Itchy!

 My allergies strike again!  

It's not enough that I can no longer eat peanuts or peanut butter, or that I have to keep up a cocktail of  Zyrtec, Claritin, Flonase, and allergy eye drops during the warmer months of the year.  Now I have a new item that needs to be added to the list of things to avoid.

Ever since I got a whiff of my mom's freshly laundered bathrobe when she was in the hospital last fall, I kept thinking about that clean scent.  I wanted that for my own laundry. So much so that I recently made a switch from the detergent and fabric softener I use to Downy.  

I loved that "April Fresh"  on fragrance towels, sheets, and t-shirts.  For about a week.

Then the rash appeared.  

It started Sunday with itching on my chest.  By Monday it was a full-blown insanely itchy rash. It woke me up several times during the night.  Using a hydrocortisone ointment wasn't helping much

By Tuesday, it was bad enough that I reached for the Benadryl.  Needless to say, I napped most of the afternoon thanks to dosing myself with the antihistamine.  But it did help some.  I also had some "free and clear" laundry detergent delivered and began the process of re-washing any of my clothing that had previously laundered using the Downy. 

The rash is still there, and I'm still a little itchy - but nowhere near as bad as yesterday. 

I'm sad to see the fresh scent leave my life so soon - but not the redness and itching!

Have you ever had an allergic reaction to a laundry detergent? 

Allergies? Or Coronavirus??

This post is in no way intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen, and never disregard medical advice or delay seeing help because of something you read on this website

Let me tell you about last weekend.  The skies were sunny.  The temperatures were summer-like. The Man of the House cut the grass for the first time this year.  The breezes were blowing.  The pollen was flying.  And me... I somehow managed to not take my allergy medication or use my daily asthma-control medicine on Friday night.  Which meant that I was sniffling, had a scratchy throat and was feeling a little tight chested

I'm not going to lie.  I. Was. Freaking. Out.  Even though every logical part of me knew it was allergies, that didn't stop the Coronavirus panicked portion of my brain from going on marathon trips to "what if" town.

No one wants to needlessly worry they may have Covid-19 if it's nothing more serious than spring allergies.  On the other hand, no one wants to brush off early symptoms of the virus as being "just allergies", potentially putting others at risk.

First of all, whether you think it's coronavirus, a cold, or allergies - you should already be following CDC guidelines to help reduce the spread of the illness - including social distancing, hand washing, and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces. Having said that...

How do we know whether our symptoms are allergies or Covid-19?

The biggest clue seems to be the presence of a fever (or lack thereof).  In most cases of the novel Coronavirus, there is a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more.  Seasonal allergies typically don't cause a fever.

I found the following chart very helpful in easing my concerns about what I was experiencing.

 For example, along with some mild asthma symptoms, I had sneezing, sinus congestion, but no fever.  Clearly allergies!

A little Zyrtec, regularly using my asthma medication, and a day of rain to wash away some of the pollen had me feeling good as new.

If you are a allergy sufferer, take your allergy meds.  Make sureyour asthma is well controlled.  If you have symptoms that may be related to Covid-19, or if you have any doubts, talk with your health care provider or local department of health.

Stay home.  Stay safe.  Better days are coming.

Bad Timing

I realized the other day that this whole Covid-19 pandemic couldm't have hit the United States at a worst time of year.

Spring equals pollen season.  This means that many of us will very soon be sneezing, sniffling and coughing non stop.  If we're not already.

Allergy season can be miserable enough under the best of circumstances. Now, we'll have the added stress of wondering if it's really our seasonal allergies or if we should be more concerned.

We'll probably be getting more than a few side eyes and dirty looks as we sneeze if we have to leave the house for groceries, medications, etc.  Thank goodness for delivery and curbside pickup services!

Bad timing, indeed.

A Weekly Reality Rewind

I started this week thinking I was experiencing a hard core allergy flare up.  Perhaps enhanced from being tired; as I was not ready for the school day schedule to start back up on Monday.  But after a solid week I feel pretty sure what I am actually dealing with is a late summer cold.

Sounds like a big negative.  But on the bright side - since I didn't feel like doing much, I did a lot of sitting on the couch and getting plenty of work done for my Etsy shop.  So, that's a big win!

The female offspring went back to work and school this week.  Which means lots of grand baby time for this Oma!  That kid is exhausting!  And while my living room looks very much like a toy box threw up all over the floor, he makes me laugh everyday.  And hearing him say "thank you Oma for making me pancakes" one morning just made my whole week!

I signed up for a new Proverbs 31 Online Bible Study which begins September 8th. It's "Taming The To Do List", and y'all know me and my To Do lists!!  I've already started my master list for September.

