Crivens,
I can't offer any suggestions for the cause of your main problem, but you can put your mind at rest regarding the possibility of leprosy.
I spent a number of years in the Flying Doctor service, and saw hundreds of people suffering from, and being treated for leprosy. Whilst medical opinion varies, it is most commonly held that it is usually spread in respiratory droplets from long term contact with another person. The transmission rate is very low, and the "incubation" period is generally believed to be of the order of 7 years.
So, unless you've been sleeping with a leper for 7 years, you have little to worry about.
Some medical opinion will dispute that, but what is indisputable is that it is easily cured with the use of antibiotics.
Regards,
Old Smokey