Sarcoptes Scabiei- The Itching Disease

Since our return from traveling I have been itching. I think some other things are happening, but mostly I am itching. Here's the story:
I start to get some blisters on my hands and then break out in a full body rash. After being assured that I am allergic to beef, chicken, seafood, the hot, the cold, the dryness, and the moisture and about 4 sleepless nights and 25 Benadryl later I am rushed off to a skin doctor. We go in, she looks at my hand, I understand nothing, buy a bunch of medicine, problem solved. The diagnosis: eczema. Four weeks of washing with a soap that drys your skin out even in Viet Nam where there is 98 percent humidity year-round. The rash does not subside, but grows more fierce and I am definitely a little bit insane from sleepless, itchy nights. During these nights all I can do is research rashes and itching. So I go to a different doctor and tell him I am certain of what I have and I just need a treatment. Internet/Self-diagnosis: Scabies. The doctor gets out his medical encyclopedia and we check off the symptoms together. He kind-of-but-not-really jokes about feeling itchy because it is highly contagious and kindly escorts me to a different room. He prescribes the treatment for both Adam and I with some bonus antihistaminess that will help me sleep. Luckily, Adam seems to have an immunity to scabies, though he did get one tiny burrow on his wrist that he TORTURES me with by talking about how much it itches. He finds this funny.

So now we are treated and I am beginning to heal. Only 30 more days of itching and pain. If only they had advent calendars in Viet Nam....

I contracted scabies from hotel towels or/and sheets while we were traveling. Anyone can catch it in any country. Here is more info if interested http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scabies


Really, I just posted this for Nick who has made it clear to me that he is tired of hearing about how everything is wonderful here. (So I won't mention that I just got back from two days on the beach where the temperature was a brisk 75-80 degrees and it is now the weekend ,though I am rarely aware of a weekstart).