Gobsmacked at the Doctor

This seems impossible, but the doctor says that the two biopsies came back and indicate that Gary doesn't have psoriasis or skin cancer (which is excellent news).

Instead, he most likely has an allergic reaction that just looks exactly like the distinctive cheese-pizza-psoriasis plaques.

(I know. I heard the news and asked for a written record from the doctor because I assumed Gary was in a fugue state and just making it up.)

There are three possible allergy culprits.

• Drywall dust. He has been banging on about this for almost a year, but he recently bought dust monitors for every room and they all say there is no discernible dust. However, the dermatologist says that sometimes your skin just won't let things go, and the reaction continues long after the allergen is gone.

For the next two, the dermatologist echoed what my old allergist said, you can wake up one day and be allergic to something you've lived with your whole life.  Gary could suddenly have taken up an allergy to:

• His long-standing epilepsy, migraine, or cholesterol medications. The neurologist and GP have to be consulted before any changes can be made.
• Something in his diet. Tomatoes are a Vegetable of Interest. 

The treatment for all is a ten day titration of steroids. "Prepare to be very hungry," I told him.

"Oh, I won't be. My migraine medication keeps me from being hungry. Oh, and maybe I should like live in a hotel for a month, just in case I am really being trigged by something in the environment."

"YES EXCELLENT IDEA' I said, because Gary on steroids will be a manic, talkative, emotional Gary. I just can't. Baseline manic, talkative, emotional Gary is going to be too much for me. 

Comments

[KC]

YES to hotel. It's totally possible there's some other random allergen in your house, anyway, that he has become allergic to (laundry detergent or whatever). That said, if he goes to a hotel for the course of steroids and then comes back and the thing comes back, then it will be impossible to tell whether it's the "your steroids have ended and the inflammation has returned" or "you are allergic to something in this house" which might... cause problems.

[KC]

(but also yay for not skin cancer!)

[TheQueen]

KC - we even have a paper biohazard suit he could wear. Of course he is a homebody so I doubt it would fly.