I currently have the urge to do copious amounts of swearing.

And as anyone who knows me will testify, that is not like me at all… The last time I had the urge to swear (which I gave in to in the end) was around 1987…

So it’s safe to say, I’m not a happy fraggle!

I went to the doctors earlier in the week to find out about this rash on my neck.

It appears it’s a Staphs infection. It would appear the skin is infected with the Staphylococcus bacteria. Whether it’s the same version of the bacteria as the hospital superbug, MRSA remains to be seen.

Naturally I’m not very happy, I thought you had to go to hospital to get a Staphs infection, and I hadn’t been anywhere near a hospital for well over a year when the rash started.

I did a bit of research online and found that it’s immune to most antibiotics, and if it’s the MRSA version of the bacteria, then it’s immune to all antibiotics. I also found that the most effective thing for killing it off is good, old-fashioned Tea-Tree oil.

Something to do with enzymes and protein strands, but whatever the science, the bacteria can’t build up an immunity to the oil, making it deadly to them.

All well and good.

I’ve spent the last 4 days slathering my face with tea-tree ointment and tea-tree mixed face creams, and it all seemed to be going well.

Except when I woke up this morning I have another three patches on my neck, 4 on the sides of my face, one on my eyelid and one on the bridge of my nose.

Which suggests that it’s not a Staphs infection at all.

Which also means I now have to take the antibiotics the doctor prescribed before I can go back and get him to have another look.

Only I don’t like taking antibiotics at the best of times, and I’ve managed to avoid them for the past 15 or so years.

I also have reacted badly to every tablet prescribed by the doctor since developing the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome…

Hence my intense urge to swear profusely.

And don’t even get me started on the cost of prescriptions these days… Because I’m on Sickness Benefit and not Jobseeker’s Benefit I have to pay for prescriptions (another thing I’ve managed to avoid for the better part of 10 years).

It turns out the cost of prescriptions have gone up again… It’s now £7.10 (about $14) per item.

What the hell? Do they think I’m made of money?

Do they really think that people can afford that on benefit?

And more importantly do they think we’re too dumb to notice that it’s the people who can’t work due to health problems (which you would expect would require more medications than a healthy person) they’re the ones who don’t get free prescriptions…

*insert volley of offensive swear words, expletives and colourful phrases I didn’t even know I knew here*