I also registered to attend two events next month being sponsored by our local  community colleges small business center.

Our weather has been giving us the tiniest preview of fall.  While Temps are still right around 80 degrees, it is much less humid and breezy.  Much more bearable to this gal!  I say, "Bring on the Autumn"!

And, that's pretty much my week in a nutshell.

I'm looking forward to a weekend filled with a trip to the farmer's market, watching some NFL preseason football, and plenty of resting.

Have a good one!

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

Don't Let the Yellow Door Hit You on the Way Out (repost)

originally posted at My Really Real Reality on May 1, 2012

Dear Pollen;

I could no longer hold my feelings inside.  I had to write to tell you that I deeply, truly, madly, endlessly despise you!  I, for one, have just about enough of your antics!  What makes you think you have the right to take over Spring and ruin it for so many of the rest of us?  I am sick and tired of your little games. 

I can't take any more of the way you make my eyes water and itch.  Completing the image with dark circles underneath that make me appear as if I have done a few rounds with a heavyweight boxer.  Not that I can see it for myself, thanks to the way they swell up.

The way you make my sinuses close up, and yet somehow you still manage to keep my nose drip, drip, dripping between the seemingly endless sneezing:  nice - really nice.  As if that isn't enough misery, you also cause the roof of my mouth to be itchy and irritated, along with a sore throat.  And you top the entire package off with some wheezy breathing. 

photo: publicdomainpictures.net

It's not just the way you treat me personally.  You have no respect for any of my belongings either.  You turn my car a funky color by leaving a coating of yellow on top of the original paint color.  Also spreading your yellow dust onto my windows, the front door, and all over my porch and driveway.  It's disgusting to have yellow finger tips every time I try to touch something.  Which means washing my hands before I accidentally touch my face and make the above mentioned attacks even worse! 

Oh sure, you think you are so great and special.  I'm sure the pharmaceutical companies are big fans of yours.  And the tissue manufacturers (who I probably single-handed keep in business this time of year).  And yes, I know all about how you are responsible for the creation of delicious fruits and vegetables.  I don't want to hear it.  Come back and maybe we can talk sometime when I'm not a sneezing, sniffling, watery mess.  I might be willing to listen as I bite into a nice juicy peach or slice up a ripe tomato. 

Until then, I don't want anything to do with you.  Do me a favor - take your yellow mess and just leave!

Insincerely Yours...

 

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups:

Itchy

As I write this, I'm not doing so well...

Yesterday my hands suddenly became very itchy, turned red with some welt/hive things.  There was minor swelling and the itching was driving me insane.  There was some blistering in areas, many of which popped open. 

And of course I was trying to convince myself that I had some terrible flesh eating bacteria thing going on - because I'm crazy paranoid like that sometimes.  I took some benedryl and crashed early.

This morning, I awoke with a terrible headache, which I can't seem to shake.  And I have a dry itchy patch on my face.  The type of patch which usually means I've eaten something with peanuts in it.

After a little research, I found that the hand thing can also be a symptom of a food allergy.

I did have lunch yesterday at my favorite Asian buffet restaurant.  And all I can figure is that I must not have been paying careful attention to the signs, or something with peanuts or peanut butter wasn't marked - and I ate it.

Needless to say I am not happy about this development.  I have so much I need to get done today, but all I want to do is take some more benedryl, something for the headache, and snooze on the couch for the afternoon.

UPDATE: I can report that things have have improved.  I have no new redness, swelling or itching of the hands so far today.  But my poor hands look terrible from the sores left where the blisters popped.

Wisdom From Oma

You know you're in real trouble when you use the allergy eye drops - and absolutely nothing happens!

Wisdom from Oma

Sometimes the allergy medicine only manages to bring the sinus headache down to a mild throbbing pain

Why I Hate Spring

Ok... I don't really hate Spring. 

In fact, if questioned I would probably say that I love spring.  The flowers blooming, the trees budding out new leaves, the warmer weather that is not too hot yet.  Love it. 

However, I don't like the affect it has on my body.

The sneezing.  The sniffling.  The sinus pressure.  The red, watery, itchy eyes.  The dark, dark bags under those eyes.   The scratchy throat.  The way the roof of my mouth itches.  The coughing.  The wheezing. If there is any possible seasonal allergy symptom - I have it. 

Ugh...

This year is not looking good.  I'm already showing some strong allergy symptoms and it's only early May.  My symptoms don't usually peak until later in the month.

