My epiphany…Linking Deet to my allergic reaction!

Finally I think I have discovered my issue. You may remember my recent blog about my allergy seemingly to the Philippines. Well after a bout of steroids which were fantastic for my skin, although bad for my moods, (man was I an aggressive cow for the week?? I’ve never wanted to actually stab my fella before, poor guy only moved a fan I wasn’t using, etc… Ha ha) I felt great, BUT I stopped taking them and the rash returned.

Granted my face, so far, had been left out of it, which is nice, but my extremities are covered in a lovely red, itchy blotchy number and boy is it angry! I’ve sat about all day thinking what it could be:

If it were washing powder it would be my tummy and areas my clothes touch plus its the same powder I’ve used since childhood

If it were food, my face should be bad again or at least my tummy, I have IBS and usually it will flare up if I eat something I shouldn’t but no..in fact I’ve been nicely regular these last few weeks, I feel quite healthy in that dept

If it were heat rash, surely it would be relieved a little when I am in a cold shower and worsened in the sun but nope

Then it struck me..the only thing I put on my arms and legs, it was literally sitting on the table staring at me the whole time…DEET! I’ve been using it quite excessively for weeks due to the fact I am very tasty and insects LOVE to eat me. I dare say I’ve been accumulating large amounts of it in my system and I have been using the max strength version too!

Oh how silly I feel, going through all this!

Still I shall dispose of the deet and probably need more steroids to clear the rash..as I said its literally back with vengence (probably due to the massive amounts of deet used over the last 2 days whilst I was out in the wilderness) but where do I go from there?

Malaria and Dengue Fever are very real risks out here and with deet out of the equation what can I do? Are there alternative repellents available here that work just as well? Does anybody know of any?

I don’t fancy choosing between a parasitic disease or having to literally scratch the skin off my body!

I think….Yeh im pretty damn sure I’m allergic to the Philippines!

So i promised you a blog full of amusing swill and i give you sweet FA…Well my lovelies thats because i have been an utterly miserable cow lately due to my allergy to what I can only assume to be the actual Philippines!  Heres my story….

 

2 weeks ago i started to itch…you know just a little bit on my arm, thinking them bastard mossies got me again i thought nothing of it untill it started to spread over my hands and arms and become raised…HIVES!  Having never had them before, i wont lie, i was disgusted…Those things are not pretty and boy do they itch!

You know when you see a dog incessantly rubbing its ass on the carpet??  Well that was me and my arms/hands but unfortunately our floor is smooth so i had to rub myself on myself, and incidentally the roughest part of clothing is around the wastline and flies…Therefore i have literally been rubbing my groin/waist area with that look of complete euphoria ( you know the one, the fuck you parents and friends and anyone else who is telling me not to scratch for my own good…this feels too goddamn good and oh ohhhh yeeaaaaah)….Sadly this is always followed by the ouch…ouchy…what the fuck did i do that for shameful moment of knowing you’ve made it worse…BOOOO!

Anyway on top of this my face decided to join in the game and i awoke last week to find what i can only describe as a shaved chewbacca face looking back at me….complete with shaving rash!  Thats right my face was swolen, red and sore.  My eyes were half closed and the worst bit? my lips stung like a mothertrucker…eating was painful and that made me mad!

(see I’m not lying)

Food is a god given right goddamn and when it becomes less than enjoyable, I become waaaay less than enjoyable!  Team this with the fact my fella put me on a diet of fruit, veg and eggs to cut out anythhing i might be reacting to, well, i cant even find words to describe the utter misery.  At that moment I felt more connected to alot of the locals around here than i care to feel again…those poor people with limited food.  Oh yes and the fact they live in huts and its monsoon season…anyway, were talking about ME

For a week i surviived on this spartan food and it made little difference, i tried re-washing my clothes minus the new softner, i tried using different soaps and although the hives retreated and just became a regular rash and the face became human looking, i was still itchy and every day i awake looking like ive been beaten in the night!  

(getting there but still not a pretty sight to wake up to)

After a long put off trip to the local health centre and a chat with the dermatologist i have steriod antihistamines, new cream and new soap so…Fingers crossed i can be happy and creative again soon!   I did try to sit down and write some blogs but all i could think was itching!  itching scratchy itchy skin!

Just so you can see I’m not a monster….Here i am post workout, makeup free before this all began….