I was making a movie in Liverpool in 2006 when I started getting these raised bumps all over my chest, stomach, legs and arms. The itching was so terrible that I scratched my skin until it bled and the wardrobe girls had to wash my blood-stained shirts every day. It was awful but it got worse. The poor costume department went bonkers thinking they were using the wrong washing powder and they even changed the brand. But, before too long, the hard, crusted lumps had spread everywhere and I must have had about 200 bumps all over my body. Luckily, they weren’t on my face, which meant I could carry on filming. Back at home, I was in absolute agony. At night-time, I tried to keep my bedroom cool and I didn’t have a heavy duvet but it didn’t make any difference. My skin was on fire. I would often wake myself up scratching and the bed sheets would be covered in blood. It was a horrific sight. And on set, I looked absolutely terrible from the lack of sleep. This went on for a couple of weeks until I finally decided to go to my local GP, who gave me some medicated bandages to help stop the scratching and allow the lumps to heal. While they helped, it was very hard to have them wrapped around my limbs. I felt terribly claustrophobic. My GP then recommended I see skin specialist Professor Julian Verbov in Liverpool. He was very concerned when he saw me and initially prescribed a steroid cream. This helped in cooling and soothing my itchy skin but, by then, the scabs had spread everywhere. Prof Verbov was so worried he phoned me a week later from his holiday to ask how I was and I told him: “It’s even worse”. By then, I was covered from head to toe in lumps and you couldn’t put a pin between them. Desperate, I went back to see him and he suggested that I see another top skin specialist, Dr Richard Parslew, at Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool. He took one look and said: “It’s Nodular Prurigo and it is one of the worst cases I have seen. But I will help you.” I had never even heard of it but I was told it is rare. First of all, Dr Parslew suggested that I have light therapy or PUVA treatment, which is basically a long-wave ultraviolet radiation, UVA, that you have combined with Psoralen, a plant extract that makes the skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light. The treatment involved me taking Psoralen in a tablet form and an hour later I had to stand in a phototherapy cabinet – a cabin with fluorescent tubes – to receive a controlled dose of UVA light for just a few seconds. The UVA light helps to reduce the quantity of nodules and can prevent new nodules appearing and it stops the itching and scratching. I had the treatment twice a week for nearly a month but, while it helped clear my skin up, the hard lumps started to come back and it meant that I had to look at other treatments. Next, they tried me on an oral steroid – Prenisolone – which gave me instant relief from the irritation. But, due to the serious side effects of taking it long term, I only took it for a week or two for some respite relief. When I did stop taking it, the itchiness returned and I was put on a course of very strong immunosuppressants called azathioprine tablets, which helped to reduce the inflammation. I’ve been on them for years now but I’m clear as a bell and I can continue my acting career without worrying about these lumps. However, I still have to take six tablets every day to keep the Nodular Prurigo at bay and to stop my skin from getting inflamed. They can cause rare blood disorders, so I see Dr Parslew every three months to have a blood test. Although he has never said what caused it, I had eczema and asthma when I was a kid, which means I’m more likely to get the condition. I’ve been very lucky that my wife Rita – I call her Saint Reet – has been so supportive and she makes sure that I keep my tube of steroid cream, Dermovate, to hand in case of flare-ups. The treatment I’ve received in the NHS has been second to none and to give something back, I opened a new dermatology unit at Liverpool’s Alder Hey’s Children’s Hospital last year. I like to do as much as I can for charity and have been involved with the National Lottery Good Causes where I paid a visit to the Gartnavel Chapel Cancer Support Centre in Glasgow. Meeting the cancer sufferers there was a truly inspiring experience and their resilience and optimism amazed me. I’ve never had any cancer scares, but I did lose my Dad to cancer when he was 55. The only other major thing to happen to me was having my quadruple heart bypass in 2007. I have never even smoked but I had to have open-heart surgery. It was pretty scary, but I have never looked back. Earlier this year, I had cataract surgery on my left eye and I’m having my right eye done after Christmas because of work commitments. When you get to 70, bits do start dropping off. Recently, I turned 74 and Rita asked me what I wanted for my birthday but I don’t want anything. I have everything that I need – my health and my lovely family and friends.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 23:11:24 +0000
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