So, this is just a quick little tidbit about being in the emergency room that first night when the doctors were absolutely stumped as to what the rash on my legs was.
Remember how I talked about doctors coming into my emergency room left and right to determine what my rash could be? Well here is a funny story about a scare we had with a different disease.
Shingles, chicken pox, and molluscum contagiosum (the Harry Potter disease, lol) were all options being thrown out into the mix. They were all shut down soon after when a young PA came into the room next. My parents were ready to google whatever disease she rattled off and of course she came up with something.
She casually says "hmm, it could be EM (erythema multiforme)." What is that, I thought. She didn't say anything else. She packed up and left the room. I see my dad in the corner tapping my mom and trying to show her his phone without getting me involved. "Excuse me, I can see you...what are you looking at?" My dad slowly looked up at me with dread in his eyes. He said "Em, could you possibly have herpes?" AHHH!! What? Are you nutts? Why would you suggest that? Well, it turns out that while my dad was researching the term erythema multiforme, it explained that half the cases are caused by the herpes virus. I am not going to lie, I nearly shit my pants! I, of course, knew I didn't have herpes, but we still did not know what the rash on my legs was. My mind was flying a mile a minute. That PA better come back in here and explain why she thinks the rash is EM! I was trying to be rational, but the thought of herpes being a possibility was tearing out my insides. I kept saying I would rather have cancer than herpes! At least I could fight cancer...herpes doesn't go away. My parents went home for the night and I was left with my thoughts, which were mainly freaking out about having herpes. Again, I knew I didn't have it. I finally calmed myself down and decided I was right and I knew it was something else. The next day when I woke up it didn't even cross my mind. It was behind me. Psych! Here comes my dad... "Good morning Em, I still think it may be herpes." Jesus! Good morning to you too dad!! haha. Thank god the dermatologist came in and cleared the air for my dad because I swear he would have said I had herpes until he was proven wrong. This is why he drives trains and the doctors diagnose patients. Good thing my dad thinks so highly of me, am I right?! Just kidding! I got my wish though, cancer over herpes.
