I went to the dermatologist today.

Showed him my body. He said “that’s some pretty serious eczema”.

Then he asked me a few questions, and this was his diagnosis (and reasons):

• Could not be TSW, because I do not use steroids enough so it wouldn’t be this severe. I told him I use steroid creams once a week or so, but have been using them ever since I was 5 (I’m 33 now).
• Most likely scabies, because I’ve been travelling and this is what scabies looks like.
• The oozing on my forehead isn’t from TSW, it’s pre-infection and I need antibiotics.
• The severity of my rash cannot be from TSW, so it must be scabies. If this rash were just eczema, he said we would be doing serious immuno suppressant treatment.

This is the prescription he gave me:

I asked him, let’s assume it was TSW. What would your treatment plan be?

He said he would give me a very strong steroid cream for the first 2 weeks, then taper down to a weaker steroid to bring me back to normal. And would also give me an oral steroid to settle things down quickly.

Obviously I wasn’t very convinced with the diagnosis. I have had scabies before, and it doesn’t feel like this.

First of all, scabies is way itchier. Secondly, scabies does not make your forehead look like that. And it doesn’t spread as fast.

I didn’t think scabies was a stupid suggestion, because it was also something I considered when I first started breaking out. However, this dermatologist examined my skin and said he didn’t see any mites, but often they hide under the crusts and the skin. It seemed like a weak diagnosis to me.

I later posted my photos on some of the TSW support groups on Facebook, and they all agreed it looked like early TSW symptoms.

So, at this stage I have not filled that prescription, definitely won’t be using any oral or topical steroids, and will keep the scabies treatment to the side just in case. Although I’m around 80% sure I’m scabies free right now.

38 hours into my fast. Let the cleansing and healing begin 🙂

Staying strong!