Feeling Special

On my first day of vacation, I went to the dermatologist, as one naturally does. And then headed up the coast to the great state of Maine. I didn't have any special reasons to go to the dermatologist, except that the PCP recommended it, it's fun to kick up health care costs and not pay too much for it while I still have good health insurance, and because I wanted to know, after all these years, why my skin welts so easily. I explained my condition to the doc. Intrigued, he lightly drew an X on my back. Sure enough, a few minutes later, a red X appeared on my skin. Doc was so tickled with the effect that he went and fetched the physician's assistant so she too, could get a look at my freak back. She didn't have anything to offer. He just wanted her to have a chance to see me. I love it when I doctors use me as examples.

Turns out, my condition is called dermatographism. Wikipedia says that 4-5% of the population has this, but I've never met 4-5 people with this condition. And I've met more than 100 people. Doc offered such helpful advice to me as "just don't get scratched" and "some people just have this." As well as the very specific and enlightening, "You could try taking OTC Claritin for it. Some people take it for the rest of their lives." First the Knorr soup people, now I'm expected to put the Claritins through school, too? Nice try, buddy.