I don't look terrific at any time, but right now I'm really a sight to behold. Friday night, Selene told me my eye was swelled up. Well, I didn't feel bad or anything, and I'd been messing around cutting weeds, breaking up firewood and filling oil lamps, so I just figured I had rubbed something in my eye.

When I woke up yesterday AM, my eyes were almost swelled shut, and my face was puffy and horrible(er). Its very warm to the touch...even my ears are swelled. I just noticed that there is some suppuration on my left ear, and now I'm thinking I must have gotten stung or something. It must be infected, because mass quantities of benadryl don't seem to be helping. I've started taking antibiotics, and if that doesn't work, I've got some prednisone around here somewhere.

Nasty. Embarrasing.

A puffy face, you trend setter you. Now everyone will want a puffy face. ;)

Damn you Shawnee, I spat tea on my screen.

Sorry to hear aboutt he injury Spode - sounds nasty.
Keep a close eye on it - that sort of thing can be dangerous. Sorry to be a nag...

Today's Top Tip
Nice things to lean on = cushions, pillows
Not so nice = soldering irons

Ouchie

OUCH!! Sundae!! Oi!


We were on our annual Hayward Wisconsin vacation last week. Here's the latest Rat family photo. Another of me and the pup on one of Red's toys.

Wow - people are coming up with some classic shots recently - I love the one of you and your daughter on the jetski. Her expression of pleasure and excitement is literally priceless.

Wow, SG, that is nasty! Please post updates as your arm falls off...

SG, that is nasty and I'm sorry you did it and I hope it gets better quickly.

So I hope you won't take it the wrong way if I say, the way it imprinted the pattern is absolutely fascinating.

Puffy face update...apparently I have rubbed poison ivy into my eyes, and now all my nasty little mucus membranes are swelled and mucusing with great fervor. My face is so swollen, I have liquid oozing through the pores in my ears, for God's sake!

So, got a cortisone shot in the ass today (why do they insist on calling it a shot in the hip?), and am looking foward to feelng better soon.

This fucking sucks.

OH...SG...Ow? Looks not fun.

LR - I wish I was having as much fun as you were!

Awesome affliction documentations Els and SG!
Nice fam portrait LR.

Poison Ivy??

I'm just sayin'....

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/know_your_vines.png

OMG Els I'm so sorry and totally empathize, I rubbed poison ivy onto my face once like that. Horrible, horrible experience. Traveled through my bloodstream and popped up randomly everywhere else on my body too. Do you have to take pills too? I don't remember what they gave me but it was some sorta meds after the shot. Might want to consider getting some type of poison ivy wash, just in case.

I hope she was worth it.

Elspode & Sundae Girl -- I am sending irritant-cleansing and burn-healing good thoughts your way. Ouch!

LabRat -- I have to agree with SG that your daughter's face is absolutely priceless in the jet ski picture. :)

Got just the shot. Apparently, they think that's enough. I am dubious...and itchy.

I had a series of shots when I got it head-to-toe as a kid Els... and then didn't get it again until 2 or 3 years ago, and even that was 1 or 2 blisters here and there. Not sure of it was the shots (don't know what they were, could ask mom if you care) or the massive case, but tromping thru the woods unaffected for decades was worth either.

Decadron.

All I know is its nasty. Been ten hours since the shot, and I don't have as much improvement as I'd hoped for. Gonna be pissed if I needed pills, too, and don't have 'em already.

Shot gives you the boost, the pills keep you stable and atenuates the swelling (antigen response). You will gain weight with the pills but it goes away when you stop taking them. Usually tappered dose steroids like prednisone.

'Cept they didn't give me any pills, just the shot. I think I'm going to call and tell them to get me a scrip, cause this isn't abating as quickly as it should.

Did I mention that this was nasty?

Does the decadron confer immunity or what Merc?

Is it in your mouth Els? That was the worst...
Are you using topical benadryl or something?

I have him using my prescription cream that I have for PI. I am extremely allergic, looks like acid burns when i get it bad. I can't believe they didn't give him any of this stuff. It drys it up fast

It's Burn Update Time! Yay!

I'm only posting this because I've had funny looks before about my insistence on the right plaster for the right job. Including this time. I have my own burn plasters at home (and steri strips, graze plasters, blister plasters) but I knew they would be too small, and I claimed the larger one back on expenses as it was a work injury.

Suffice to say I still couldn't get one the right shape and I couldn't be bothered to put a pad on and tape it up.

So here is the result. Can you guess which end was poking out from underneath the plaster? The part of the burn closest to my hand is dry and does not hurt to run my finger across. The part which looks open has actually sealed over, but it's nasty to the touch and looks far more likely to reopen :eek:

Buy burn plasters, people, they work!

That looks terrible, Sundae. I'm so sorry.

OK, SG...its a tie. Mine is healing faster, although I'm gonna pretty scabby on the face and ears for a bit.

Nah, yours was far worse.
Thanks to magic burns plaster I wasn't even in any pain.
Usually superficial burns are pretty good on the pain-to-scars ratio anyway, with the proper treatment they are great!

My worst suffering in the last six months has been from acid reflux (invisible and literally crippling - can't talk or move at its worst) and the four bites I got in one night. Even now they are all scabbed over and nearly gone I catch myself scratching absently.