My usual allergy med cocktail - Claritin(in the am)  and Zyrtec(in the pm), along with a decongestant as needed - doesn't seem to be helping too much.  Which makes me nervous.  What's gonna happen when the pollens I am especially allergic to start flying?

If I could just seal myself off somehow until around the end of June, that would be great!  Maybe a giant ziploc bag or something?  One of those giant plastic bubbles like John Travolta used in the movie, or that kid in the Seinfeld episode!  Where can a person get one of those? Those suits they wear when dealing with hazardous materials? Although just spotting me at the store would probably completely freak a lot of people out.  Of course, the sight of me with my red, runny eyes, red drippy nose and black eyes might all ready be doing that. 

I'm adding the neti pot to the routine today.  And crossing my fingers that this helps immensely. 

But I'm not ruling out those other options.

Happiness In A Little Chocolate Cup

Be still my beating heart...  And my suddenly overactive saliva glands!

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you are probably aware that in recent years I developed an apparent allergy to peanuts which causes my face to swell up like a big red balloon.  Given my great love for all things peanut butter, this was devastating to me.  The greatest loss was my beloved peanut butter cups.  (insert sound of sobbing and violin music here)

With this knowledge, you can now imagine my excitement when I opened the package that arrived the other day to find these little lovelies:

One of my fantabulous sisters (the groovy middle one) made me a batch of "peanut butter" cups from a soy butter substitute!

Seven Days Without Coffee: Gets Some Help

Over the weekend the male offspring was congested and miserable.  I thought it was allergies. Until the grand baby woke up this morning stuffy, sneezy, and coughing.  He won't let his mommy out of his sight.  As the day has progressed, the congestion and sneezing have moved into my head.

The bright side of this is that when I am not feeling well, I prefer tea to coffee.  This makes it pretty easy to go without coffee today.   A nice cup of peppermint or chamomile tea is very comforting when you don't feel well.  Which makes the cold/allergy/whatever thing I have going on work in my favor when it comes to making it through the last two days of the Seven Days Without Coffee.

I'd rather have a pumpkin latte than a head full of snot.  Just saying...

Read more of "Seven Days Without Coffee" Here:

The Challenge

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

The Wrap-up

Not Just The Nuts

I couldn't believe it.

When that first itchy patch under my eye appeared Saturday night, I couldn't believe it.  I haven't eaten a peanut, or peanut butter, or anything with peanut oil.  Yet, there it was.  That red spot that announces the coming of a reaction to something.

This couldn't be happening, I thought to myself as I slathered Cetaphil lotion on it.  At that point I could only pray that this was one of the times it remained the one little red spot before fading quickly away. 

Later that night, all hopes were dashed.  The other eye began to itch.  The eye lids began to itch.  My neck started to itch.   By Sunday morning, I was scrambling for the Benedryl before I ripped the skin off my facial structure.

Sunday was a day of antihistamines, ibuprofen, and a mixture of various lotions and creams.  I was in a well-medicated haze.  Pretty much useless. 

Fortunately, this morning the situation seems to have improved some. 

I'm still a little dry, with various itching at times.  And still a little puffy around the eyes.  But at least the redness has faded, and the itching is bearable.

But this still leaves the question - what caused the outbreak this time?  What other thing am I apparently so allergic to that it completely alters my appearance?

Don't Let The Yellow Door Hit You On Your Way Out

Dear Pollen;

I could no longer hold my feelings inside.  I had to write to tell you that I deeply, truly, madly, endlessly despise you!  I, for one, have just about enough of your antics!  What makes you think you have the right to take over Spring and ruin it for so many of the rest of us?  I am sick and tired of your little games. 

I can't take any more of the way you make my eyes water and itch.  Completing the image with dark circles underneath that make me appear as if I have done a few rounds with a heavyweight boxer.  Not that I can see it for myself, thanks to the way they swell up.

The way you make my sinuses close up, and yet somehow you still manage to keep my nose drip, drip, dripping between the seemingly endless sneezing:  nice - really nice.  As if that isn't enough misery, you also cause the roof of my mouth to be itchy and irritated, along with a sore throat.  And you top the entire package off with some wheezy breathing. 

It's not even the way you treat me personally.  You have no respect for any of my belongings either.  You turn my car a funky color by leaving a coating of yellow on top of the original paint color.  Also spreading your yellow dust onto my windows, the front door, and all over my porch and driveway.  It's disgusting to have yellow finger tips every time I try to touch something.  Which means washing my hands before I accidentally touch my face and make the above mentioned attacks even worse! 

