The Following Friday

O.K. last thing I wrote I was in my "Purple People Eater" phase. All my hives spread out and turned purple. So, over the last week. . . .

My hands and feet finally broke out in hives. I swelled up like a balloon for three days. No breathing problems though. With all the bacteria gone from my skin all the other microbes had a party and I broke out in a secondary rash from all the toxins they are releasing. I have done enough laundry for 5 people, become totally indebted to the Lubriderm fairy, and rediscovered how much healing hives can hurt.

I actually feel pretty good. The only problem is when I forget and think I am good and do something stupid like try to walk too much too fast ( I was walking up and down the driveway at our house to keep my circulation going so I wouldn't swell up so badly) or trying to do all the vacumming at once. Then I realize how ill I really was.

I went to the Dermatologist on Wednesday. He gave me prescriptions for two ointments, another corticosteroid to use for a week followed by a topical medication (I haven't picked this one up at the pharmacy yet, so I don't know exactly what it is). He also told me to bathe in 1/2 cup of bleach in a tub of lukewarm water to get rid of the microbial rave I have going on my skin.

I thought that sounded strange until I actually tried it. I was sure it would have me yelling bloody murder because tap water stings like hell on that rash, but it didn't. It hardly stung at all and twelve hours later the rashy parts are dry and aren't itching. I think I'm liking this! The only problem is I smell like a public pool.

So, from this point, I have two more weeks before my high school reunion. That should be enough time to get my skin back in line so I don't look scary or contagious. I will have all my peeling done with and I'm mostly done with the swelling already. Barring any more crazy reactions to anything else. I should be good.