Funny rash and idiotic pharmacist

Hi ladies.

Ive not been on here for a long time and as far as I know I don’t have mets. I’m just after advice after seeing an idiotic pharmacist.

I’ll explain a little. I have this funny little rash that has come up all over my torso, arms, bottom and groin. It’s not covering me, the spots are spaced out here and there. They have a 3 stage process and have been coming out over a period of 4 weeks, lasting as long before scarring. 

Stage 1, a small blood spot or tiny pimple like thing,

stage 3’ it spreads a little bigger and flakes causing it to be very itchy.

stage 4, it look slightly bigger, pink in colour and then scars into what almost looks like a grey/purple bruise but remains itchy. 

I thought my husband had maybe picked up bed bugs from his many stays away in hotels, or that I had scabies even so I showed my mum who said they looked a little similar to tiny chicken pox, I wasn’t convinced but having low immunity since chemo and a poorly daughter who has low immunity issues I thought I’d just nip to the chemist and see if they could identify it just because I didn’t want to bother my gp or onc. He took my history, stage 3, lymph node involvement, chemo, radio, herceptin, tamoxifen and that I had just recently come of the tamoxifen and then led me into a consultation room. Bearing in mind that I had my 2 and 4 year old daughters with me, he took a look and said really matter of factory “You need to book and urgent appointment with your gp, like today. I think you need a blood test to rule somethings out as because you recently come off tamoxifen your cancer could come back”. I was sick with worry so I phoned the doctors but they only had a nurse available so I went to her and she couldn’t identify the rash so said she thought it might be fungal and she gave me cream. I’m fine with that, I never really thought it was anything sinister until I saw that pharmacist, he planted the seed and you’ll all know how easily that happens anyway. 

 

So now after my rant, I’d like to know if anyone could relate to this rash. I intend on going to see my doctor very soon about it and asking for blood tests for peace of mind but I’m holding off until next week only because my Gran has just been told she needs chemo for lung cancer and my Nan is waiting on a scan to find out if she phonetically had bowel cancer.

 

Hello Kander

 

Sorry you’ve had to pop in here with such a horrid worry.

 

I have skin mets but your rash is not like mine. I did have something very similar when I was in my early 20s but I can’t remember what it was called. It took about 6 weeks to clear up. I’m only basing things on my cancer experience but, from your description and the fact that it’s popped up in so many places all at the same time, it doesn’t sound like skin mets to me. I hope the cream helps but I agree that, for peace of mind, you should get checked out by your doctor. Your pharmacist could have said things in a less alarming way, without making you worry that the cancer may have returned. I can just imagine the stomach churning feeling you must have experienced, particularly with your young children there.

 

Best of luck and I hope we don’t see you having to pop back here other than to let us know everything is ok.

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