• Home
  • About Feline Health
  • About the Lintee Bean
  • About the Chi Town Fur Gang
  • About those Loved and Lost

Life of the Lintee Bean

Tales of a flexitarian (semi-vegetarian)-eating animal-loving small-town girl turned big city big-mouth

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Training a trainer
‘Roid rage »

Behaving rashly

April 7, 2013 by Lynette

I’ve decided I better write this while I can.  If it’s possible to die from whining, I may do so.  My ex-boyfriend says if anyone can die from whining, I can.  It’s rather comforting he has faith in me.

It all started innocently enough, if that’s how it started.  Despite the number of hours I’ve spent watching educational shows like “House”, “The Walking Dead”, etc., I’m not a medical professional.  However, assuming it may be related, it started with what I thought was “dry, itchy skin” maybe six months ago.  My forehead and ears were itchy, dry, and flaky. I chalked it up to my visits to the gym and the perspiration I put out there, and switched to a softer cloth for sweat-dabbing.

Things didn’t improve, they got worse.  I decided maybe it was my new facial cleanser, and went back to my old one.  I added a thicker moisturizing cream at night.

I continued to blissfully ignore any signs of something more insidious, until a couple of weeks ago. This was when that “dry flaky skin” became more obviously HIVES.  Raised nasty bumps near my eyes and on my hands.  Given my vast medical knowledge garnered from movies like “Contagion” and “Outbreak”, I knew this was NOT RIGHT.  I made an appointment with my doctor.

Hives by my eyes

Hives by my eyes

After being chastised repeatedly by the nurse to STOP SCRATCHING/TOUCHING IT, my doctor looked me over – and took photos.  (Perhaps my hives will be famous!) She suspected I was having an allergic reaction, and prescribed both a steroid cream and an antibiotic cream, and told me to make an appointment with a dermatologist. She assured me it was absolutely not contagious and to stop resisting shaking anyone’s hand.

I made an appointment with the dermatologist’s office, which is a feat in and of itself. Specialists are always booked weeks, if not months, in advance. The earliest appointment available was six weeks from now. I expressed my disappointment. The woman on the phone asked if I had hives “right now”. No, I’m planning on having hives in six weeks. YES, I have hives NOW. They finally decided they could fit me in for an appointment in two weeks.

I also brought my situation to the attention of the “people on the Internet”, because everyone knows going to a physician is only half as useful as finding a group on the World Wide Web for “what is this, and do you think it’s contagious?” One of the Internet experts determined I was allergic to peanuts and should stop eating peanut butter out of the jar (with chocolate chips). I did, but now I was itchy and in severe peanut butter withdrawal. I don’t always eat peanut butter – I’ve gone MONTHS without eating peanut butter. However, that’s because I didn’t feel like eating peanut butter. Being told I should not or cannot do/eat something – that’s another matter. That makes me want that something RIGHT NOW REALLY BAD.

Edited to add: It was Friday night that I purchased Sarna lotion and Benadryl and took Benadryl… this may be a clue…. because:

When I woke up last Saturday morning, the hives had worsened and my eyes were swollen.  I brushed my teeth (but not my hair) and went to the pharmacy in my pajamas to pick up my prescriptions. The nice thing about looking like poo is the pharmacists generally seem sympathetic and eager to serve you – and get you the heck out of the store before you scare the other customers.

Swollen eyes

Swollen eyes

Yes, I went out in public like this.  I'm sorry.

Yes, I went out in public like this. I’m sorry.

Of course, the prescription creams come in tiny bottles and cost a lot. I applied them to the affected areas of my face and… it STUNG… but it made the itching bearable, for a time. I hoped this saga would be coming to an end.

My body seemed to have other ideas. Within days, I had hives covering my arms, legs, back… what had been a few itchy red patches on my face and hands became an entire body outbreak. My whining had increased exponentially, and I was starting to flail on pieces of upholstered furniture waving my arms and legs in an attempt to itch my entire body at once.

Hives on my thighs

Hives on my thighs

So, that’s where things stand at present. I am whining and scratching… I sleep a few hours until I have to get up and scratch more. Even Rumpelmintz seems to have some pity for me and has put her paw on my arm as though to comfort me – or stop me from annoying her with my scratching. A few coworkers have said I make them feel itchy, and scratch sympathetically.

I see the dermatologist on Friday. Let’s hope for a miracle cure!

