For decades I’ve counted psoriasis as my No. 1 health concern. I constantly thought, wrote, and talked about psoriasis. I expectantly waited for the latest novel treatments to become FDA approved, knocking on my dermatologist’s door the day treatments become available. It’s not that I don’t have a life, or that I’m constantly obsessed with it, but psoriasis has never wandered far from my consciousness.
At my last dermatologist appointment I felt the focus shift ever so slightly away from psoriasis when Dr. M declared, “Your two main concerns are your eczema/allergies and lowering your cyclosporine dosage.” At that appointment I learned that my immunoglobulin E (IgE) level in my blood was sky high. A second test confirmed the result. The blood test measures the antibodies that are related to allergic reactions. A high IgE pointed to severe allergies and explained why I experienced extremely sensitive itchy skin along with atopic dermatitis (eczema). Even though I went through allergy skin patch testing we still could not determine what exactly caused the allergic reactions.
There were no changes in my psoriasis, but my skin was overrun by a different kind of rash, one that seemed to get itchy at the slightest whiff of perfume or any allergic food like peanut butter.
Then I came down with the flu, influenza A to be exact. I couldn’t believe it, I thought the flu season essentially ended. For the first week I had a high fever, cough, flaring asthma, body aches, and general malaise. And yes, I did get a flu shot this year (as I do every year). The second week my attention turned to my skin. When I get a viral or bacterial infection my skin breaks out with all kinds of rashes. This time a generalized sandpaper like rash covered my face, ears, neck, arms, legs, trunk—you name it, the rash was on it. It grew so thick at one point I couldn’t feel any of my psoriasis plaques. For two weeks it went through different stages of peeling, lightening, then leaving a smooth layer of skin. I joked to my wife that I was molting. But it was no joke, a very painful experience that to this day isn’t totally cleared up.
Eczema, bacterial skin infections, and the flu, complete with a nasty, molting rash took center stage for the past couple months. Besides the health concerns, my family continues to find difficulty in adapting to our new environment. It’s been about four months since we moved back to Northern California. Each family member has seen the doctor, three of us multiple times for various ailments. My oldest even had a weeklong hospitalization and continues to recover. While we do like our new surroundings, it’s still an adjustment.
I’m sure it won’t be long before psoriasis returns to the center of my concerns. But for a season my psoriasis actually stayed mostly under control, quietly sitting in the back seat. Now only if this crazy rash from the flu would go away completely!