Justine Larbalestier

reading, writing, eating, drinking, sport

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Itchy grossness

There’s a fascinating article in The New Yorker, “The Itch” by Atul Gawande. It’s all about what causes itching, how we experience it, and what happens when it goes horribly wrong. HORRIBLY WRONG.

The case the article revolves around is so gross that I had to stop reading for awhile. Me, who is a connousieur of grossness, who is proud of how gross my story in the First Kiss anthology is. And yet I feel compelled to share. Since I am a good person I will share after the cut.

WARNING: If you are easily grossed out DO NOT continue reading. If you have ever had shingles DO NOT continue reading. I am not kidding about this warning.

The case subject is a woman who had shingles, which damaged the nerves in her forehead, and left her with an intense itch. She could not stop scratching. Various measures were used to stop the scratching but they did not work:

One morning, after she was awakened by her bedside alarm, she sat up and, she recalled, “this fluid came down my face, this greenish liquid.” She pressed a square of gauze to her head and went to see her doctor again. M. showed the doctor the fluid on the dressing. The doctor looked closely at the wound. She shined a light on it and in M.’s eyes. Then she walked out of the room and called an ambulance. Only in the Emergency Department at Massachusetts General Hospital, after the doctors started swarming, and one told her she needed surgery now, did M. learn what had happened. She had scratched through her skull during the night—and all the way into her brain.

Okay, I’m grossed out all over again. Gah! But you know what? That’s not even the worst thing about this extremely fascinating essay, the worst thing is it keeps making me itchy, and now I’m afraid if I scratch too hard I’ll go all the way through bone! Aargh!

But is most excellent article: the stuff about phantom limbs is totally fascinating. You should all read it. Just skip that paragraph. Though, um, for those of you who’ve read this far it’s too late, isn’t it? Sorry!

I go take another shower now.

Posted by Justine at 12:59, 27 June 2008 under Praising, Reading, Science, State of the World | 14 Comments »

Comments

  1. Crea Says:

    Long time lurker, first time commenter.

    Darn it, I can’t read the article. I really want to, but I have chronic hives and if I think or read about about itchyness I get hives. And hives suck.

    …

    Article is too tempting. Going to risk it.

    June 27th, 2008 at 1:16 PM

  2. Jenny Says:

    That article is extremely interesting. I love the mirror therapy. I was not as grossed out by the brain-fluid thing (maybe because I studied neuroscience?). Also the idea of sensor syndromes…come to think of it, I wonder if that might be what’s causing problems for my brother…

    June 27th, 2008 at 2:46 PM

  3. veejane Says:

    I think that woman’s fingernails need to be harvested for science. If she can get through her skull in a single night, without even trying, think what she could be doing in a diamond mine!

    June 27th, 2008 at 3:06 PM

  4. the dragonfly Says:

    Eeewww.

    June 27th, 2008 at 3:11 PM

  5. Heather Harper Says:

    Wow.

    Just wow.

    Can you say calcium deficient?

    June 27th, 2008 at 4:58 PM

  6. Iris Messenger Says:

    oh shoot … i think i’ll never be able to scratch an itch again — that’s incredibly gross, that bit about the brain fluid. *shivers*

    eeewww

    June 27th, 2008 at 5:06 PM

  7. hillary! Says:

    HAHAHAHAHAHA! That is so awesome! not the part about her scratching through to her brain. Actually no, I take it back. It is a little jokez. But I find things like that intriguing. I love being disgusted! You should do it more often.

    Actually if you’re brave enough and click on this link, you’ll see the only thing that has ever grossed me out.

    June 27th, 2008 at 5:55 PM

  8. sir tessa Says:

    AUGH!

    June 27th, 2008 at 9:39 PM

  9. Iris Messenger Says:

    hillary, that is eww … like, leaky brain-fluid eww … *shivers again*

    June 28th, 2008 at 1:37 AM

  10. Edwina Says:

    QUOTE: hillary! Says:
    June 27th, 2008 at 5:55 pm

    Actually if you’re brave enough and click on this link, you’ll see the only thing that has ever grossed me out.

    —

    ARGH! No! EW!!!! AARGGGGHHH!!!

    *puts on rubber gloves*

    ARRGGHHHH!! MENTAL SCARRING!

    June 29th, 2008 at 3:12 AM

  11. emily beth Says:

    EW EW EW EW EW EW EWWWWWWW! Okay, I’m going to read the rest of the article now.

    June 29th, 2008 at 7:51 AM

  12. Merre Haskell Says:

    I am making a mental note right now: Justine is much harder to gross out than me. If she warns me it’s gross, just BACK AWAY.

    Actually, I’m not so much disgusted as horrified. Distinctly different kinds of revulsion.

    June 29th, 2008 at 11:56 AM

  13. hillary! Says:

    Yeah, that picture is way gross, and I don’t even know what causes it. Which is what scares me the most.

    June 30th, 2008 at 1:51 PM

  14. Renleigh Says:

    AAAAAAAAAAAAH! I usually delight in being grossed out; I love the whole reading/cringing combo, but this is possibly the most terrible thing I’ve ever tried to read. It’s probably because I’m covered in mosquito bites and therefore itchy to start with. I just can’t make myself continue to read this, at least not until my itchiness with a legitimate cause subsides. It’s a pity, as I’m really quite interested in the science of itching.

    This reminds me though, I still haven’t gotten to read the gross first kiss story. Must track that down, I’m fairly confident I can handle it as long as there’s no itching or brain juice.

    July 1st, 2008 at 1:36 AM

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