Oh Goodness I Got Scabies!
First off, apologies that I didn't write you Folks from the city of Solo/Surakarta. I enjoyed myself too much being there, had no time to get online to update this blog. My Solo's highlights, however, were staying at what they say the swankiest hotel in town called 'Lor In Business Resort & Spa'; getting ripped of by a pedicab driver while venturing the town one afternoon; and hanging out at Solo Square two days in a row for hours. Will try to post a picture or two of Solo later on. From Solo I took an agency car to Semarang, the capital of Central Java. I went to visit my sister as well as a friend there. Mega fun. Hope to post a few pics later as well.
You currently find me at an internet cafe in Purwokerto, a university town in Central Java, about 40 km away from my hometown Cilacap. Visiting my parents' second home here, as well as meeting up with a few friends. Nice, eh? My parents are now having some relaxing time at the house, while me and my buddy Kiki are hanging out riding her motorbike.
Okay.. so this post is.. about me getting scabies! Yep, that freaking disgusting scabies caused by parasites or microscopic mites called sarcoptes scabiei. Woke up four days ago at 3 am only to find myself scratching my hands and feet endlessly. The itch was mega intense and it only got worse as I scratched my skin more. A ton of small bumps appeared on hands and feet, accompanied by redness. Yeah, mast cells of my skin were actively doing their job in the inflammatory process, releasing histamine. This happens in the presence of pathogens, which in this case were most likely sarcoptes scabiei. My skin got all red and inflamed. Suffered to the bones that night; it was really miserable since all I could do was taking loratadine (an antihistamine), which temporarily suspended my misery. I had no clue of what I got!
First thing I did right there and then was emailing my GP (this stands for general practitioner) to seek for an advice. It was about 4 am Java time, which was around 2 PM Pacific time. Stamatakos -happens to be the last name of my GP- replied two hours later, told me to get some permethrin since he thought the damn misery could be scabies -considering I have no allergies to any food.
What the heck is scabies?!
Scabies alone is derived from a Latin word, saubere, which means 'to stratch'. Google up please for more knowledge about this contagious skin infection. I'd advise you to watch out for humid places, as mites causing scabies love warm tropical places. Scabies can also be transferred through water, skin contact with people who are having it, and also as simple as shaking hands with 'em.
In addition to emailing my physician, I also contacted my brother in-law in Canada, who is also a GP. He came up with a similar diagnosis. I applied permethrin (5%, comes under name 'scabimite' and can be obtained as an over the counter medicine in Indonesia), the following night and left it for about 14 hours. Washed it off the following morning and been continuously using sulfur soap and applying Dyphenhydramine Hcl lotion all over the inflamed area every single day.
I am recovering! I did still experience sleepless nights the night after I applied permethrin. Woke up every hour, despite taking antihistamines. Woke up less two nights after, and didn't wake up at all last night. I am off my antihistamine (switched from loratadine to hydroxyzine hcl) today and only experiencing a very little itch. I'd say I am almost free of the scabies itch, and am feeling sooo liberated!
Dude, please note that this scabies infection does not have a direct correlation with personal hygiene. I am not saying this to defend myself. LOL. I took a shower that night, all nice and dry, but I still got the damn thing. Blimmin' mites were probably somewhere on the mattress I slept on. It could be on some furniture I sat on, or on someone's hands that I shook days before. Just keep in mind, once you get scabies.. wash all linens you have come in contact with hot water. Wash, wash, wash, ..it was all I did the following day knowing that the itch I had could possibly be scabies. And yes it was.
The blimmin' scabies gave me a hard time! Because my mom got offended when I washed all linens in the house. She got some itch too about a month ago, and I told her I suspected that I got the same type of infection as what she got. As you see, she misunderstood me. My mom thought I accused her of giving me the damn scabies, which wasn't exactly what I said. I said that I might have got the damn thing because someone in the house got the mites earlier last month..,and that was merely to inform her and my dad of what this skin infection called 'scabies' could do to people. Seriously, I accepted the fact that I got this disgusting scabies and I was totally okay with it. Ummm, I wasn't really okay with the waking up-every-hour part for two nights in a row.. but I mean.. there was nothing I could do at that point but treating the infection. I wasn't complaining or anything. But of course some people get things wrong. I felt kind of sad :(
Even today my dad still said to me that I needed to take a shower frequently not to get the itch. I was like.. man.. I shower twice a day, I even showered before going to bed that night when the itch attack hit me. I told him I just got unlucky cuz I came in contact with the damn mites, which immediately targeted my skin and laid eggs. That's basically how the itch occured. So.. it's not like I didn't keep my personal hygiene. Scabies can happen to everyone, who is even the cleanest, when he/she encounters with damn mites some where in their environment.
FYI, You can also tell that it is scabies that you're getting when your itch gets worse at night. You will notice lots of burrows on the surface of your skin, particularly in the area of hands, feet, wrists, elbow, and even buttocks -Thank God it was only on hands and feet of mine! Got some on my elbows and calves later on, after permethrin was applied. Nonetheless, all mites should all have died after the first application of permethrin. Following bumps are only a post- permethrin application effect which you shouldn't worry too much. Itch will tremendously decline, and that's when you know that you're recovering.
I feel like.. it is kind of hard to create awareness on people here of how contagious scabies can be. After all, I am glad I washed all linens and clothes..making sure no one else in my house will get it from me. I also told my friends not to shake hands since I'd rather prevent them from getting the mites from me. I know all the mites should have died after the first permethrin application, but who knows eh. The thought of another person having sleepless nights worries me. It is no fun, Mates!
It is 6 pm now and I am getting hungry. Raining. But me and my friend Kiki still gotta eat. Off to soak in the rain now, I guess. It's fun to be on a motorbike's ride again, in Purwokerto rain. Reminds me of the good old days in uni. My uni is only about 400 meters from where I am at now, so I may pass by and eat some place I used to eat at in the past.
