I was 14 when it first appeared, it was on my left hip and knee. My mam was baffled, she initially thought it was ring worm, it kinda looked like ring worm from the Google searches I was conducting every day.
My gp practice at the time took a sample from my knee, they scraped the top layer of my skin off and I was done. Two weeks later the results came back from the lab, the doctor told us that they didn't find anything abnormal in my skin cells and it was nothing to worry about - good news I remember thinking at the time, which in a way it was right? As an already nervous/arkward teenager at the time, I had all sorts swimming around my head from ring worm to skin cancer. My mam wasn't convinced and asked for a refferal to a dermatologist. 7 months passed and still no refferal, the gp told us that the refferal had been sent but that he would send another just incase they hadn't received anything the first time round.. Google searches continued, even my mam was getting as curious as me, we never found anwsers though. A year of chasing the doctors office had passed and still no word. I decided that my skin was literally broken so kept it hidden more than usual. I haven't wore shorts or a skirt since I was 14. Fast forward a few more years and developing a few more medical conditions along the way, my weird broken skin was still undiagnosed.. and it had spread to other parts of my body. From the knees and above I'm covered, all the way up the front and around the back of both thighs, going right up to the lower part of my abdomen, not going above my belly button, or around past my hips. Thanks to the best doctor iv ever known (who is now unfortunately retired) I was diagnosed within a 3 week period. I was living back in my home area where I was born, and back at my regular gp practice. My new regular doctor had recently joined the practice from another one, Dr. Forbes. During one appointment with her regarding my mental health, (with no intention of bringing up my weird skin) she asked why I felt most comfortable in black leggings and oversized hoodies in the middle of summer.. I don't know what came over me but without saying a word I stood up, lifted my hoodie and showed her my stomach. She smiled and said "should we try and find out what that is?" She made me no promises and honestly told me that she didn't know what it was. But she did say "I feel like it may be something latin" I wasn't quite sure what she meant at the time but, within 2 weeks a dermatologist told me I had Granuloma Annulare. I had a local anaesthetic and a biopsy took from my stomach to confirm it, and confirmed it was, a week later. Iv been prescribed every cream and steroid cream you could ever think of, had rounds of ultra violet light treatment, vitamins that have claimed to help clear it up, iv tried it all.
It's gotten progressively worse and is now also on both my arms as of the last 3 years. Dermatologists are at a literal loss with me, I've been told there's nothing more that can be done.
Swimming was a HUGE hobbie of mine, I haven't swam since I was 15 when I was asked to leave the pool because of the "visible infection on my knee".
I don't have any friends, I thought I did at one point until they got a rare glimpse of my arm one day and didn't hear from them again.
My mental health has never been worse, (my skin condition isn't the only thing effecting me) I craved friendship, basic human interaction.. I'm not sure I know what that is anymore if I'm honest? I feel guilty for feeling this way, there are people with skin conditions way worse than mine. Mine isn't painful or debilitating in any way, it doesn't affect my physical health in any way, its literally physically harmless. I should be grateful if anything.
I'm new to this, sorry for ranting or if iv bored anyone. It's took me nearly 6 days to have the courage to share this. Does anyone else have this skin condition on here? I'd love to speak to someone that does have Granuloma Annulare, I don't know anyone that does. A dermatologist told me that she's never seen a worse case than mine, I feel like an outcast. Always have.
Picture is the side of my knee, not the greatest picture, but I didn't feel comfortable showing any more than that as it gets worse as it goes up my thigh.
