Comments on: Eaten Alive http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2008/08/04/eaten-alive/ Thoughts and photos from an American living in Spain. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:12:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Erik R. http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2008/08/04/eaten-alive/#comment-2867 Erik R. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:30:56 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/?p=734#comment-2867 Yes, the itching hath subsided. It was only that first day, thankfully. Re: Iberian docs... That's the effect of socialized medicine, methinks. Gotta seem like you're curing something. They give you the weakest drug to be more or less a placebo. No need to ask permission to give me sweet sweet linkage. Thanks for stopping by! Yes, the itching hath subsided. It was only that first day, thankfully.

Re: Iberian docs… That’s the effect of socialized medicine, methinks. Gotta seem like you’re curing something. They give you the weakest drug to be more or less a placebo.

No need to ask permission to give me sweet sweet linkage. Thanks for stopping by!

]]> By: KP http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2008/08/04/eaten-alive/#comment-2866 KP Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:39:55 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/?p=734#comment-2866 Portuguese docs were the same way - you cannot leave the building without a prescription in hand. Weird. I hope the itch hath subsided and left you with the time to enjoy your iPhone (i am SO jealous i want to spit). Can I link to you from Kramblings? Peace out. (I love the monkey photo. And I had to type 'balls' as the anti-spam word. I am channeling my inner eleven-year-old and giggling like mad.) Portuguese docs were the same way - you cannot leave the building without a prescription in hand. Weird. I hope the itch hath subsided and left you with the time to enjoy your iPhone (i am SO jealous i want to spit).

Can I link to you from Kramblings?

Peace out. (I love the monkey photo. And I had to type ‘balls’ as the anti-spam word. I am channeling my inner eleven-year-old and giggling like mad.)

]]> By: Paul http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2008/08/04/eaten-alive/#comment-2843 Paul Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:40:01 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/?p=734#comment-2843 Here my Skin Doctor calls it "contact dermatitis", which means they think my problem is because my skin came into contact with something. Certainly a reasonable guess. From there, however, all directions lead towards treatment, and none towards prevention, with the exception of allergy testing. That was described to me as an organized attempt to get my skin to react badly to one or more swabs or pricks of matter, and I never seriously considered it. Here my Skin Doctor calls it “contact dermatitis”, which means they think my problem is because my skin came into contact with something. Certainly a reasonable guess. From there, however, all directions lead towards treatment, and none towards prevention, with the exception of allergy testing. That was described to me as an organized attempt to get my skin to react badly to one or more swabs or pricks of matter, and I never seriously considered it.

]]> By: Erik R. http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2008/08/04/eaten-alive/#comment-2842 Erik R. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:42:29 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/?p=734#comment-2842 Today I went to another doctor. This one actually went to medical school, not like the other one that must have been trained on a World War I battlefield where amputation was the prescription for everything. I have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prurigo_nodularis" rel="nofollow">Prurigo</a>. That's doctorese for "itchy spots on skin of unknown origin". He said that I'm having an allergic reaction (my first ever!!!) to something, probably small mite bites. But that it's possible that the bugs don't really exist and it's to something else. He suggests washing the sheets a few more times. And he gave me an anti-histamine prescription. This "bugs are imagined" idea coincides with the evidence since we added an extra clean sheet to avoid olive oil stains during the first treatment, which is when the "bites" stopped. My original spots are fading and itching much less. A full recovery looks very possible in a day or two. Yay! Today I went to another doctor. This one actually went to medical school, not like the other one that must have been trained on a World War I battlefield where amputation was the prescription for everything.

I have Prurigo. That’s doctorese for “itchy spots on skin of unknown origin”. He said that I’m having an allergic reaction (my first ever!!!) to something, probably small mite bites. But that it’s possible that the bugs don’t really exist and it’s to something else. He suggests washing the sheets a few more times. And he gave me an anti-histamine prescription.

This “bugs are imagined” idea coincides with the evidence since we added an extra clean sheet to avoid olive oil stains during the first treatment, which is when the “bites” stopped.

My original spots are fading and itching much less. A full recovery looks very possible in a day or two. Yay!

]]> By: Paul http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2008/08/04/eaten-alive/#comment-2841 Paul Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:49:26 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/?p=734#comment-2841 I'll admit to being concerned, since I have years of data showing my blood to be the most delectable, but I'm still up for coming next year. I'll bring all the creams and ointments I can get my hands on, and perhaps a couple small battery operated fans I'll try to mount on a hat. And maybe a beekeeper's suit. I’ll admit to being concerned, since I have years of data showing my blood to be the most delectable, but I’m still up for coming next year. I’ll bring all the creams and ointments I can get my hands on, and perhaps a couple small battery operated fans I’ll try to mount on a hat. And maybe a beekeeper’s suit.

]]> By: Erik R. http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2008/08/04/eaten-alive/#comment-2840 Erik R. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:43:41 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/?p=734#comment-2840 Update: apparently no new bites were sustained last night and previous bites are itching less. To respond to some off-blog questions... The exact culprit has not been identified. Almost positive they are bug bites, but the little critters must be too small to see with the naked eye. No doubt my father is already investigating other vacation destinations, rather than coming here next year as planned. Dad, it's still worth coming. But bring all the firepower your dermitologist will sell you both over and under the counter. I know you will all be shocked to learn that the olive oil concoction did little to help the bites. But what it did do is magically restore my Yahoo password. Unbelievable! So over all, a big improvement from yesterday. Update: apparently no new bites were sustained last night and previous bites are itching less. To respond to some off-blog questions… The exact culprit has not been identified. Almost positive they are bug bites, but the little critters must be too small to see with the naked eye.

No doubt my father is already investigating other vacation destinations, rather than coming here next year as planned. Dad, it’s still worth coming. But bring all the firepower your dermitologist will sell you both over and under the counter.

I know you will all be shocked to learn that the olive oil concoction did little to help the bites. But what it did do is magically restore my Yahoo password. Unbelievable!

So over all, a big improvement from yesterday.

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