Skin is in

This post may be a little too strong / disgusting. If you think it is, mail me and I'll remove it. Though it is a story about me and helps to explain why I'm borderline barking.

Who wants to see something visually offensive?

Remember when I showed you my foot? Well, this is doubly hideous.

Actually, this is so gross that for the next few lines make sure that you're eating. Warm muesli's a good idea. Then it's definitely sure not to stay down! Haha...

So anyway one day I noticed this spot on my face. I thought it was a nick from shaving.

But within a few days it had gotten bigger and this clear stuff was seeping out of it. Everyone at work said it was a cold sore so I started to rubbing Zovirax / cold sore cream into it.

It didn't help because the sore just got bigger and bigger and bigger.

I went to the docs and they were like "ohmygod... that's not a cold sore - that's something much different...!"

So the doc gave me some antibiotics and off I went. Except they didn't help.

By now this infection had spread all up the left-hand side of my face and to some parts on the right-hand side.

Now comes the disgusting bit...

Nearly the whole side of my face, along my beardline, was covered in these red blotches and this massive crusty sore had developed around the side of my mouth.

It was so contagious that I was banned from going to work. It was so horrible because on the Tube people would move away from me when I got on.

Basically I had a very serious case of impetigo. The doc reckons I got it from the gym! Urgh...

In the end I spent about two weeks in solitary confinement. Firstly because the infection was really contagious and secondly because people couldn't stand to look at me.

It was one of the lowest points that my self-esteem has ever hit.

I had to wash my face three times a day, take masses of anti-biotics and rub something called fucidic acid into my face to get rid of it.

Every night I had to change the fucking bed sheets too which was the biggest pain in the ass.

And the worst part of it - and if you can bare to read this next bit - I'll buy you a drink.

Basically the virus lives under the scabs and after you've rubbed in the fucidic acid you have to wait until the scab goes all soggy and then try and scrape it off. You literally have to sit and pull the scabs off your face. Ohmygod, I'm about to throw up.

And before it gets any worse - here's a pic...

Basically all those blotches near my mouth were scabs I had to pick off and then all the way up my beard, the skin was lumpy.

Now though everything's fine and I'm okay to touch. However the whole episode's made me even more neurotic / mad.

I'm now obsessed about not touching my face. I get nervous when people come near it. I still wash it twice a day with Dettol soap and moisturise it and change my pillow cases twice a week.

It was the most disgusting thing in the whole word to have to look at in the mirror - and to think that it was living on my own face made it even worse. Friends avoided me.

A few months ago I met one of Katie's friends who also had once had impetigo. We've completely bonded over our infections. It was meeting a fellow survivor.