2006 IN REVIEW AND A GLIMPSE OF 2007 - HEALTH

My diabetes is OK.

The big news in 2006 was itchy skin - doesn't sound too bad does it?

I started scratching in early May. A week or so later someone commented that the 'spots' looked like Chicken Pox. I knew that I'd already had it - but the following day the spots were worse and did look Poxy! So I went as an emergency patient to the doctor, who agreed I had had CPox but was concerned about Shingles! I came away with a couple of prescriptions for lotions and creams.

The scratching didn't subside, back to the docs', saw my GP - different lotions and potions. This continued almost weekly until mid June. The scratching was driving me potty and it was difficult to tolerate - particularly as I couldn't scratch in public. By the end of June I had an urgent private referral to a consultant, she changed the creams, made some lifestyle recommendations (no perfume, nail varnish, soap, dark clothing or manmade fibres) and booked me for patch testing.

The weather around this time was hideous - extremely hot and uncomfortable and added to my misery. Luckily the beginning of August was cooler.

Before the patch testing I was away for the weekend, the itch was ATROCIOUS - I realised while I was away I had used shower gel again without thinking about it.

Patch testing was an interesting experience - they covered the upper part of my back with about 100 small dots - each containing a different potential allergen. Then they wrapped me up sticking plaster and I had to live with this for 48 hours. I felt like an Egyptian Mummy and couldn't get wet. Then they removed the plaster and dots. I had to wait another 2 days (still not getting that area wet) before they read the results.

The results of the patch testing showed that I was allergic to the shower gel (they had added an additional patch to check it ) and also Lyral (a perfume). I was almost relieved that they had found an allergy and that I wasn't a fraud. They told me that the labelling laws had changed about 18 months previously and all products would be clearly labelled and Lyral would be easy to avoid. They were wrong - products are labelled as containing perfume, so I have to avoid everything with perfume in.

I can't use:

• pot pourri
• air fresheners
• shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, soap
• scented candles
• basically anything that smells!

So with the results of the patch testing I was discharged. Then I went with the G's to France for a week - fab holiday but I continued to scratch. I was really uncomfortable when I came home - so I went back to the GP - she took one look at my skin and phoned the consultant on the spot. I was extremely itchy and now covered in spots. It would have been easier to book a trip to the moon than try and get an emergency appointment with a dermatologist. When I eventually got to see her she wanted me to go into hospital ASAP.

The hospital stay deserves a blog all of its own - but I don't want to relive that experience, suffice to say it was awful, nurses with Hitler complexes, visitors picking up contact dermatitis, incorrect doses of medications - hideous.

Since then the eczema, spots and dermatitis have continue to flare up - they keep changing the ointment and cream combinations, but with little effect. I'm still washing in prescription emollients and avoiding perfume at all costs. My skin gets regular infections (due to the diabetes) and due to the diabetes the infections are more difficult to get rid of - I'm currently on my 2nd double dosage of antibiotics in 3 months (added to the 4 single dose courses that I've had in that time). I'm permanently scarred from the spots and continue to itch, but it is better than it was, sometimes!