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Thursday, June 25, 2009

So Itchy

After 6 hours of travel delays I finally made it home from my business trip to D.C. While I was there I was so tired, especially in the late afternoons. It didn't help that I was fighting some sort of rash that started behind my right knee with a bug bite. I scratched it and it became inflamed. My OB/GYN looked at it at my appointment last week and told me I needed to call my primary care physician, but I didn't have the time to get in before I left. So I armed myself with Benadryl 1% topical cream and hoped for the best.

I was miserable. The heat has not helped and suddenly, I was itchy all over! Two days ago, I developed some sort of rash on my upper arms and back. Desperate, I called the doctor everyday until they could see me. I got the call today at 9:30 a.m. to come in at 10:45 a.m. They saw me and confirmed that yes, my body was reacting to the bug bite. To top it off, the rash on my shoulders is contact dermatitis, most likely poisonous sumac. How I got it, I have no idea. Since it didn't start until I was already in D.C. for a day it could have been on a chair or something that I touched. Weird.

Seventy-five dollars and three prescriptions later, I should be on my way to not wanting to rip off my skin! I was given a shot in the hip of Kenalog at the office, prescribed four days of Prednisone pills (3 a day for the next two days and 2 a day for two days after that) and Elidel topical cream for the itching. All of this is supposed to be pregnancy safe. I sure hope so. I will be just devastated if, somehow, this causes any distress to my baby. The doctor assured and reassured both me and Mr. Divasaur (he met me at the appointment...he's awesome like that), so we chose to trust her on this. After all, she's the the professional. I hate second guessing my doctor's, but it's so not my nature to be a lemming about stuff. So far, I am already feeling a little less itchy (although ice packs and Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal baths are also involved) and hope that in a couple of days the redness and rashiness disappears.

In the eight weeks I have been pregnant I have had more prescriptions and more doctor's office visits than I have had in the last year! My body is not my own! It's somewhat frustrating, really. I just hope that since things come in threes, this is the last of it for me. Most of all, I just hope my body starts to cope better with being pregnant. The fatigue is still overwhelming. I am very grateful though that the nausea and breast tenderness seems to have subsided. Food aversions and enhanced sense of smell have not, however, and that has led to a serious lack of appetite. The only thing that appeals to my palate these days is bread and cheese. In some fashion. Like a margherita pizza or bagel with cream cheese. Or, sometimes, eggs. But not alone. They have to be accompanied by toast or something. I always try to add in some fruit, but veggies seem to elude me as of late. I get a salad in when I can but steamed and sauteed is out for now. I usually love them, but the smell alone turns my stomach. That said, I am two-thirds the way through then first trimester and one-fifth the way through this pregnancy. I have not vomited once. For that I am extremely thankful.

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1 comment:

  1. Ugh, your rash sounds awful. I'm glad you're getting some relief.

    I hear you on the food thing, it's tough. I'm just eating ANYTHING at the point that it doesn't make me feel like throwing it back up. It's tough, though.

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