Have you ever recieved a compliment that was a wee bit off? That happened to me this week.
Several years ago I had my first dose of hives after an allergic reaction to aspirin. I really hoped it would be my last but that lovely malady visited me again this past week.
What caused it this time I am not sure but I am blaming a reaction to a frozen baked mac and cheese dish that I had never tried before. I got the hives after eating it and then got a booster reaction when I had it for left overs the next day.
That convinced me and the rest went in the garbage.
Must have been one of those ingredients no one can pronounce that I was allergic to. I am really kind of sorry for it was quite tasty.
If you have never had hives--lucky you. They itch fiercely. I had large raised welts from neck to knees. They started on my butt and migrated joyfully up and down my body till I was covered. My face swelled somewhat but not nearly as badly as that first time.
Photos from first post 3 years ago.
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| Serial killer?? |
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| I didn't take any selfies this time as I need a new battery for my camera. I am not quiet "after" yet but close. |
So here I was with puffy cheeks and a rosy rash complexion as I headed for Walmart for some Benadryl to relieve the allergic reaction.
Rather hoped my puffiness would work as a disguise and no one would recognize me. I was standing there deciding how big a bottle to get when someone I hadn't seen in a while from my garden club stopped to say "Hi".
After a while, she dropped the compliment. "You must be doing something right for you certainly are looking well." she said smiling.
Ok that wasn't a major compliment but if there is one thing you don't want to hear it is that you look good when you feel lousy. Now I could only wonder how bad must I have looked before if illness was an improvement? Don't think I want to go there. I thanked her and left.
The good thing is that I am almost rash free now. It has been an interesting 4 days.
Have you ever recieved a compliment that left you feeling a bit confused?
I've never had hives and I guess it's something better left alone. lol
ReplyDeleteI've noticed something about old age and I never seem to get any kind of compliments anymore..... good or bad.
4 days is a long time to be itcy.
Belva,
DeleteI'm sure you do, they just aren't as obvious as the once were. Like she didn't say I looked good, only well. And yes 4 days was 4 too many.
After getting my hair cut and styled differently, someone said to me "Looks great. Very youthful; all you need are the pimples." Huh?
ReplyDeleteHives! I've had them a few times; never discovered the allergen. I always keep benadryl around. They used to make benadryl strips that immediately dissolved on your tongue. I don't think they make the strips any more, as I can no longer find them. Glad you're doing better :-)
Carole,
DeleteHa ha, I loved that one. It was quite flattering. At least they didn't say "and you even have the pimples."
I didn't know about the strips. That would be handy. I'll Google that today.
Oh my! You need to stay away from those prepared foods, Patti. You are way too important to me to have you going off like this. I've stopped eating all kinds of prepared foods with ingredients a mile long.
ReplyDeleteDjan,
DeleteAww thanks. I will try to do better. I normally don't eat such things but I loved BAKED mac and cheese and this was the first time I had seen it. Think I will adopt your guide lines more closely in the future.
I've had a bout with full body hives every 5-6 years my entire life and the bouts last every single day for months on end. My first bout was at 3 months old. The last one was 7 months long. I've had every test known to man and the best guess they can come up with is I'm allergic to myself and my thyroid levels have something to do with it. An auto-immunity thing. But at one time yellow dye no. 5 was suspected. Hives are no joke! If someone told me that I look good when my face was puffed up and itchy with hives, I would have slugged them. I hear now they have an infusion for treating chronic hives so they don't have to last for months. Angel of Mine Baby oil gel with Lavender and Chamomile, a Dollar Tree brand, really helps temporarily calm the skin. I lived in last time.
ReplyDeleteJean,
DeleteGood grief, I can't imagine having them for so long. I almost lost my marbles after 4 days. I do hope that infusion works for you if your are ever plagued with them again. Thanks about the baby oil suggestion. I will look for it today.
Did you "bless her heart"?
ReplyDeleteOlga,
DeleteHa ha, pretty sure that phrase crossed my mind.
Oh stars, so sorry about the hives. I've never had them, hubby claims the hive king crown in our house. I've had Shingles and that was such a pain. Goodness, I'd say that Mac and Cheese fix wasn't worth the ultimate price.
ReplyDeleteAs to compliments....my grands must think I'm a wreck all the time because if I do put on makeup or wear a new shirt, they always say how great the new addition looks. I wonder what they'd do if I really got dressed up? Probably not notice that....hehehehe
Linda W,
DeleteOh I am so sorry your hubby gets them. They really aren't much fun. I think you ought to do that and make it a blog post. I'd love to hear about it.
