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My Cancer Journey Has Taken A New Turn
Into the Woods We Go…
Aside from the recently diagnosed cancer I wrote about recently, I’m a survivor of another deadly medical condition: Stevens-Johnson-Syndrome.
You can Google that but beware the gruesome burn unit pictures.
You see, SJS is a very often fatal allergic reaction that burns your body from the inside out. It’s often treated in burn units because the skin reaction is the same as being burned in an actual fire.
I’ve only had second degree which is always misdiagnosed as a “rash” when I go to Emergency. But it can go all the way to third-degree and no skin at all if you don’t know what’s happening.
And most doctors and nurses don’t know what’s happening, despite the fact that I’m told most doctors and many nurses are required to take a special course that helps them recognize and begin treating SJS patients immediately.
Once the internal allergic reaction begins, there’s only a small window of time before it overwhelms the body and there’s nothing left to do but palliative care. So the first step should always be a huge dose of prednisone followed by a very carefully watched “step down” of smaller amounts over a pretty long period of time.
