Regarding the stowaways that are making my life miserable at the moment. So. Upon my return to Michigan on Monday, my hands, which had been been kinda buried in my hair as I rested my head and tried to snooze during the flight, started itching. Then, tiny bumps that looked like blisters started appearing. The next, they had spread to my entire forearms. I was hoping it was a delayed reaction to poison ivy (HA!) but alas. It was not.
Mom took me to urgent care on Friday because it had spread to my face and neck and the itching was driving me MAD (fun fact: broken bones don’t faze me, but itching? NO). The doctor took one look at me and said, “Something is eating you.” Then he started asking about where we had been and if I’d been around livestock because it might’ve been fleas or mites. The good news? “They’re definitely not bed bug bites.”
SO! He gave me a shot of Prednisone in my butt and a prescription for the pills to help me heal, along with advice on how to get rid of the bugs. He thinks it’s some type of mite since we can’t see the damn things. This is why my arms are currently wrapped in cold towels (held in place by Ace bandages – Thanks, Mom!) and all of my bedding is being washed in HOT water (twice). One of my blankets, which was falling apart anyway, and my giganto stuffed shark, which I can’t wash, had to be sacrificed. The quilt my BFF’s Memere gave me has been placed in an airtight space-saver bag to be quarantined for at least 6 months, since I am NOT ruining it by washing it in hot water. The two nice dresses that went to Idaho got the same treatment as the quilt. People are coming over this afternoon to steam clean my room AND I have one of those bug-killing things that emits bug-killer into the air sitting on my headboard.
For the record – I don’t know where I picked up these jerks that are trying to ruin my life and I am not going to speculate on here. We have ideas and hypotheses, but no solid evidence to back them up – only circumstantial evidence.
I will say this though – I don’t regret taking the trip. It was worth it. I got to see some of my favorite extended family members, meet a cousin I didn’t even know I had, photograph birds of prey in one of the most stunning places I’ve ever been to, and just hang out with my mom and dad.
Of course, I would be perfectly happy for the itching to stop any. time. now.