Diagnosis ?!

So having worked our way around the invading ducks and after avoiding Doctor Diesel we made it to the hospital and followed the red line to the emergency department.

I always feel awful going to emergency dept for thing that do not involve broken bits or bits falling off but the other drs was closed and reception said this one would treat non residents.

Of course I wasn't an emergency so was at back of queue so 2.5 hrs later I got to see the dr - typically they came and called me just as I had nipped to the loo!

Triage nurse said it looked interesting and could be anything as there were thousands of rashes! Doctor said 'hmmmmm' and peered a lot. 'Legs look very different to arms...,.' 'well yes' I replied thinking that in quite a lot of ways there were similarities (5 finger and toes etc) by understating what dr meant all the same - the rash is quite different on arms and legs when you look closely. 'Hmmmmm' again - is there a correlation between the amount of hmmmms and bad news? 'well it's not infected' this was a great doctor - I'd waited three hrs for this! 'no but the ones on my leg are pus filled' I said - dr looked up with raised eyebrows 'I squeezed some to find out' I said - if I haven't grossed you out with that I think i did the dr! Hee hee.

In the end dr opted for allergic reaction. This was despite me answering no to all the questions relating to potential allergen exposure and based on a 5cm x 10cm strip of rash on the inside of my arm and nothing to do with the pus filled pimples on my legs!!!!!

Still, at least NZ has reciprocal healthcare agreement so it was all free!

Prescription = more antihistamine but stronger and they will make me sleepy. There may be no blogs for a while as the last time I took a dose of a "drowsines causing" antihistamine I was out cold for 24 hrs and I've got 30 of the blasted things to get through and some trekking to do and views to see. - perhaps Martyn can carry me?

Still at least we managed to get prescription - at one point they were not going to let us have it as their drs check had shown the dr didn't exist (that could explain a lot I thought) they found her eventually though !

So now we start the process of elimination - antihistamine will at least stop the itching and if it doesn't get rid of the rash I have to find another dr somewhere and try the next thing.

Ah well least I didt get an injection in my bum - bring on the sheep dip!

Had a bit of a domestic day after that, read a book, cleaned and washed Vinny etc.

If no blog for a bit don't panic - I'm just lying in an antihistamine induced coma somewhere - gotta go catch a boat now!

'rash-cam' pic below for your enjoyment, and perhaps diagnosis!