Ladybug Studio

Bad taste…

It was a pretty good weekend overall. Though it didn't exactly start out with much promise. Friday afternoon it began raining and it was predicted to rain through the night. Which would have put a stop to any tennis plans for the next day. But by 7:30 that evening the clouds were through. Saturday morning was grayish, but it wasn't raining and a pretty good wind was blowing, which would dry the courts in time for play.

Problem turned out to be that wind. It was blustery and strong, which made tennis rather tricky. The only positive spin is that no one had any advantage. We all shared in the disadvantage. After three sets I decided that I'd had enough.

On the way home I stopped at the Garden Street Publix, with fingers crossed, hoping that they would have my beloved International Delight Dulce de Leche coffee creamer. Sadly, they did not. My store quit carrying the flavor, thought the company still makes it. They said they didn't sell enough of it. While I continue the hunt (coworker who lives in Orlando is checking her store) I have been trying out new flavors. So far, nothing is pleasing me.

Now, part of the problem might be this darned Prednisone I am taking for the rash. In addition to stimulating the appetite, it has been known to affect the taste buds. I did notice this week that my usual Lean Cuisine lunches weren't tasting good any more. Even Friday night pizza didn't excite me. And we all know what a pizza hound I am. So the problem is compounded. Because I'm hungry all the time, but nothing is satisfying, I keep searching for more to eat. This I do not need.

I actually started weaning back the Prednisone myself over the weekend. Now that the rash is under control, either because of the medication or because I quit taking the calcium chews, I have decided that I just don't need the heavy doses any more. In fact, I was going to mention that today at my follow up visit with the dermatologist, but the appointment had to be rescheduled for later this week. Hopefully when I go she will take the stitch out of my left arm. That tiny thing is causing an extraordinary amount of pain for its size.

Anyway, back to Saturday. I picked up a package of sushi at Publix for my lunch. Nothing fancy, just a California roll, but it tasted pretty good. I ate half and saved the rest for lunch on Sunday. The rest of the day was spent at home. I watched some TV, had a nice nap and worked on the computer. A little bit of everything, I suppose.

Sunday was very similar. I ran some errands early and got them out of the way. Then again with the lounging, but without the nap this time. Then computer work again. Keeps me balanced, right?

The only sad thing is that Tom is sick again. I know! He is ALWAYS sick! Try living with it, really. He started getting a really bad sore throat early in the week, which turned into a cough. I've gone back to sleeping in the TV room. So he wasn't up for going out to dinner, which we generally do either Saturday or Sunday evening. This is the third weekend in a row that we haven't gone out to eat. I really miss restaurants.

Anything else…

Ready to hear about something other than my rash? Me too!

Too bad I don't have something interesting to say. Other than work, not much has been going on around here. Let's see… well, my other favorite subject is tennis. Despite the fact that it rained all day Monday and most of Tuesday, we were able to get out Tuesday afternoon for doubles league. I was rusty at first and seriously considering taking lessons again on the basics, but finally warmed up and was playing well and making good points by the end of the night. I was just one point below the highest scorer, so I was pretty pleased overall.

It's official - there will be a tennis tournament at this year's KSC All-American Picnic. They are offering men's, ladies', and mixed doubles again. Last year there weren't enough signed up for the ladies' event so they canceled it. Debbie has asked me to be her partner and I'm willing, as long as it works out. Otherwise I will be looking for a mixed doubles partner. I had a good time last year and it will be even better this time, since I will know what to expect.

Better…

Things seem to be finally improving. Which is awesome because I don't how much more I could have taken. By the end of the work day on Monday, I was nearly insane from the itching. My arms were the worst and instead of simply itching as they had been, the sensation had become a prickling, burning. Nothing could touch them, so I had to ditch my jacket. Even the light rain was miserable.

Once I finally arrived home with my new prescriptions, the first thing I tried was the new cream. Amazingly, it actually helped. I was practically dancing with joy! The rest of the evening went much better and I was able to skip the nightly oatmeal bath and sleep with Tom in the master bedroom. I had been camping out in the TV room for so long, I forgot how amazingly comfortable our bed is. I did wake up a few times scratching my arms, but overall I slept better than I had been. The stronger dose of night time antihistamine probably had something to do with that.

