Wear your heart on your skin

Jake's started his final rotation for the FCG program.  This rotation is going to be a lot more stressful and hard work than the glamorous marketing rotation.  And not just for Jake.  The long hours and unique tasks he's assigned to will put a lot of stress on our family -  specifically me.  Well, he started his rotation about 2 weeks ago.  I felt like I was handling the transition pretty well - until I looked in the mirror.  My body has never been able to deal with stress.  And it shows.  I woke up with cold sores on my lips, zits on my chin, hives on my neck, eczema on my legs, a rash on my cheek, and weird bumps on my hand and right shoulder area.  All overnight.  Oh my goodness!!!

I thought the bumps on my hand and shoulder looked like Molluscum.  Great.  So I read online that some people treat them by poking them with a sterile needle (irritating the area, forcing the body to repair it).  A few days later those bumps were looking much better, but I had more all over my body.  I think I had around 50.  They were spread out and not really clustered anywhere like the first batch.  I don't remember Scarlett's bumps being this aggressive or wide spread.  So I went to the dermatologist.  I explained to her that I thought I had Molluscum and it showed up just a few days prior to the appointment.  She told me that she rarely sees it in adults and it doesn't come on that fast but she wanted to take a look at them.  After a few seconds of looking at my bumps she said "well, I guess I was wrong.  This is definitely Molluscum Contagiosum."

What she didn't realize is that my skin has always had weird issues.  I've had chicken pox 4 or 5 times.  I had shingles on my face, is started going down my nose but only on the right side.  There was a perfectly straight line in the center of my nose where is stopped (cause it attacks the nerve and only infects that quadrant).  I've had ring worm, scales, a yeast infection on my skin, rosacea, and even a spider bite in the shape of Texas.  Gross gross gross gross gross.

My immune system is constantly working to fight off all my allergies that it doesn't take much to throw me off.   Stress is my number one enemy.  I also take my stress out on my teeth.  I have two fake molars cause I cracked my real teeth from clenching my jaw so hard while I sleep.  I use a bite guard to protect them from that - I've broken two bite guards.  Finally my dentist special ordered one for me that's super strong.  He told me my super power was "Brutal Bruxism".  I think it's more of a weakness (or at least an expensive habit).

Back to my skin...... yes it was Molluscum.  She went to get the beetle-juice to treat the bumps.  I asked her if there was anything stronger we could use, since I'm not 3 years old.  She laughed and said that she didn't even think about the liquid nitrogen treatment cause she hardly treats adults!  So she sprayed each bump with the nitrogen.  It wasn't too painful, but I'm grateful Scarlett didn't have to go through it.  We'll wait a few weeks and see if they get better.  I've already noticed 5 new bumps.  I will probably poke them with a needle since that seemed to work last time.  Now that I know it's really Molluscum.

The rash on my face was probably a stress reaction.  It went away with benadryl (I had to take anyways cause the bumps were soooo itchy).

The dermatologist looked as Siena's bumps.  She has one under her armpit and one on her leg.  They don't seem to bother her at all and they haven't spread.  So I'll just keep an eye on them.  We also talked about her red dot.  She said most infantile hemangiomas will go away on their own over the next few years.  But if it doesn't they can to laser therapy to lighten it and help it break up a little.  We could start the laser therapy as soon as next year.  We'll wait and see.  I know we all use that dot to tell them apart.  I just don't want her to be "the one with the dot" or be self conscious cause people are always pointing it out.  Might not even be an issue, just something to keep an eye on.

Scarlett's bumps are getting so much better!

More doctor appointments.  Lately any time we have been going to the doctor (which is way too often) I've been typing a document with all my concerns.  That way the doctor can keep talking and figuring stuff out while I try to keep everyone quite (it's a busy job).  I saw Dr. King a few weeks ago.  She told me that when I came in to her office earlier this year, I had the worst case of hives that she's seen in her practice - ever!  Not really something to be proud of... but you know me...  always trying to be an overachiever!