Sigh, not my best moment. From the time I was about 11 until I was 15 or 16 I suffered from severe Eczema on my feet and legs and also my arms.
It was pretty terrible. My skin would slough off in sheets leaving weeping red welts. I itched constantly. Skin moisteners and Cortisone had no effect at all. I wore long sleeve shirts and long pants consistently, even in the hottest Summer months. I still wear White socks because they doubled as dressings. I had to peel them off.
The worst part was Swimming on Team because… Speedos. Not much left to imagine. Coach had to explain that it was an Auto Immune disorder, not Leprosy (which presents entirely differently by the way), but not at all contagious and besides… Chlorine. Lots and lots of Chlorine. If I had gone to an allergist in NYC, or maybe one closer to home sooner, I may have got a handle on it a lot more quickly. Instead, I kept slathering lotions and potions in the hopes that it would soothe my skin and rid me of my scales.
Eventually I hooked up with a Dermatologist who had an ointment that burned like hell but was remarkably effective. Turns out it’s also Carcinogenic so you can’t get it anymore except in Tiajuana. I’m pretty much in remission at the moment but I still have relapses which I treat with over the counter creams and I no longer despair that it will persist for the rest of my life.
Which it will, and maybe even the symptoms, but at 120+ a year or 2 is not such a big deal as it once was.
Among the misdiagnoses I received was Allergies (anti-Allergy shots helped a lot but didn’t entirely erase my symptoms) and Athlete’s Foot.
So during WW II they were planning a landing and the General said to the Admiral- “Don’t worry about guns, I have a bunch of Howitzers.”
“Really, will they fire in the wet?”
“Sure. We practice in the rain all the time.”
“No. I mean, will they fire when exposed to Salt Water?”
Umm…
No, I don’t know this guy, but then again I don’t watch America’s Next Top Model or Dancing With The Stars (ok, DWTS a little if they have an embarrassing Republican contestant).