got to thinking about what could have caused this reaction and I think it was the hospital linens I slept on when Andi was in the hospital Sunday night.
The only place I had this rash was the part of my body that actually touched the sheets -- my face, arms and legs. Plus, my arms started itching first and not my face. These were things that had caused me to doubt my self diagnosis of 5ths - because the rash skipped my trunk area - but it didn't on anyone else.
So there you have it - medical mystery solved - tears over. I came home with a prescription for more of all the medicine and some pills to take twice more tonight. I went to the hospital alone and the doctor was reluctant to let me drive home (even though we only live 3 blocks away). He even offered to drive me home. I assured him I would make it and here I am at home, safe and sound and on my way to being itch free.
And when Andi goes back to the hospital - if I stay the night with her, you better believe I'll be packing my own sheets. Additionally, when in doubt of your diagnostic skills, get a second opinion.
Edited to add this picture at 8 am after one IV of steriod and one pill at home:
God bless the scientist that invented this wonder drug.
