Have you ever had or heard of any strange medical conditions or experiences that without having experienced or heard about first hand,  you would never have known about.  Life is full of little lessons that come to us only by way of experience.

I have a couple of examples:

Years ago, my daughter developed a very dark discoloration over her upper lip.  It looked like she was bruised or the skin got stained.  The family doctor had no clue what the cause was.  He sent us to a dermatologist.  Well, he sent us to the right guy.

The dermatologist took one look and smiled and said "you have been eating limes, in the sun." 

She had been putting lime wedges in her bottled water while tanning. 

 The doctor explained to us that the condition, called phytophotodermatitis, more commonly called Margarita Dermatitis, is a discoloration of the skin that occurs from a combination of contact with lime peel and exposure to the sun.     The discoloration is permanent.  She had to use a prescription skin lightener to gradually fade it out.  She was lucky...most cases develop lesions and an itchy rash, she only had the discoloration.

According to the doctor, many Spring Break kids are aware of this scientific wonder and use limes to "tattoo" graphiti on other students who are sleeping in the sun. 

 Many bartenders who work poolside or on beaches have the discoloration on their fingers.

My second life lesson is more serious:

This same daughter found herself passed out in the shower one morning. 

She called me very upset, her husband drove her to my house and I accompanied her to the doctors.  She hadn't been feeling well and had a fever.   Several tests were done to rule out anything more serious, then they assured us that her fainting was due to her body temperature. 

Turns out that taking a hot shower with a fever can cause you to pass out.  That was a first for me.

Any unusual or interesting medical experiences you would like to share?  Any medical  mysteries you haven't solved yet?