"Indebted to our National Health Service"

Once again I find myself indebted to our National Health Service in Grampian. Staff in Forres Health Centre, Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary have seen me through a very difficult time. I cannot speak highly enough about the staff who have treated me over the past 18 months, and continue to look after me.

Early in 2020, I began to develop spots, rather like teenage acne, in patches all over my body….but I’m in my late 70s!!!

I tried various creams, but it just kept getting more extensive and, worst of all, it was itchy, VERY itchy, wake me up in the night itchy! Exhausted by sleepless nights and despairing that this was becoming the pattern of my life, I contacted the Forres Health Centre at the end of April 2020. I sent a couple of photographs and had a telephone consultation with one of the doctors. It was diagnosed as Scabies and it certainly looked as if it might be, though I couldn’t think how/where I had caught scabies during lockdown. My husband and I both followed the treatment for two weeks. His skin remained the same, but my spots became more extensive, the itch continued. It was clear that whatever my skin condition was, it was not infectious, which was the only consolation.

Thus began a pattern which continued for the rest of that year. I was in contact with various doctors at roughly six week intervals. They all said they had never seen anything quite like it and a range of treatments, ointments and emollients were tried. Some of these provided brief respite from the itch, but nothing stopped the condition from becoming more extensive. It was hideous - most areas of my body were covered with suppurating sores. I must have been one of the few people who didn’t mind lockdown, since I wouldn’t have been going anywhere like that.

Of course, none of this was helped by the COVID pandemic. During lockdown when Health Service staff were busy dealing with the pandemic, my appointments were conducted by photographs and telephone consultations. Towards the end of 2020, I had a face to face appointment at the Health Centre at which the doctor decided to refer me to the Dermatology Department at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin and an appointment was made for the end of December.

This was the end of the beginning.

At Doctor Gray’s I was in the hands of Billy, who like others, began by saying he’d never seen anything like it before. However, that just meant he was determined to find out what it was. The dermatology department in Elgin works closely with Dermatology at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and I felt I was in safe hands. Photographs were exchanged and discussions took place. Some new ointments and emollients eased the condition. At the end of April I was sent through to the Dermatology department to meet Dr. McNeil, who was the first person to say, “I think I know what it is!”

She removed a sample from my chest and a biopsy confirmed her diagnosis. At last we knew what we were dealing with. It was Reactive Perforating Dermatosis.

This was the beginning of the end.

A routine of medication, use of an emollient and Light Therapy has slowly but surely, dealt with the lesions and improved my skin. I have been carefully looked after during the light treatment by Gillian, from the Phototherapy Department. She put me at ease right away and gave me confidence by answering my questions and discussing the the treatment and its effect on the condition of my skin. Being treated as an intelligent adult is so important for recovery.

Overall, the team of Billy, Dr McNeil and Gillian have seen me through one of the most difficult times in my life. I will always be grateful - they gave me my life back.