Yesterday morning I noticed a marked improvement in the appearance of my arms. While the red was still pretty bright, the swelling of the rash had gone down a lot, making my arms a little less topographical. This morning, even more improvement. Hurray!

I still look like a walking contagious disease, but I'm feeling much more human. Or I would be, if I didn't have a stomachache today.

After discussions with the dermatologists and some friends, I am tentatively blaming this whole mess on the calcium chews with vitamin D I purchased a few weeks ago from Sam's Club. I bought and started taking them on Saturday, January 16. Gradually the following week, the itches started, in a fairly mild way. And then kept ramping up, as I've explained ad nauseam.

I had been thinking back, trying to consider any new soaps, perfumes or foods that I had recently purchased and remembered the calcium chews. I last chewed them on Friday. I imagine it would take a few days to get out of my system. Which seems to match the fact that I am now starting to see improvement. I think the next step might be to see my allergist and asked to be patch tested with this particular item in mind. I would really like to know what caused this horrible reaction.

Tennis weekend…

Tennis dominated my weekend. More watching than playing, but still enjoyable. Saturday morning I played, though not with my usual round robin group. I participated in a tournament at the local YMCA courts. One of my friends from doubles league, Debbie, asked me to be her partner in the ladies event and I was happy to oblige. Debbie is a great player and a lot of fun to hit with. I knew that whatever happened with our matches, we'd have a good time.

The tournament was well run, I have to say. Though it did take a lot longer than I had realized. We did a lot of sitting and watching, waiting to play. But we were well entertained by the other matches, one of which included a few men from our league. We lost our first match to two well-toned ladies with matching outfits. Then won against two teenagers, also with matching outfits. Our win got us another match and finally we played a pair who hadn't coordinated. A mother and daughter team. They beat us, but not by much. All in all, Debbie and I were proud of ourselves. And now we have some things to work on if we play in another tournament.

Once home from the courts, I showered then settled in to watch the Australian Open Ladies Final which I had taped that morning. On Sunday morning I watched the Mens Final and was happy with Roger Federer's win. I swear he is the classiest guy in any pro sport.

* * *

The rest of the weekend was spent scratching. While my leg is now looking 100% better, my rash has gotten worse. It spread more onto my feet, and onto my left shoulder and there's more on my back. Nothing will make it quit itching. Oatmeal baths help temporarily, but that's all.

I had an appointment this morning with the dermatologist. Sadly, I have stumped them. A punch biopsy was taken from my arm (one stitch!) and another round of meds has been prescribed. A stronger dose of Prednisone (rats), a stronger antihistamine and a new topical cream. When this is all over - assuming it is ever all over (help me, God) I will tally up how much I've spent on prescriptions, over the counter medications and co-pays. Should be an exciting number!

Misery…

First thing I want to say is that I am rather underwhelmed and lukewarm about Apple's Next Big Thing. It's called the iPad, which I think is a horrible name. One of my favorite bloggers described it this way: The name conjures up promises of freshness and confidence and not wanting to go to gym class.

Anyway, the tablet is really just a large print edition iPod Touch. It pretty much does the same things with a bigger screen. I'm sure watching movies and videos will be really nice. Having a larger screen and touch screen keyboard will make emailing and texting much nicer.

The iBookstore isn't turning me on either. Bestsellers will be in the range of $14.99 while they're only $9.99 on Amazon. Kindle Killer? I don't think so.

It's definitely slick, I'll give it that. Apple knows how to make beautiful products. I just don't think I will be an early adopter on this one.

* * *

I'm sorry to go on and on about my rash again, but I really can't focus on much else lately. It's taking over my life and making me very, very miserable. Some of you were lucky enough to get an email from me on Wednesday with a photo of my leg wound from the ill-fated jumping up onto the washer incident of 09. (it's an ugly photo, but if you want to see it, email me) Since it appeared to be getting worse, and the rash wasn't going away either, I saw the nurse practitioner again yesterday. She didn't like the looks of it, so she called in the doctor. He didn't like it either and sent me to my dermatologist's office for a biopsy.

The Derms, though, didn't bother with the biopsy as they determined that I have Contact Dermatitis. Which, according to MayoClinic.com is: an inflammation of the skin that results from direct contact with certain substances, such as soap, cosmetics, jewelry or weeds, including poison ivy or poison oak. The resulting red, itchy rash isn't contagious or life-threatening, but it can be very uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable.