So you win hands down and just accept my apologies that I had something visual at the same time :)

Oh, hell no. I've had acid reflux, too. I'd rather have poison ivy on my face for a month that wake up once in the middle of the night inhaling/expelling stomach acid through my nose in a stream.

Yeah...waking up with a mouthful of acid really sux, and you know what I find is worse? For the next few days it hurts to brush my teeth because the enamel has been damaged.

Friday, 5pm.
Props to the ladies across the pond.
Yes. It is my favorite shirt.

Well, hello Fstop! :)

Welcome to F-stop. Howdy mate.

No, what it does is reduce the inflamatory process by stablizing Mast cells which reduces the influx of neutrophils. During the allergic response mast cells are stimulated and they in turn begin a cascade of inflamatory responses which are an effort to fight the allergic response (in this case the substance which causes the PI). It is a double edge sword because the allergic cascade is actually your bodies attempt and response to the event, but it is also what causes much of the discomfort swelling, redness, weeping, itching, etc. So basically it treats the symptom.

And I thought you were just another pretty face. :smack:

Hello hello. :D

.

I like your hair like that Ibby. You suit the mussed up look.

Yeah, sure, he's a cute kid...but more importantly, what kind of 12 string is that in the background? :-)

F-Stop - very cute!
How old are you...?

Ibs, you are growing up into a fine young man.
The second shot is a real killer.

Burn update time again.
Turns out my paean to burn plasters was not entirely justified. Although I admit I took it off a little early.

All very hot and raised and pink now. Part of the healing process from what I remember. Looks crusty and grim though.

Second pic is newly blue hair. Excuse my uneven fringe (bangs) I brushed it all forwards without a mirror. It is clean! I just put a deep conditioner on it immediately after colouring and it tends to be too heavy for my fine hair. I'm going to wash it tomorrow morning before anyone else sees it.

Excuse winsome expression too. That's pissed off and trying to smile. I finally resolved camera shake problems by putting camera on a shelf. There were lots of prior shots!

Ouch! Sundae, burn looks worse than the first pics! Please get it looked at by a Doc.

No, it only looks worse now because it was VERY HOT and I took the pic within about 10 minutes, when the top layer of skin was still intact.
That layer has now peeled off. It's not raw - although the shine of the flash might make it look so.

The heat coming off it is the healing - it's making a scab.

SG - The hair really compliments your eyes.

Thank you. 26.
I'll be 27 on November 4th. I've been told I look in my 30's, due to rampant gray hair sprouting up in recent years. But yeah, 26. :D

Cellar chat w/ double cats...

Finally, a photo of me that isn't too bad! Snapped it just now, using the timed setting on my camera, put my camera on the PC case. I'm sitting in my computer chair, in my office/sewing room/junk repository, which is -- appropriately enough -- in the cellar! :D

http://www.wayswriter.com/pam/mypic8-24.jpg

Hm...not much like Olivia de Havilland after all... ;)

You're a doll!

TF, RFN
 

Like three minutes ago.

TF and Peeps? You dawg. ;)

She was having the Peeps. I was consuming Dots.

Yeah, Els, but I noticed the big bottle of LOTION right off the bat. Nice going, Els, though, I'm jealous. You're such a tease!

And SG, you are probably the only woman on earth who can pull off that beautiful blue and look so damn stunning! I love the color, but it is esp. awesome on you, you gorgeous girl.

The lotion isn't there for recreational purposes, woman! That stuff's in the drawer...

Nice to see you Juniper.

Juniper you look lovely!
And Tree Fae as saucy as ever.

Here's some not quite RFN.
Last of the blue (with Diz) and first of the purple.
Friday and Saturday nights before working in the pub.

And these are about an hour and a half ago.
Something has made me come up in an allergic reaction. I've taken some allergy tablets (I was waiting outside the chemist when they opened at 09.30) but DAMN I'm itchy.

Feel like I've really been in the wars recently :mecry:

Oh crap, Sundae! That looks painful and annoying.

The purple looks awesome on you :)

SG,

Definitely loving the purple. Looks great! :jig:

Elspode -- where the hell are you getting Peeps in August?

SG -- Loooove the purple! Brings a different shade to your eyes.

I love the purple! My favorite color. :D Looks great. Those are some flattering snapshots too, SG! What an adorable kitty.

But um...shouldn't Elspode's photo up there be in the NSFW photo thread??? :eek:

SG, the purple turned out great!! It really brings out your eye color better than the blue. Any chance an ingredient in the dye gave you the reaction? That sux royally.

Wow, Sundae! The purple is really amazing on you! Like Labrat said, it really sets off your lovely blue eyes. It is a deeper purple, like eggplant. I imagine it will work with many of your clothing, being a warmer tone than the blue was. I liked the blue, too, but the purple is fantastic!

Perhaps the allergy is to a laundry detergent? We switched to a highly concentrated detergent, once and my husband had a similar reaction on his skin. I hadn't realized that I don't need to use nearly as much in the wash. Once I figured that out, the irritation went away.

Peeps! wasn't there a peeps-stress testing website out there once upon a time? I am going to have to look for that.