Pemphigus of the EAR CANAL?!?
Are. You. Kidding. Me?
Y’all.
I’m so done with this disease. To be fair, my rheumatologist took me on because she found my history interesting because the only autoimmune in my family was my paternal grandmother had pemphigus on her face when she was in her 80s.
She diagnosed my Sjogren’s and MCTD when multiple doctors had basically said suck it up, it’s all in your head.
But we’re 17 years down the road now, and SLE is kicking my ass. I’ve always had ear problems. Like since I was a child. Some of them were treated seriously, and I’ve known since I was 18 that I was on a long road to losing my hearing.
And some of them haven’t been taken seriously, especially recently — after 2 ear surgeries — and I’ve been told, basically, this is just your “ear history, just have to live with it.” But what it is, is chronic recurring eardrum tears leading to a permanent hole, and now, apparently pemphigus in my ear canal.
IN. My ear canal.
I’ve had discoid lupus and panniculitis and phlebitis from the infusions and multiple blood draws to the point of needing a port. And now pemphigus in the M-fing ear canal.
I’m sure wearing an in-ear hearing aid with an ear that chronically drains has no bearing on that at all. But just suck it up. It’s just the way it is.