Share this:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Print
  • More
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in Life of the Lintee Bean | Tagged allergies, hives | 9 Comments

9 Responses

  1. on April 7, 2013 at 4:15 pm Parenting-Furkids

    Oh no! I feel for you. Not to make this all about me, but…My rash/welts were due to an allergy to my cats.
    I lived on allergy meds for years. I had to change my shirt, after holding a cat. Our home was removed of all carpet. No drapes. Special “cat” blankets on beds, that attract the cats to the bottom of the bed…and not near my body. Basically, as little soft material surfaces as possible.
    I don’t remember what else I changed…so much is just the norm now.
    Eventually, I became immune… I assume. I rarely take allergy meds anymore. The only time I have any issues, is if a cat sleeps in my face.
    I did not get rid of our cats, as doctor recommended. In fact, a few more joined our family.
    Hope your “cure” is something as simple! 🙂


  2. on April 11, 2013 at 2:20 pm Parenting-Furkids

    Little worried about you… hope you are dong okay!!


    • on April 11, 2013 at 2:51 pm Lynette

      Thanks. I’m okay, still itchy and whiny. I have an appointment with a dermatologist Friday.


      • on April 11, 2013 at 3:11 pm Lola

        Thanks so much for the response!
        Hives aren’t usually something to ignore (or put on hold), sooo I was a bit concerned about the time frame of your doctor appointment.
        Sorry to hear you are still ichy. 😦 Whiny is VERY understandable!


  3. on April 11, 2013 at 3:12 pm Lola

    ichy.. new spelling for itchy.


  4. on April 13, 2013 at 1:14 am Lola

    Okay… Friday is over. What’s the scoop? 🙂


    • on April 13, 2013 at 1:16 am Lynette

      Got drugs and more creams. Biopsies and blood taken. Beer consumed. 🙂


  5. on April 19, 2013 at 1:27 am Lola

    Hope the drugs and creams are helping. If not, the beer will! Personally, I would go with margaritas, but… 🙂
    Any idea what you are allergic to?


    • on April 19, 2013 at 7:41 am Lynette

      Nope. Dermatologist suspects seasonal allergies. I suspect Benadryl, since it got WAY worse after I took Benadryl.



Comments are closed.

  • Categories

    • Canine nutrition and health
    • Canine training
    • Chi-Town Fur Gang
    • Feline nutrition and health
    • Human nutrition and health
    • Knot misbehaving
    • Life of the Lintee Bean
    • Noms
    • Uncategorized
  • Pages

    • About Feline Health
    • About the Lintee Bean
    • About the Chi Town Fur Gang
    • About those Loved and Lost
  • Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 492 other subscribers
  • Blogroll

    • WordPress.com
    • WordPress.org
  • Feline Health and Nutrition

    • Cat Nutrition
    • Cat Nutrition Blog
    • Diabetic Cat Care
    • Feeding Your Cat
    • Feline Diabetes
    • Feline Nutrition Education Society (FNES)
    • Feline Outreach
    • Parenting Fur Kids
    • Your Diabetic Cat
  • Lintee Bean Websites

    • Crazy cat lady blogging
    • Mousabilities
  • Archives

  • Recent Posts

    • Miss Minnie Mooch
    • Gnome-loving neighbors
    • The “I” in bigotry
    • Big Changes, They are Coming
    • All washed up
  • Top Posts

    • Miss Minnie Mooch
    • Gnome-loving neighbors
    • The "I" in bigotry
    • Big Changes, They are Coming
    • All washed up
  • Blog Stats

    • 176,339 pawprints (hits)
  • Meta

    • Register
    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.com
  • AAFCO Afer amino acids arthritis asthma cancer canned food cat cat food cat nutrition cats Chicago CRF crochet diabetes diarrhea diet Dixie dog dry food DSL duel exercise FaceBook FDA feeding cats feline nutrition fiber fitness Fitocracy FIV food food safety grief gym hockey homemade cat food hyperthyroidism IBD Internet Jellybean jewelry Kitty.com knit Latifah loss Louie making cat food movies MySpace NutriSystem nutrition obesity Omaha pancreatitis personal trainer pet food pilling productive push-ups Ralph raw food Rumpelmintz scarf spay and neuter stomatitis Studley Tigger trainer training travel vegetarian weight weight loss yarn
  • April 2013
    S M T W T F S
     123456
    78910111213
    14151617181920
    21222324252627
    282930  
    « Mar   May »
  • Twitter Updates

    Error: Twitter did not respond. Please wait a few minutes and refresh this page.

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


  • Follow Following
    • Life of the Lintee Bean
    • Join 49 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Life of the Lintee Bean
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: