OK, so hear me out.  As many of you know, I can get a little preoccupied with my own health issues.  But, I really think this may be a thing. Or, not.

How it Happened and Book Clubs

So I guess this whole thing started with a book.  It was a really good book called Molokai by Alan Brennert.

Molokai is a historical novel, set in the late 1800s/early 1900s in Hawaii.

A young girl, Rachel, contracts leprosy.  The novel follows her through her life as she deals with separation from her parents, confinement to a leper colony, and a lifetime of love and loss.

It was an inspiring novel for many reasons, not the least of which is the resilience and determination of a young girl in the face of harsh treatment by society.  This included not just people in general but also her family and friends.  The peek you get into this culture of fear makes you contemplate how we may also fall into this same thing today in our treatment of people with AIDS, Zika, SARS, or other communicable diseases.  I love a novel that makes you think!

As a separate plug – we discussed this in a new book club I joined on Facebook.  It is called The Deliberate Reader Book Club.  It is my very first book club and I have to say it is a great one to start out with (thanks to my niece Tara for getting me into it!).  You read a book a month and then a moderator posts questions on the FB page that you can respond to as you have time, as well as see what others are talking about.

Back to My Issue

Anyway, as I was finishing the first few chapters, I looked down at my arm (as periodically you do) and there is was . . . the spot!

I quickly paged back to see the description of leprosy:

1. Pink patch of skin – check
2. Doesn’t hurt to the touch – check
3. After a few days, flaky to the touch – check

As time passes, crazy thoughts run through my head.  Can you really get leprosy just from reading about it?  Did someone infect the leprosy book with leprosy (I think that is a plot of some movies isn’t it)?  How long before my fingers fall off?

Yes, deep down I know these are all unfounded fears, but that usually doesn’t stop me.  So I do what any normal human being does – Google It!  Of course, this is the first thing that pops up:

While this does nothing to allay my fears, I do eventually realize that it could be so many things other than leprosy like psoriasis, eczema, or hives.  And, no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t find anything on sympathetic leprosy.

With a sigh of relief and hydrocortisone in my hand I eventually just went back to my reading.  Looks like I have plenty more Googling to do.