I had an allergic reaction to *something* today. I have no idea what. All I know is that at 4 pm, I broke out in hives and started to itch so badly it was physically painful. I looked in the mirror and was greeted with a rather horrific sight.
The last time I looked like this, I had eaten an entire orange as a dare. I know I’m allergic to oranges, so it wasn’t an entirely unexpected outcome and in fact I probably deserved it, but I hadn’t eaten a single item of fruit today.
After ruling out someone sabotaging my lunch with an errant citrus bomb, my mind started to wander to other possibilities. My techs, trying to be helpful, took out my dermatology atlas and pointed out their favorite gruesome differentials:
-Disgruntled client sitting at home rubbing poison ivy on a Dr. V voodoo doll (my hypothesis)
–Scabies / fleas / chewing louse- there is nothing that makes you itch and prickle more than the mere possibility that small multi-legged insects are burrowing into your skin. A pox on them for even saying so.
Regardless of the cause, the fact remained that I still had rooms to see and I looked like a splotchy embarrassed lobster with a glandular condition. What’s a vet to do?
The options were limited, but we did have some benadryl tablets floating around, so I took a couple of those. I don’t normally take benadryl, but I was desperate.
The hives went away, but I fell asleep on the back counter. I was awoken at closing with a gentle nudging from the receptionist, who wanted to go home and needed me to lock up. I swallowed some coffee to perk up and staggered out the back door like a drunken sailor, pink and groggy.
Note to self: keep Claritin in bag at all times. And consult witch doctor about removing hexes, because whatever that was that hit me today, it was evil.
Yikes! I hope you feel better soon. I break out into horrible hives if I get bit by an arachnid (erm…8-legged crawly creatures…phobia, ya know, can’t say the word!). And Benadryl knocks me out just like that. It’s great stuff to stop the reaction but I just can’t stay awake on it.
Yikes. I have a shellfish allergy and once reacted to bloodworms (a kind of fish food), of all things. It’s weird to have to read cat food labels not only to make sure there’s no weirdness, but also to make sure there’s no shrimp, in case my hand should touch some of it. No sense going to the hospital over a can of Iams.
Wow, you react if you even touch it!! 😮
That’s supposed to be a shocked face, not a smiley one, btw.
Did any of your clients shout at you, “You’ll rue the day!”? My money is on them.
*sigh* Had a few like that this last month, maybe they got together and hatched a plan?
I hate allergies, it seems like they hit you just when you don’t expect it. I know someone, me lol, that once had a horrible reaction to OXY Clean do you use that in your office? I would defiantely get a claritin emergency lobsterface and hives pack, you never know when this might hit again.
Snuggles
Boxen and Bella
No Oxi clean that I know of. Though it could be anything.
I have a Voodoo doll…maybe I could go after whoever is going after you!
Did you drink anything with citric acid by chance? My allergy started out simple enough with fresh pineapple, then moved on to raspberries, kiwi, strawberries and oranges. And I have to be very careful about drinking (or eating) anything with citric acid. I don’t end up looking like your little monkey friend but I do get sores on my tongue and my throat and tonsils swell. It’s not pretty.
Citric acid….possibly. Will have to try and remember.
I don’t usually deviate from my Coke or Ale-8-One but I have to be careful on some of the Jones Sodas and even orange juice. I have to get low acid OJ.
HA! your face was really funny. Sorry to laugh at your misery, but hey- I’m just monkeying around
lol at least I was not quite that red.
Great photo! I sure hope you are all better today. Any new insights? Allergic reactions can be so scary. 🙁
No, it was so strange. We did order lunch from a local restaurant so I’m wondering if maybe there was an errant bad thing in there?
Really Hoping you feel better today. Dr V .
Hives suck big time.
You ordered out? What did you eat? Many recipes use citrus peel or citrus, hidden culprit!
I think I just learned my lesson about clicking links when the above sentence included the word “gruesome.” I also have a feeling this lesson will be forgotten within a week, per usual.
Oh, wanted to add: I use to take benadryl for my insomnia… man does that stuff knock you out! I’m glad you didn’t fall asleep on a client.