Yeah, the irony hasn't escaped me.
I am absolutely petrified of the eight-legged freaks (and I should have patented that phrase... I've been using it since the 80's, long before the movie came out!).
So Friday of last week, while hanging at the pool after work with Firefighter and the brats, I had an annoying itch at the back of my thigh. I felt two small bumps, so I joked with Firefighter that obviously a mosquito had found my hamstrings a trifle tasty and had taken more than one bite.
Saturday morning, however, after he'd left and I hopped in the shower, the itch was worse, painful and almost burning and when I looked, I actually had a nasty ring of a rash popping up, so now I'm thinking "Oh great, I've picked up ringworm at the pool". I have kids, which means I typically keep all kinds of potions at the house, so I locate the Lotrimin, smear it on and go about my day. Except the burning gets worse. The thigh is now starting to swell. I use a hand mirror to get a closer look and now I'm concerned as blisters are forming and MY GOD does it HURT!
Ringworm causes burning.... maybe I'm being a wuss. On goes more Lotrimin and a bandaid because I don't want to spread it. I choose my outfit for the evening. Not the dress I had wanted to wear because it was short and showed the swelling and bandaid, but a nice little hi-lo number I've had for a while with no opportunity to wear it. My leg is on fire, but I promised my friend We'll call her Welsh) a night out for her birthday weeks ago and I wasn't going to let her down.
I'd been feeling crappy all day, cramps, a slight headache, but I figured it was the long stressful week and that time of month we females all look forward to... We had a good night out. I may have had a glass of wine too many, but all in all, a good night. When I woke, however, my leg was red. Lobster red. And it was painful to walk, but I sucked it up. Firefighter was on his way from church and we were expected at dinner for Father's Day with his sister's family. I suffered through, despite a lack of sleep, pain and nausea. Once or twice, he told me to go on and go and he'd make my excuses for me, but I stuck it out. When I got home however.... It was more Lotrimin and then bed.
I had a morning appointment at the courthouse (starting to loathe that place, but the guards all know me and smile, so that's nice), then I elected to stop by the doctor's office and make sure it wasn't infected. As is my ridiculous habit, I went commando. I was wearing a maxi dress and it was hot! Anyway, trying to show the top of my thigh without showing my goods, was, um, challenging, then I said screw it, she's a doctor!
So you know you're in for a surprise, when the doctor looks at your rash and says "Hmmm, well I haven't seen that before." And she did her rotation in dermatology. Not good. Then she snapped a pic. Also not good. I was sent home with Doxycycline and instructions for care along with a giant black Sharpie circle around the red swelling. Ostensibly so I could check the efficacy of the medication.
I'm pleased to say that after 24 hours the swelling was down significantly, but I now have a dark red\purple bruise about the size of a silver dollar and the blisters are still there, about the size of a quarter. I tortured myself by looking up black widow bites and brown recluse bites and found images from both that look like what I have. Necrosis hasn't set in, so I'm hopeful... but it hurts. I spend half the day dizzy, the other half sleepy, but I did manage to get in a few hours work today. A special thanks to Welsh, My Past and Firefighter for checking on me at least twice a day each and offering to help. My stubborn, independent side didn't cave and accept, but I appreciate the offers.
Fingers crossed there won't be permanent scarring and I sincerely hope whatever eight-legged freak bit me, had it's own little visit from karma....
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