I Don't Have Scarlett Fever

I know this comes as a great relief to everyone. And it's not smallpox or measles or mumps or rubella either. Here's a little trivia (Melanie, you are correct): people my age are likely to have gotten a second MMR vaccine upon entering college because about that time there were studies showing that people needed more than just that one shot at 15 months. Now they give little kids another shot when they're still little. Who knew?!? Apparently my sister did.
So, it's not scarlett fever, much to Melanie's disappointment (we were coming up with all the different things I could have). It's just some wacky freak rash thing of unknown origin that primarily strikes young women on their entire torso and it just goes away on its own after 6-8 weeks or so.
So I won't be playing out Beth's death scene from "Little Women" anytime soon.
And that's Good News, Emily.