Mystery Rash Revealed

Mystery Rash Revealed

Drum roll please…My dermatologist has diagnosed me with a textbook case of Pityriasis Rosea (Good guess Meghann). It’s a skin rash in a “Christmas tree” pattern from neck to thighs. It only itches in 25% of cases, lucky me. The exact cause isn’t known, but it is supposed to be related to chicken pox. It isn’t caused by an allergic reaction or fungus and it isn’t contagious.

Here’s the kicker: it can last up to 12 weeks and there is no real treatment. Avoiding heat, taking oatmeal baths and getting some sun can help. The only good news is that you usually only get it once.

I’m celebrating the diagnosis tonight with Nicole, Rob and two delicious-looking dungeness crabs. I just found out that the fish counter will clean and crack the crabs for free.

(Note: I just discovered that Pityriasis Rosea is latin for “pink wheat bran.” SICK.)

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There are 11 comments for this article
  1. ChristineCPK at 11:14 pm

    Hooray! I’m so glad you found out what it is! Oatmeal baths sound SO much better than chlorine baths! =)

  2. jenna at 12:12 am

    AHA!

    A good friend of mine got that same rash the day before her wedding reception (held at Cafe Roma in SLO… she had eloped in Vegas not long before that)

    She had to ditch her tea length ADORABLE wedding dress for… A JCrew cashmere sweater set and skirt. 🙁

  3. mrsem Author at 12:44 am

    Poor thing! I’m taking comfort in the fact that at least this didn’t come right before my wedding.

  4. 100 Percent Cottam at 2:07 am

    ooh goodness, i remember when my best friend had this when we were in high school. in HIGH SCHOOL! and it was all over her. those were bad times for her. we called it “jungle rot” before it had a real name! but it did eventually go away! hand in there!

  5. amber at 4:22 am

    Well, if there’s a silver lining, I guess it’s being thankful you didn’t get it before your wedding…right?

  6. meghann at 2:08 pm

    Who needs real doctors when you have bloggers to help diagnose? 🙂

    Sorry Miss em, the PR is no fun but will be over before you know it. Also I think that 25% thing is a crock, everyone I know who had it was an itchy mess.

  7. Steph at 8:13 pm

    While I’m not happy that you itch all over, I am glad that the doctor was finally able to give you a diagnoses. I hope your tanning solution works. Hang in there. 🙂

  8. Chandler at 7:41 am

    You think your stories are bad, try this, I got mine from camp!(i also got Swine Flu from the same camp 2 years ago) Ya, my life sucks right now. Oh and I'm 73.7% sure it's on my face so watch out for that!