A little backstory: Monday night I started feeling really itchy in my cleavage (this is prolly gonna be TMI from here on out...) and come Tuesday it was just obnoxious, so I called my OB's office and talk to the nurse. They thought it could be fungal, so they told me to wash with Selsun Blue and use Gold Bond cream to take the itch out, and if it didnt get better in a couple of days, call them back.
Fastforward a couple of days: Yesterday the rash that was in my cleavage spread further on, under, and around my boobs and up my chest, prolly to about my collarbone, and OMG was it itchy. So itchy, in fact, that it kept me up a majority of last night, and the only relief I got was alternating between cold compresses and appling the cream. Not to mention, the rash spread to a spot on my lower back, so it clearly wasn't getting anywhere near better.
I told work I was going to be late this morning, because the last thing I want to do is talk about a rash on my boobs in the office, and I got in touch with the nurse as soon as I could this morning. Luckily it was the same one I had talked to on Tuesday, so she helped me get an appointment first thing this morning with the OB... of course, it was 25 minutes away, but hey, I'll take what I can get.
The OB had no idea what it was. She didnt even want to speculate what it may or may not be, and said my best bet would be to see a dermatologist asap. The OB's office called the dermatologist that I used to see before the wedding, and luckily enough they were able to see me this afternoon, which is VERY rare for this practice. So another 25 minute drive and I was back closer to home and waiting at the dermatologist's office.
The nurse practitioner has no idea what it was. She definitely ruled out fungal, but she didnt want to make any more assumptions before the doctor looked at me, especially being 28.5 weeks pregnant. So she went and got the doctor and they both looked me over like I was a medical specimen, I swear.
The doctor thinks it's PUPPS... basically it's a pregnancy rash that is supposed to occur closer to the end of the pregnancy, where your body basically has an allergic reaction to the fetus... it it doesnt go away until the baby is born. She's not 100% sure though, where this rash began on my chest, and PUPPS starts on the belly and works its way out. She did say, however, that if it is, it's bound to start spreading to my belly and to my arms... so she wants to see me in a week. They also prescribed me a topical steroid, Benedryll, and oatmeal bath compresses. Of course, the nurse wanted me to check with my OB to make sure the steroid was going to be OK, and lucky me, the OB's office I normally get to was only a suite down from the dermatologist.
So I walk in and explain everything to the receptionist, and she's uber-skeptical because of my walk in that the nurse will see me right away... well lucky me, this is the same nurse I'd been dealing with these last few days, and when she finally saw my chest I swear her eyes popped out of her chest. I explained to her what the dermatologist said, and the moment I mentioned PUPPS she ordered bloodwork to be done so that we can hopefully cross it off the list, so there I was, exhausted, dehydrated, and hungry, now giving blood randomly at my OB's office.
And the phlebotomist had to poke me twice. =(
So I went to the drug store, got my drugs, stopped at the pizza place on the way home and ordered some cheesy breadsticks, and here I am... ready to get off my feet and sleep the rest of the day away.
I won't get the bloodtest results back for another 4 days or so, but I'm really just hoping I'm not going to have to deal with this damn rash for the rest of my pregnancy... it's driving me crazy as it is now, I can only imagine how it's going to be in a few weeks.
I just have to keep reminding myself that this is all worth it, and the prize at the end if going to be the best prize ever!
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