X is for X-ray

When I was in high school, I had to have an MRI because I had these strange bumps on my legs. The MRI detected that all was well, but it didn't explain the bumps. I had to go to several doctors before a specialist determined that the sheath around my muscle was weak and that my muscles were bulging out of the sheath. Kind of like sausage breaking through the casing. He said there was no treatment and it's not dangerous in any way.

To this day, when I engage in repetitive physical activity, these bumps become more pronounced. I have yet to meet another person who has this happen to them.

But, then again, I was that kid who had all the weird diseases. The kind that multiple doctors had to diagnose.

The first was impetigo. I'm told this is a common problem. But, like the leg bumps, I have yet to meet another person who has ever had this. It's not the most attractive description, so let's just say it involved lots of oozing and scabbing around my nose.

The next was lice, which is quite common. However, I haven't heard of anyone who had it more than 3 times. Yup, I was that kid. And it's pretty funny, because:

1. My mother is obsessively clean.
2. I'm an only child.
3. I got it when school was out of session.
4. No one else I played with around the neighborhood had lice.

I guess it has to start with someone...

However, I've saved the best for last. The strangest ailment I had as a child was Fifth Disease. Fifth Disease is real. My doctor told me they named it because, quite literally, it is the fifth kind of skin rash you can get. The others being: measles, scarlet fever, rubella, and roseola (thank you wikipedia). The symptoms are:looking like you've been slapped in the cheeks and a lacy red rash all over your body. This took a few trials and errors to diagnose but ultimately some doctor out there had paid attention in medical school.

I bring it up because I have heard of one other person who had fifth disease! My father's coworker's daughter's friend. Who was actually quarantined in the hospital because no one knew what the heck she had.

I'm sure you're really glad you came to my blog to learn about all the weird diseases I had as a kid. But hopefully, if you or someone you know has bumps on their legs or looks like they've been slapped in the face repeatedly, you'll be able to shed some light.

And, what can I say? I'm on X of the A-Z challenge and I'm losing steam.