Thursday, July 24, 2008

Dog tired

(What are you looking at?)
I thought I should put up a new post since yesterday was a bit harsh. Some days reality just gets a little too intense around here. The photo is my Princess's dog Gidget in her typical "after bath suffering pose". Most days I'm not really sure which one of them is more spoiled. Frankly it is a draw I'm sure.


(Again? Can't you see we are sleeping here?)

This one is of my dear Princess and her best friend both dog tired and out for the count. Princess has a new job (real live grown up 12 hour shift busting ass job-everyone say
"YEE-HAW!) now. Unfortunately it is very hard labor for a print company that spits out thousands of our favorite magazines each day. She is the only girl on the floor doing this kind of work and the boys are putting her thru the proverbial tests to say the least. If she can hang thru this, I know she will make it up the ladder in no time.

Unfortunately, she has to wear steel toed boots for this environment. This meant new shoe shopping which did not rank up there with anything Stacey and Clinton would deem "fit to wear". Face it, steel toed boots are not a fashion statement. Especially in a town our size where we were lucky enough to find a massive TWO styles that even came in her size. So, good ol' Mom shelled out some serious cash and bought her a pair that appeared to be the best as far as comfort, safety etc. Off she went for the job. First day, what appeared to be a heat rash around her ankles at the top of the boot. Second day, uglier rash around top of boot and some impressive blisters on her feet. Couple days off, back for day three, rash at top of legs had cleared up, but now back but good ol' Mom only had a brief peak as I did't get home til after bedtime thanks to work travel and a seriously messed up airline industry. Anyway, day four, and BIG problems Houston!!!!! Now the formerly appearing rash has developed into blisters extending 2 inches and circling her legs. Poor kid could barely walk let alone put on the boots and go to work.

She obviously was having some form of reaction to those damn boots! I sent her to the doctor with Prince Charming, and back they came with some topical cream and a note to remain off work for 4 days. So, we did the cream, Benadryl, Ibuprofen and the agony continued and in fact worsened. By the 4th day, the blisters were now over 1/2 inch thick and growing by the hour. I sent her back to the doctor again after me, the dim witted nurse, finally put two and two together. See, Princess is way too much like her mom. She itches with soaps, bubble bath, lotions, etc. For years we couldn't figure out why if she spent two hours in the bathroom applying makeup like wall spackle, her feet would become red, swollen, and itch herself to death. Same time frame as we got the new puppy who felt this was her domain to use as a yard... Anyway, I thru away the rugs and got all cotton that I can bleach etc to remove the smell.. Ironically we didn't notice her foot problem went away. Another time Prince Charming drug us all to a out of town rodeo where we spent two days in a Minus 6 Star hotel, cheap, flat, industrial carpet. Princess made one trip to the bathroom in bare feet and literally scratched off her skin before 10 minutes was up. So, enter work boots with leather, heavy padding, stitching at ankles, etc. Are you seeing a pattern here? Aren't you glad I'm a nurse instead of a rocket scientist as it took me flipping forever to get it.

