Clear as mud. ( edited to add some more bits!)

So, I went to the dermatologist. Was it helpful? I'm not at all sure. She says I have chronic urticaria, so no surprise there then. She is positive that this has never been scabies. Good, makes me feel less like I ought to be ringing a bell and yelling "UNCLEAN!"
She was pleased that I have had the screening for lupus, said that would mean she didn't have to order the tests and so we await the results with what? Hardly baited breath, whatever this is has been around a long time and doesn't appear to be going anywhere any time soon.
The Dr was a bit impressive, she was in her late 50s I would guess, she had severely bobbed hair and in the style of Miss Jean Brodie, was wearing a tight tweed suit, complete with horseshoe brooch on the lapel and lyle stockings. I tell you that only because it was so great to meet her, ladies like this are so few and far between these days, fresh from a black and white movie her accent was deliciously plummy and she used phrases like "oh please do" which make me happy, so much nicer than " why not" or " OK."
I felt both intimidated and comforted by her very presence. I love England, I love the most English parts of my country, the almost forgotten good manners and the accents, the beautiful turn of phrase that so few people use anymore.
I'm not sure how I feel about today, Dr lovely voice prescribed me some new meds. An antihistamine for the day and one for the night. The night time one is a sedative/ antihistamine. I am quietly excited about the fact that this might mean some SLEEP, real sleep.
She did say that this whole skin thing has gone beyond a rash, or itchy skin. It is now a chronic condition and my old antihistamines are too pathetic to make any difference now. I hope these new ones work, I really hope that don't make me too much more dopey or dim ( can't afford anymore dopey or dim, we're at the all time acceptable limit, I kid you not!!)
She says they could take a while to kick in ( although the sedative ones are supposed to work within 15 minutes) I look forward to the day when I can go out in public without swollen welts that I try to pretend aren't there, I try not to notice people flinch as they take money from my scabby, itchy, swollen hands.
Oh, also, the night time antihistamine is also used for anxiety, so perhaps I shall become a laid back, well rested, unitchy gal any day now, whoopie.
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So, I have had some time to think and must say that it did feel good to be seeing someone who was confident with her stuff. GPs tend to be vague when faced with a specific problem that won't go away and that's when we get referred to a specialist. The Dr today wasn't phased, didn't hmmmmm or wonder or think, she just looked and asked a ton of questions. Naturally I have googled since I came home, looked up the meds she gave me and feel reassured that she really knew what she was doing.
Interestingly, she asked about the other meds I take, when I came home and researched, it would seem that the blood pressure medicine and also the dyhydrocodiene are both known to aggravate chronic urticaria. I have taken half a dose of the dyhydrocodiene tonight, she thought that the BP med wouldn't be a problem as I started them months before the onset of this latest flare up.
It is beginning to get cold here, cosy with the heating on ...do the clocks go back this weekend? I think they must do soon, then we get the cosy dark evenings, I love that.