Cheerio!
You currently find me at an internet cafe in Purwokerto, a university town in Central Java, about 40 km away from my hometown Cilacap. Visiting my parents' second home here, as well as meeting up with a few friends. Nice, eh? My parents are now having some relaxing time at the house, while me and my buddy Kiki are hanging out riding her motorbike.
Okay.. so this post is.. about me getting scabies! Yep, that freaking disgusting scabies caused by parasites or microscopic mites called sarcoptes scabiei. Woke up four days ago at 3 am only to find myself scratching my hands and feet endlessly. The itch was mega intense and it only got worse as I scratched my skin more. A ton of small bumps appeared on hands and feet, accompanied by redness. Yeah, mast cells of my skin were actively doing their job in the inflammatory process, releasing histamine. This happens in the presence of pathogens, which in this case were most likely sarcoptes scabiei. My skin got all red and inflamed. Suffered to the bones that night; it was really miserable since all I could do was taking loratadine (an antihistamine), which temporarily suspended my misery. I had no clue of what I got!
First thing I did right there and then was emailing my GP (this stands for general practitioner) to seek for an advice. It was about 4 am Java time, which was around 2 PM Pacific time. Stamatakos -happens to be the last name of my GP- replied two hours later, told me to get some permethrin since he thought the damn misery could be scabies -considering I have no allergies to any food.
What the heck is scabies?!
Scabies alone is derived from a Latin word, saubere, which means 'to stratch'. Google up please for more knowledge about this contagious skin infection. I'd advise you to watch out for humid places, as mites causing scabies love warm tropical places. Scabies can also be transferred through water, skin contact with people who are having it, and also as simple as shaking hands with 'em.
In addition to emailing my physician, I also contacted my brother in-law in Canada, who is also a GP. He came up with a similar diagnosis. I applied permethrin (5%, comes under name 'scabimite' and can be obtained as an over the counter medicine in Indonesia), the following night and left it for about 14 hours. Washed it off the following morning and been continuously using sulfur soap and applying Dyphenhydramine Hcl lotion all over the inflamed area every single day.
I am recovering! I did still experience sleepless nights the night after I applied permethrin. Woke up every hour, despite taking antihistamines. Woke up less two nights after, and didn't wake up at all last night. I am off my antihistamine (switched from loratadine to hydroxyzine hcl) today and only experiencing a very little itch. I'd say I am almost free of the scabies itch, and am feeling sooo liberated!
Dude, please note that this scabies infection does not have a direct correlation with personal hygiene. I am not saying this to defend myself. LOL. I took a shower that night, all nice and dry, but I still got the damn thing. Blimmin' mites were probably somewhere on the mattress I slept on. It could be on some furniture I sat on, or on someone's hands that I shook days before. Just keep in mind, once you get scabies.. wash all linens you have come in contact with hot water. Wash, wash, wash, ..it was all I did the following day knowing that the itch I had could possibly be scabies. And yes it was.
The blimmin' scabies gave me a hard time! Because my mom got offended when I washed all linens in the house. She got some itch too about a month ago, and I told her I suspected that I got the same type of infection as what she got. As you see, she misunderstood me. My mom thought I accused her of giving me the damn scabies, which wasn't exactly what I said. I said that I might have got the damn thing because someone in the house got the mites earlier last month..,and that was merely to inform her and my dad of what this skin infection called 'scabies' could do to people. Seriously, I accepted the fact that I got this disgusting scabies and I was totally okay with it. Ummm, I wasn't really okay with the waking up-every-hour part for two nights in a row.. but I mean.. there was nothing I could do at that point but treating the infection. I wasn't complaining or anything. But of course some people get things wrong. I felt kind of sad :(
Even today my dad still said to me that I needed to take a shower frequently not to get the itch. I was like.. man.. I shower twice a day, I even showered before going to bed that night when the itch attack hit me. I told him I just got unlucky cuz I came in contact with the damn mites, which immediately targeted my skin and laid eggs. That's basically how the itch occured. So.. it's not like I didn't keep my personal hygiene. Scabies can happen to everyone, who is even the cleanest, when he/she encounters with damn mites some where in their environment.
FYI, You can also tell that it is scabies that you're getting when your itch gets worse at night. You will notice lots of burrows on the surface of your skin, particularly in the area of hands, feet, wrists, elbow, and even buttocks -Thank God it was only on hands and feet of mine! Got some on my elbows and calves later on, after permethrin was applied. Nonetheless, all mites should all have died after the first application of permethrin. Following bumps are only a post- permethrin application effect which you shouldn't worry too much. Itch will tremendously decline, and that's when you know that you're recovering.
I feel like.. it is kind of hard to create awareness on people here of how contagious scabies can be. After all, I am glad I washed all linens and clothes..making sure no one else in my house will get it from me. I also told my friends not to shake hands since I'd rather prevent them from getting the mites from me. I know all the mites should have died after the first permethrin application, but who knows eh. The thought of another person having sleepless nights worries me. It is no fun, Mates!
It is 6 pm now and I am getting hungry. Raining. But me and my friend Kiki still gotta eat. Off to soak in the rain now, I guess. It's fun to be on a motorbike's ride again, in Purwokerto rain. Reminds me of the good old days in uni. My uni is only about 400 meters from where I am at now, so I may pass by and eat some place I used to eat at in the past.
Cheerio!
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| What I ended up eating in Purwokerto. It is called Nasi Timbel! |
That looks good! I think I miss home :)
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it! Tasted just okay though. Think I prefer Nasi Goreng Sedap Malam :D
ReplyDeleteHope you visit home soon!
read this, i have the urge to scratch my skin...
ReplyDeletenit