After the appointment I went to Walgreens and spent a small fortune on pills, creams and whatnot. I have another Rx for Prednisone, a longer dose this time, an Rx for an antihistamine that will make me drowsy and an Rx for an ointment for the skin. So far, none of it is helping. In addition to not quelling the itch, the ointment will not rub in and leaves me feeling sticky. I did take a drowsy pill yesterday and had a fairly decent nap, but didn't sleep much last night. I think I'll try the oatmeal bath again tonight.

You're going to need an ocean, of Calamine Lotion…

Anticipation…

Apple is going to announce their Next Big Thing today. The super strong hardly a rumor any longer is that it will be a tablet, sized somewhere between an iPhone and a MacBook. Maybe Apple's version of a netbook, but without a keyboard. Everything will be touch screen. Can't wait to see and hear all about it. The Gadget Girl in me is quite excited. At this point though, I am vowing to wait and see, instead of being an early adopter. Though I do so love being the first kid on the block with the new toy. I'm not at all unhappy with my original iPhone. The newest version is faster, but that doesn't bother me. The price drop, however, was disappointing. I suspect the same will happen with this new device.

It's also rumored to have an e-reader, which will supposedly bring big competition to the Kindle. I'm not sure though. Many people who own a Kindle just want to read books. They don't want to run programs, keep up with email, play videos and music, run apps or whatever the new thing will do. Also, one of the advantages to the Kindle (and the Nook) is that it doesn't have any back lighting, so it won't cause eye strain. So, no. In my opinion, people will buy whatever it is they had planned to buy, for the most part. Then there will those like me who will end up with both.

* * *

Looks like I spoke a bit soon about the rash. I had a rather bad evening, itching and itching and itching. Tom finally quit telling me to stop scratching as he must have realized it was useless. I think part of the problem is that the antihistamine wore off. It's good for 24 hours, but I took it Monday about 5:15 and wasn't able to take it last night until 8:00. So the itching got underway with a vengeance until the antihistamine started to do its thing, around 10:00.

I slept on the couch in the spare bedroom (TV room?) and woke up scratching my right arm several times during the night. Surely this will stop soon. Right? Right? Anyone?

Better…

I'm feeling much better today. The steroids and the antihistamine have started working and the oatmeal bath was a good idea, too. I still have spots and there is still some itching, but it's tolerable. I hope the antibiotics start working on my leg soon. It looks really hideous still.

Yesterday was such a beautiful day for tennis and I had planned on joining the KSC Scrub League in the afternoon. They're a casual group that gets together informally on Mondays and Wednesdays. Since I have played so little, I thought it would be a good idea to get in more hitting. But all I wanted to do by the end of the day was rush to the pharmacy and get my prescriptions. Oh well, there will be other beautiful days for tennis.

The washer and dryer were test driven last night. We did a load of towels and everything seemed to be working properly. You have to use HE (high efficiency) detergent with front load washers and the bottle of Cheer I picked up smelled very nice. But I'm really going to miss my Gain Apple Mango Tango. They don't make it in an HE version.

Itchy and scratchy…

That's me in a nutshell.

I have hives. Pretty much all over. My face has been spared, so far, but as every day the rash spreads further, I can only hope my face remains unblemished. I have no idea what caused the outbreak. I'm not using any new detergent, shower gel, soap, or lotion. I haven't worn any new unwashed clothing.

The only thing I can think of is that perhaps I rubbed up against the wrong plant last Sunday while mountain biking. But even that makes little sense, as we rode the same trails we always ride and in fact were there just two weeks prior. No one else has developed a rash. Just lucky me.

It started in a mild way early last week. A couple of itchy bumps on my hands and arms. Nothing visible and not too terribly annoying. But they increased gradually each day. By Saturday it had become obvious I had a problem, and Sunday was rather miserable.

Back Story

I was actually at the doctor's office Friday on another matter. In mid-December I wounded my leg while trying to get a towel from the shelf above the washing machine. Instead of taking the time to get the step stool, I tried to leap up onto the washer. I have done this many, many times successfully, but I guess I wasn't trying hard enough that day and my left leg banged pretty hard against the edge. It left a dent in my leg and it hurt like heck, but I never suspected it would become a problem.

But about four weeks later, itchy bumps formed around the wound. It looked pretty awful and infectious. So that's why I went to see the doctor last Friday.

