There is a fungus among us.....again

Well, my summer skin fungus has resurfaced. The same one that Tim gets-I used to tease him and call it his "Michael Jackson disease". That is, until I got it last summer. It is now not a laughing matter. Gross. There is nothing less fun than having a fungus. I got some medication for it last summer that worked like a charm. I was also told that Selsun Blue works (yes, the dandruff shampoo), so this time, I decided to give the Selsun Blue a whirl. First of all, I was a little embarrassed to be buying dandruff shampoo. I wanted to yell "it's for my fungus, I don't have dandruff", but realized having a fungus may be as equally embarrassing. So, I just discreetly purchased my Selsun Blue and moved on with life. I wasn't sure about the application-do you just dump it on your skin and hope for the best? I tried it for the first time today. First of all, the Selsun Blue is green and smells like Ben-Gay. Gee, I couldn't wait to put it on my skin. I slathered some on and went on about my shower. I'm not sure how many applications it will take to rid myself of this fungus. Or the smell. If you are walking by today and think you smell the faint aroma of Ben-Gay, it's not your imagination folks-it's me. Sorry.

This is what I have-do not make fun of me because of my disability because I will sue your ass....sorry, that was the Diet Dr. Pepper talking...or maybe the Selsun Blue has seeped into my pores.....
Tinea Versicolor
Tinea versicolor is caused by a yeast type of skin fungus, which is present on normal skin. If the skin is oily enough, warm enough and moist enough, it starts to grow into small "colonies" on the surface of the skin. In these colonies the yeast grows like crazy and leaks out an acidic bleach. This changes the skin color. The patches are lightly reddish brown on very pale skin but they don't tan. Because of lack of any tanning, they look like white spots on darker or tanned skin. This is most often seen on the neck, upper chest, upper arms and back. There may be a fine, dry scale on it.Usually the infection produces few symptoms, but some people get itching, especially when sweating. The warmer the weather, the worse this condition gets. The infection is treated with either topical or oral medications. In very mild cases, non-prescription antifungal creams will work. Prescription antifungal lotions and sprays may work better. The most economical effective treatment is to apply an antifungal shampoo (Nizoral, Loprox, Selsun Blue) to the body as if it were soap, but leave it on for some minutes before rinsing.For severe, extensive or recurrent cases, a few tablets of Nizoral pills will clear things up. A newer pill, Sporonox, may replace Nizoral for this problem. These will eliminate the fungus and relive any itch and scale. The uneven color of the skin will remain several months, perhaps until one gets a tan again in the next summer.Remember, since we all have some of this fungus, no treatment can prevent one from picking it up again. In many people, the rash reappears for the next few years. To prevent recurrence, preventative re-treatment with the same medication may be advised. This condition is not seen beyond mid-life, so rest assured it won't keep coming back forever.

So, I introduced my co-workers to the fascinating world of Chief Wana Dubie today. Chief Wana Dubie is a man from my hometown of Salem, Mo who, well, has a prominently displayed marijuna leaf tattooed on his forehead. Chief Wana Dubie just got married (and I can't find love????) and their picture was recently in the Salem News. I was telling the tale of Chief Wana Dubie and no one believed that it was real, so I had to bring the picture in to the office as proof. If you'd like to know more about Chief Wana Dubie, you can go to his web site at www.chiefwanadubie.com, it's, um......fascinating.