Princess has a LATEX allergery. Boots have foam padding topped by the wonderful "breathable fabric" enclosed in a solid leather shell. Foams and padding and glue for shoes are made from rubber based products. Sweat and stand on your feet working your ass off for 12 hours with that enclosed area on your skin, bingo, allergic reaction that intensifies with time. Same for rubber backed bath mats, cheap carpet, carpet padding, bandaids, the list is literally endless! So, she heads back to the doc and lucky for her could only see the nurse practitioner. She actually looks, listens, feels, and at long last drains those damn blisters since one had already exploded on its own. Infection is already present, now we get another topical ointment, antibiotics, and off work for another week. In two days, things are finally calming down and just centered on the blisters. Each day it gradually improves, but let me tell you. Having Latex allergy is worse than anything you could ever imagine. Have a look at the limited selection in the market place if you don't believe me. So much is taken for granted, ie shoes and socks. Yes my friend, those favorite socks of yours that actually stay up where you want them are full of latex (elastic, spandex etc). Try finding a pair of all cotton socks with no elastic. Yeah, welcome to my world. Off Prince Charming and Princess go as she NEEDS this job, therefore she needs another new pair of shoes. Last ditch effort they head to our bright, shiny, new Cabela's. (Little did they know Mom scoped out the internet and sent them there knowing they had a pair that is barely ankle high and would miss the affected area, our secret, shhh). Home they came grinning from ear to ear with new boots. Again not on the fashion radar, but fairly comfortable, only model in her size, and the saleman was ZERO help insisting none would fit her. Dear Prince made it clear he wasn't leaving the store until something was found if it meant trying on every damn shoe in the store. See why I married him, my cowboy up, git-r-done hero? Yeah, tough guy with a heart of marshmallows. Sorry, sidetracked. So, they march in with big grins and new shoes and the incredible story demanding Mom to guess the price. Come on, just guess they say, with that look of you won't believe it when we tell you... I pondered several moments and say "UMM, $49.00"? Smiles vanish, heads sag, shoulders slump, heavy sighs. "How the hell come you are so smart Mom?" they say.

Mom, "Haven't I told you a thousand times? Mom's know everything!" (wink, wink, shh our secret!)

So, everyone cross your fingers, toes, legs, eyes, and any other part you can manage that her new boots now won't do the same thing. Today is her first day back after this ordeal and I am literally holding my breath that all goes well. Oh, and for good measure hope the print machine doesn't explode again and douse her in industrial permanent print ink like it did the last day there. Let me tell you, it is IMPOSSIBLE to remove said ink from your Princess's FAVORITE pair of jeans she was wearing that now have a seriously homeless man appearance. I tried every damn product on the market, but after 5 days of trying I have given up hope. Lucky for us, she now has her company paid uniforms that are another fashion statement-not, but company paid and if desired company laundered as well. Good for those ink saturated days. Here is an FYI for you, should you ever find your skin saturated in permanent ink (I told you the machine exploded), Purity Made Simple by Philosophy is a "face cleanser" product that we have been using around here for awhile now. Pricey devil but great for literally melting off your makeup and mascara etc yet leaves your skin feeling clean and not like you scrubbed with bleach and shrink wrap. Anyway, Princess headed to the tub to soak her bones, washed her face, and "accidentally discovered" that during this process her hands were suddenly resembling a caucasian appearance again. So, she scrubbed a area on her arm, poof the ink disappeared. In comes mom to hit the large areas on her back (exploding machine I tell you), and again like magic the ink disappeared. Her boss had scrubbed her with every industrial chemical they own to remove ink prior to her coming home with no success. The guys have permanent rainbow tattoo areas on them from years of this. Not Princess, she is squeeky clean! AND it doesn't make her itch like most of those darn products on the market. And no, I don't work for Philosophy, in fact many of their products don't help my oily face much, but I will buy this stuff now if it means giving up other indulgences. I already use many of the products such as shower gel, perfume, micropeel pads, lotion etc. Let's say QVC is on my speed dial, and the supersize bottles are my friend! So, if you find yourself at the mercy of an exploding print machine, or simply a drawing board for a toddler with a passion for a sharpie marker, give the Purity stuff a try.

Hope everyone has a good day, and good weekend as will be several days before I get a chance to post.



3 comments:

Victoria - Florence and Mary said...

I've used that Philosophy cleanser myself and it does seem to remove anything!!!

Victoria xx

Anonymous said...

Your poor daughter (and Mom). Sure hope she is on the mend now. Over the past two years DH has suddenly developed some kind of skin allergy and I have had to eliminate anything with a scent too it. The drs. ?? have given him all kinds of topical creams, oils, etc. to use but nothing helps. One area of his body gets better and it pops up somewhere else. It's a mess. Thanks for the tip on Philosophy and Have a super great and fun weekend. ~ Lynn

Anonymous said...

Hi Lisa, Hope all is calm and quiet in your home today. I posted that recipe you asked about today. Come on over and get it. ~ Lynn