<span style="color: black;">I have a bizarre story to share with you...</span>
<span style="color: black;">About 4-5 weeks ago I developed an interesting rash on my right forearm. I asked around and everyone agreed that it was definitely poison ivy. So I took all the necessary steps: treatment with cortisone cream, anti-itch gel, washed all my sheets, towels, etc. After three weeks or so, the redness/swollen-ness subsided significantly. I breathed a sigh of relief that I was finally free. I even went to the dermatologist who confirmed it looked like it was healing well. </span>
<span style="color: black;">But I was wrong....</span>
<span style="color: black;">One week ago, it returned in full force. It spread more up my arm, became very red and swollen. I did all the treatments again, but to no success. I was very low on energy and couldn't figure out why. I never made the connection. </span>
<span style="color: black;">Off to the dermatologist I went today. After she and another doctor examined it, it was concluded that my lymph nodes were indeed swollen, indicating infection and this rash was NOT at all poison ivy, but mostly atypical mycobacteria. They cut a lovely size chuck of it out (see picture) to be sent off for a biopsy for further identification. FYI - it already looks much better tonight after one treatment of antibiotics. </span>
<span style="color: black;">So, why do I share? Because the source of the infection was my tank!! I was attacked by those evil microbial buggers from sticking my hand in my tank everyday to clean the glass, rearrange corals, etc. I never put together that all of this would have come from a bacterial infection in my tank. All in all, I wanted you to be aware that this can happen and that it never hurts to be more careful!!</span>
<span style="color: black;">The good news: I'm NOT contagious, so please do talk to me at the meeting tomorrow night
and after about a month of antibiotics and highly concentrated creams, I should be normal again. Well, as normal as I can be </span>
<span style="color: black;">Oh yeah, and I'm going to buy a pair of gloves.... </span>
<span style="color: black;">About 4-5 weeks ago I developed an interesting rash on my right forearm. I asked around and everyone agreed that it was definitely poison ivy. So I took all the necessary steps: treatment with cortisone cream, anti-itch gel, washed all my sheets, towels, etc. After three weeks or so, the redness/swollen-ness subsided significantly. I breathed a sigh of relief that I was finally free. I even went to the dermatologist who confirmed it looked like it was healing well. </span>
<span style="color: black;">But I was wrong....</span>
<span style="color: black;">One week ago, it returned in full force. It spread more up my arm, became very red and swollen. I did all the treatments again, but to no success. I was very low on energy and couldn't figure out why. I never made the connection. </span>
<span style="color: black;">Off to the dermatologist I went today. After she and another doctor examined it, it was concluded that my lymph nodes were indeed swollen, indicating infection and this rash was NOT at all poison ivy, but mostly atypical mycobacteria. They cut a lovely size chuck of it out (see picture) to be sent off for a biopsy for further identification. FYI - it already looks much better tonight after one treatment of antibiotics. </span>
<span style="color: black;">So, why do I share? Because the source of the infection was my tank!! I was attacked by those evil microbial buggers from sticking my hand in my tank everyday to clean the glass, rearrange corals, etc. I never put together that all of this would have come from a bacterial infection in my tank. All in all, I wanted you to be aware that this can happen and that it never hurts to be more careful!!</span>
<span style="color: black;">The good news: I'm NOT contagious, so please do talk to me at the meeting tomorrow night
and after about a month of antibiotics and highly concentrated creams, I should be normal again. Well, as normal as I can be </span><span style="color: black;">Oh yeah, and I'm going to buy a pair of gloves....
</span>
