Tracy Morgan has been left unable to leave her home and spends each day feeling like her whole body is on fire
A woman is undergoing a harrowing experience as she endures the sensation of ants “crawling” beneath her skin due to an incurable rare condition. Tracy Morgan is trapped in her home by the constant feeling that her entire body is ablaze.
The 49 year old recounts how the nightmare began with a scratch on her arm, which escalated from an itch to “excruciatingly” agony across her shoulder and elbow. Despite having a diagnosis and experimenting with various treatments, Tracy has been unable to find solace.
Tracy, from Bridgend, described her distress: “I constantly have the unsettling sensation under my skin that ants are crawling around and burrowing deep. It’s infuriating. I want to rip my skin open just to make it stop. Often, I feel like I’m on fire.
“And the need to itch is so relentless that I make myself bleed. Sometimes, I need up to 40 cold showers a day just to ease the pain.”
Venturing outside is unthinkable, particularly during colder weather, due to the intense discomfort. Tracy explained, “I can’t leave my house, especially when it’s cold, as it just hurts too much. I get funny looks in the street [because of the sores], which has knocked my self-confidence. It’s absolute torture. My whole life has been turned upside down.”
The beginning of Tracy’s torment dates back two decades, and she has bounced between doctors and dermatologists since then, albeit she said they offered “no answers”, reports Bristol Live.
Living with a condition so severe that she can’t even don long sleeves or coats, she has had to resort to stocking her freezer with an arsenal of ice packs and taking up to 40 showers each day just to manage the relentless agony.
However, her struggles stretch far beyond physical irritations—it’s “totally ruined” her quality of life. She shared her ordeal: “I can’t sleep in my partner’s bed, as I disturb his sleep since I’m up and down so much with showers and putting on creams. I’m often up for hours on end – it’s relentless.”
The limitations of her affliction don’t stop there: “I can’t cuddle my partner for more than a minute. I’m scared to go anywhere where there isn’t access to a shower. And it’s impacted my enjoyment with the grandchildren, as I can’t take them to parks or anywhere outside when it’s cold.”
Even the lightest touch from her grandkids triggers an unbearable reaction: “If they lean on my arms or shoulders, it only starts the itching and burning. I’ve been left in despair and in tears so many times.”
Beyond the physical symptoms, the condition ravages every aspect of her life: “I’m unable to concentrate, can’t sleep and I’m breaking down on a frequent basis, as I don’t know how much more I can take.”
It took years, but Tracy eventually received a diagnosis—Brachioradial Pruritus, a rare neurological condition caused by the collapsing of bones in the neck onto the brachial nerve, sparking fierce itching due to agitated nerve endings in the upper body.
With a weary resignation, she said: “As the condition is so rare, very few doctors have heard of it. And even worse, there’s no effective treatment or cure. All I could do was keep trying different creams and medication.
“But I can’t use any of them now, as I’ve tried so many, that they’re starting to cause an allergic reaction. I’ve spent thousands of pounds on creams and therapy, along with more on private scans and steroid injections. So far, nothing has worked.”
Tracy describes her struggle as “mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting” while grappling with the condition. She’s embarked on a new regimen of pain management medication, Pregabalin, typically prescribed for epilepsy and anxiety.
Despite her ongoing pain, she remains optimistic that this treatment could finally bring some respite from her enduring ordeal. She shared: “I can’t count how many times I’ve broken down since all of this began.
“But my family has been so supportive, which I’m grateful for. I don’t know what I would’ve done without them. I’ve been able to connect with other sufferers on a Facebook group specifically for this condition.
“It’s incredible getting to speak with those who truly understand what I’m going through. Sufferers of this usually get dismissed and people don’t get the daily torment we suffer.
“It’s isolating. There’s no end in sight. I’m desperate for some relief and I hope this new treatment will be the answer I’ve been waiting for.”