So very late, but work is eating my braaaaaane:

Susan, a yeast infection can occur anywhere skin routinely touches skin & gets moist. It doesn't have to be confined to/start in the goolie area, it can be anywhere. I know this through personal experience. Ah, joy.

However, I've never had mono. You'd think I would have, all things considered, but I seem to have escaped it. Sparky, my sympathies to your sister.

Attention: Office Mardi Gras parties at which there is lots of rum do not bode well for the getting of work done after them.

I'd like to chime in with the fungal crowd. Wooohooo! Go, fungus! Choose fungus! Bear in mind that yeast infections, athlete's foot, dandruff, and ringworm are pretty much kissing cousins. By any chance, do you recall taking one or more courses of antibiotics near the time when it started? Because what you are describing sounds very much like what happens to me when my system gets out of balance due to repeated antibiotic meds combined with eating lots of high-carb foods. At those times what works for me is taking supplements of olive leaf extract and acidophilus plus using tea tree oil externally.

Still, holding off on the tea tree oil until after you see the dermatologist is a very good idea, as it has antibacterial and antiviral as well as antifungal properties. If you use it and the rash gets better, it will do very little for narrowing down the possibilities - except for maybe eliminating eczema, considering how drying tea tree oil is.

I feel like the least accomplished. My parents would probably say I'm just behind the youngest sister. Youngest sister has a steady job in the field she likes and is thinking about getting her masters. I have a fairly neat job in a random field and mom keeps pushing me to get a masters or go to law school. Middle sister is doing something she loves and is really good at and getting awards for, but has a PT job to pay rent.

Still, holding off on the tea tree oil until after you see the dermatologist is a very good idea, as it has antibacterial and antiviral as well as antifungal properties.

Too late. Maybe I'll have the willpower not to use it anymore, though.

Heh, -t, you have nothing to apologize for. I know there's got to be stuff out there, I've just got to put myself into a position to figure out what I want and how I can get it. I'll get there. This is pretty much a regularly scheduled freak-out.

(BTW, I'm 24. My generation gives slack its name. Or so I was cruelly led to believe!)

Sparky, my sympathies to your sister

She's doing much better, but she'd appreciate the good thought. Who knew it would be so hard to recover with three children and a puppy in the house?

Eep! Sparky, here's hoping she finds some peace and quiet for recovery time.

Meanwhile, I thought I'd share this: [link]

That hat is fabulous. I can picture my whole family, gathered 'round the Thanksgiving table...

Yuck. Fungus and viruses. Add in constipation, I could be posting with my dad! (In all seriousness, though, itchy things can be the worst.) To my knowledge, have never had mono.