Oh sure, you think you are so great and special.  I'm sure the pharmaceutical companies are big fans of yours.  And the tissue manufacturers (who I probably single-handedly keep in business this time of year).  And yes, I know all about how you are responsible for the creation of delicious fruits and vegetables.  I don't want to hear it.  Come back and talk to me sometime in late June or July.  When I'm not a sneezing, wheezing, snotty mess.  Maybe I'll be willing to listen as I bite into a nice juicy peach or slice up a ripe tomato. 

Until then, I don't want anything to do with you.  Do me a favor - take your yellow mess and just leave!

Insincerely Yours...

Beginning to Get Frustrated

You have got to be kidding me.  Seriously... you. have. got. to. be. freaking. kidding. me. 

It's back.  The stupid, irritating rash around my eyes is BACK!!

And it's starting to tick me off.

When the itching and redness started back up a couple of days ago I thought maybe it was the french fries cooked in peanut oil I had consumed without thinking.  But today instead of getting better - it's even more itchy and even redder.  And I have no clue what could have contributed to it this time around.

All I know is that I have had just about enough!

Sleepy Time

I had a to-do list today.  And it wasn't a short one.  I started out well enough.  Cleaned up the kitchen, did some laundry.  Then I attacked the closet downstairs where I have been storing my craft items and the extra blankets.

Working to purge the closet set off my allergies.  Eyes were itching and watering.  Roof of my mouth was itching.  There was much sneezing and running of my nose.  I knew where this was heading, so I took an allergy tablet to curb off the worst of the symptoms.

This was a mistake...

Next thing I knew - I was crashed out on the couch while "Elf" played on the television.  About two hours had passed as I peacefully snoozed the afternoon away.  It must have been a sight.  Me - asleep on the couch.  Piles of folded laundry on the coffee table in front of me.  And empty basket in the floor next to me.  And I'm pretty sure there was snoring involved since my mouth was very dry when I finally woke up.  Just lovely.  I can only hope I wasn't drooling or anything thanks to the allergy medication.

So much for that to-do list.  And I missed "Elf". 

I'm Dreaming of a Reese's Halloween

If you know me personally, you know I am a big admirer of the Reese's peanut butter cup.  OK... to be honest - saying I'm a "big admirer" may be more than a little bit of an understatement.  

But even better than the original Reese's cup are a few of its off-spring.  There is that tasty treat which I believe is the resulting love child of a mating between the Reese's Cup and a Snickers bar - the Nutrageous.  Chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, peanuts.  A sweet little taste of complete deliciousness.  Mmmmmm

And then there is that Reese's miracle that only shows up at this time of year... 

The Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkin!

Oh sweet Halloween!!!  Of all the candies weighing down the shelves at the stores - this has to be the best.  It has that perfect ratio of chocolate to that Reese's peanut butter.  It's cleverly available for a limited time, meaning I must get my fix while I can.  They are irresistible to me.

Or, it was.  This year there is "The Rash"  And along with that rash comes the suspicion that peanuts may be the culprit behind its appearance.  The last time I had a major outbreak I had eaten a peanut butter sandwich earlier in the day.  And the last time I allowed myself a few bites of that tempting little confection shown above - I got a small patch of the rash around my eye.

This likely means the end of my relationship with the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  And all it's delightful little spin off treats as well. 

Si i i i i i igh....

Face on Fire

I'm not sure how it happened, but I am not happy about it.  I've gotten into something that my body does not agree with.  To be more specific - my face does not agree with whatever-it-is.  So, whatever-it-is has managed to set my face aflame. 

I have an eczema type rash covering much of my face, including my forehead, eyelids, right cheek, and jaw. This absolute loveliness even extends down the right side of my neck.   My eyelids (upper and lower) are swollen and even appear slightly bruised.  Oh yeah, as you can imagine... I'm looking gorgeous.  Not.  I'm like a cross between the elephant man and the losing boxer in a prize fight.



Is there a worse place to develop a red, itchy, swollen rash than the face?  Perhaps... but right now I can't believe that's possible.   Rashes in other places can be hidden by clothing and accessories.  Not this one.  It's right out front and center for the world to see.  And it itches like crazy! 

I'm sure it's the result of some sort of allergic reaction.  I'm not using any new face products or makeup.  I haven't eaten anything unusual or different.  My best guess is something in the garden.  Although I can't quite figure why the rash is only on my face and not my arms or legs.  Quite a mystery there. 

So, after 2 days of being doped up on benedryl, endless layers of Eucerin creme lotion, vitamin E oil, and even an oatmeal bath - I'm off to the Dr this afternoon.  I feel pretty sure there is some Prednisone in my immediate future.  Which I am also not happy about since I know how that particular medication makes me feel.  But that's another story.   Right now I just want the rash gone!