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.

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.

I try not to rate myself against my siblings (often) but it's hard when my brother who's 22 and 2 years younger is getting married this year (on my birthday, no less), and has a great job making almost twice as much as me. I'm a little jealous because as the oldest sibling I've always felt like I had to be the example and here I am getting blown away. In one perspective it can be seen as a failure on my part.

I need some advice. The head of our department's mother died Tuesday. The department is small and so we work in close proximity. The funeral is tomorrow and I'm trying to decide if I should go. The 4 other people in my office have socialized with my boss and they've met her mother. I'm worried that if I'm the only one who doesn't show up it will reflect badly on me, but I don't know her mother, she's barely in the office and I need advice.