Many of my local friends have now been privileged to see the grotesque condition of my feet, ankles, and legs. Late Saturday evening I apparently positioned my feet directly in the path of hungry, vicious, man-eating parasites commonly known here in the mid-west as chiggers. Being from California, I have never been formerly introduced to this microscopic parasite, but I do believe that now I have received the most welcome introduction anyone would care to have. I would give anything at this moment to be dealing with our friendly blood-sucking mosquitoes rather than these chigger bites. The desire to itch is intense and almost painful, and apparently when I am sleeping, my sense of control is lost and I just scratch and scratch until I wake myself up, realize what I am doing, throw control out the window, and continue to scratch until I think I might be bleeding at any minute. So here I am, awake. I managed to make myself stop itching, get out of bed, and smother my feet in anti-itch gel. It helped, but I still am fighting the urge to scratch and scratch, and I think that if I go back to bed I'll find myself repeating history. Somehow I will survive. I don't know if my feet will, okay that's a little dramatic, but I hope my feet survive without too many scars. I'm not sure they will. I'm hesitant to post the pictures I have taken for documentation-because they are hideous, but I'm sure you are all curious, so okay, but please, leave me lots of comments of your deepest sympathies-I need them. And yes, these really are my feet.
p.s. Kristine, I now know what misery you went through when this happened to you.
p.s. Kristine, I now know what misery you went through when this happened to you.
Will history repeat itself? YES.
The hours go by....
I went back to bed at 1:30am......
I got out of bed at 4:30am after 20 minutes of scratching.
10 comments:
OOOOOHHHHHHH! I'm SOOOOOOO sorry! That looks AWEFUL!! Chiggers must have huge populations this year - I've never known anybody who had been bitten by them until this year - now it seems EVERYBODY is getting them. It makes me not want to go outside! Where did you run into them? (so I can stay away)
That looks so painful! I'm sorry! I wonder where you ran into those things. Now I'm scared to go outside too! I hope it stops itching soon!
Yuck - I hope it gets better soon!
thats aweful! I hope they feel better soon!
Tracy -- you must be pooped today! Sorry that I kept you up late last night but thanks so much for your help.
so sad! hope they feel better soon! love you sis!
oh, and i got my work schedule for the semester: 9-5 on Tuesday and Thursday and 12-5 on Friday.
Yuck. Just yuck. Sorry!
Oh Tracy! That's terrible!! I am so sorry!! Here's my best relating story: I had an allergic reaction to our laundry detergent and had an itchy rash on my stomach for three months! TMI? Probably :). You have my sympathy.
Wow, that looks awful. I am so sorry you, too, have been afflicted with chiggers. I wish I'd learned some magic way of making them feel better, but it seems the only thing that makes them feel better is time. Hydrocortisone cream or Benadryl will help temporarily, though--if you need some let me know since we still have lots from my encounter with the dreaded nasties.
WOW! I have heard of them but never known anyone that had them. I am so sorry. Hope you start to feel better though!
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