He prescribed an antibiotic ointment (Bactroban) to put on the area twice a day. He said that if it didn't look better in 72 hours to come back to the office. It didn't seem to be getting any better and I would have made an appointment regardless, but the rash thing pushed me to call first thing this morning.

This time I saw the nurse practitioner (I liked her a lot). She prescribed a sulfur based oral antibiotic for the leg and Prednisone for the hives. Also an over the counter antihistamine. I am looking forward to picking them up this afternoon.

I have cut and filed my nails down to nothing in an attempt to save my skin. I am a scratcher. I know I'm only making it worse but how can I stop? Tom keeps telling me, "Stop scratching!" But he's not the one with the rash. How can he understand?

Oh, I did talk with the pharmacist at Target yesterday and she suggested that I try liquid Benedryl. (children's, but they have an adult dose) It's supposed to work faster. She said that if it was an allergic reaction to something, the Benedryl would help. Nothing doing. I took it before going to bed last night and I kept waking myself up scratching.

In other news, yesterday morning our washing machine died. I heard a clattering sound, then silence, so went to check on things and things were not looking good. I will skip on ahead to say that Tom's dad came over to help work on the thing and even he determined that it was dead. Dad is one of the most frugal people I know. So if he says it can't be fixed, you can bet on it.

So Tom and I spent much of Sunday washing machine shopping. We went to Home Depot, Lowe's, Sears, then back to Lowe's. We bought a Maytag washer and dryer set there. We figured since both of our machines were ten years old, the dryer probably didn't have much life left and we might as well get them together so that they match and are both energy efficient, etc. Tom stayed home today for their delivery. Can you believe I'm looking forward to going home and washing clothes this evening?

Up and down…

The weather has been pretty nice this week. Cool in the mornings and once the sun goes down, of course. But otherwise sunny and pleasant. I haven't spent much time outside though. On Monday I went to Target and Lowe's which got me home about dusk. Same thing yesterday with a trip to The Shipping Depot and Publix.

Tuesday I was able to play tennis, though I'm not too sure that was a good thing. I hadn't played since December 8 and it showed. However, as luck would have it, one of our four players had an injured arm and couldn't stay. So he will be the one to go down a court and I have somehow managed to stay on the upper courts once again. That's both good and bad. I feel good about being on the higher courts and I'm competitive enough to want to stay there. But it's more serious there and I seem to have a lot more fun on the lower courts. Guess I'm not too disappointed whatever happens.

Brown is a color too…

Florida is not supposed to be brown. Even in the middle of February, Florida is still green and bright. At least, that's been my experience prior to this winter. But now Florida is brown. The grass is brown, the shrubs are brown, the flowers are brown. Even the palm trees are brown. The recent cold spell with its freezing temperatures and overnight frosts took away most of the green. It's not a pretty sight out there.

Unless you go deep into the woods along the Little Big Econ River. There you will find lots of plants still green. Perhaps the mighty oak trees provided some protection for the plants below. Or else they're just a hardier bunch. At any rate, it was refreshing to be among happy and healthy plants for a few hours while mountain biking yesterday.

Matt took this photo of a great blue heron. The bird is really taking his chances, as he sits on the edge of the very aptly named Gator Pond.

I'm glad we were able to get out and exercise on Sunday, because luck was not on my side earlier in the weekend, starting with Friday afternoon. I had plans to play tennis with a friend right after work. I was extremely surprised and disappointed when I left my building and found that it had very recently rained. The courts were soaked, so we weren't able to play after all.

The weather man said that the rain was done for the night and wouldn't get going again until Saturday night. Rain was forecast all day Sunday. Well, Friday night it started to rain about 9pm, which it was not supposed to do. When I got up for tennis on Saturday morning it became immediately apparent that the weather man had it wrong again. It had rained throughout the night and the ground was saturated. No tennis again.

I did make good use of the day though. I did lots of things around the house in the morning, then ran a bunch of errands in the afternoon. I took some cardboard to the recycling place, returned the TV wall mount to Sears, went to the jewelry store in Cocoa Village and bought a pink flowered Pandora bead, went to Sam's and bought a membership so that I could purchase my beloved chicken sausage, and stopped at Publix for some groceries. The only place I didn't make it to was Target. Maybe today. I'm always up for a trip to Target.