If you still had visible hives then I'm pretty sure it was a pity compliment. Usually if people smile at you real big and then leave quickly, there is something awful on your face.
ReplyDeleteAnnie,
DeleteOut side of the puffy cheeks, nothing showed. However at my age, I put most compliments into the pity category or just trying to be nice. Sigh.
I've been told, "You're a lot smarter than I thought you were." Does that count?
ReplyDeleteHad Hives in college a couple of times while staying up late studying for a test, probably different from what you suffer through, I remember itching like Hell and almost going crazy, the rash, but don't think I had the swelling. Two shots of scotch to relax and sleep cured me...probably did not ace the tests.
You look damn good...the serial killer, not so much.
joeh,
DeleteYep, that qualifies. You fooled them didn't you? They do itch right up there with chiggers.
Aww thank you. I'm sure the scary me would have made a real serial killer look for another victim:))
Glad you're improving. I've never suffered hives but understand they can actually be dangerous.
ReplyDeleteLinda,
DeleteThanks. When it closes off your air way like I thought it was going to the first time,it can be really serious.
You poor thing... So sorry about the hives. My youngest son had that once when he was young... We moved out of the apartment for a night or two to see if he were allergic to something at home... NEVER did find out what caused them --but he hasn't had them again (and he is almost 46 now)...
ReplyDeleteYES---I've received and GIVEN those kinds of non-compliments before. ha
Hugs,
Betsy
Betsy,
DeleteI can't imagine how awful they would be for a child. So glad what ever it was never bothered him again. Ha ha, pretty sure they are better to give than receive.
My son in law said I look better without makeup. Ummm... I know for a fact that isn't true. However, I'm going to just accept it that he likes me without enhancements or concealers or whatever.
ReplyDeleteAs for hives, I got a ton of it when I was a child. Mine are caused by stress. And they are awful. I know just what you mean by the welts. I used to watch them grow from islands to continents. If I get any bumps now, I take a nap and they go away.
Kay,
DeleteI'm sure to him you really do look better with out. Some men just don't like makeup.
I am so sorry you get them a lot but it is great that you have found a surefire cure. They do get like continents don't they?
My mother was a master of the "left-handed" compliment. (apologies to the lefties among us) She once told my sister-in-law who was tending to their three young children, "I'm so glad Bob married you instead of those pretty little college girls he used to date." Too bad my mother did not live long enough to see her d-i-l inherit a fortune from an aunt. She went to college and got her doctorate!
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of confusing "compliments" I always think of Marie, Raymond's mother.
Carolyn,
DeleteOuch, that one really stung. So glad the
d-i-l didn't let it phase her. Yes--I had forgotten that Marie was the master of the left handed compliment.
At the moment I can't recall a specific compliment, though I'm certain it has happened.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're getting over your allergic reaction.
Eileen
Eileen,
DeleteThank you, I was ready for some relief.
I'm sorry to hear about the hives-- and also the non-compliment compliment.
ReplyDeleteGeorge,
DeleteThank you. Actually it lead to a post so all was not lost.
One old geezer at the golf course told me I must have been really pretty when I was younger!!
ReplyDeleteAnd you should have replied, "How old do you think I am?" Put him on the defense. I have found that old men think they can say anything to women of a certain age. They think they are "cute."
DeleteFran,
DeleteHa ha. Oddly I would have taken that as a supreme compliment for it meant he thought you were pretty ravishing right now.
You sure are pretty for your age. What????????? Not sure that was a compliment.
ReplyDeleteSnickelfritz,
ReplyDeleteOk, I had to type that twice:)) Welcome to TNS and thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Like with Fishducky's compliment, I would have accepted that one happily. Do you suppose I am compliment starved?:))
I've never had hives, but I did have Lichens Planus twice. It's an auto-immune disease that covers the body in a fiercely itchy rash from neck to ankles. Unbelievable. I didn't know hives would make you swell like that. Yikes. I don't recall getting a weird compliment, but I'm sure I have.
ReplyDeleterobin,
DeleteI had to look up Lichens Planus. Looks like it is a nasty thing to deal with. Hives make you swell when they are caused by an allergic reaction.
I have never had hives. Your case sounds horrible!
ReplyDeleteI guess you must have looked better than you felt!
Linda R,
DeleteAnd I hope you keep your record intact. It isn't much fun. The thing is I looked pretty bad--not even sure how she recognized me. I can only think last time she saw me I looked worse:))
Glad you're getting past the itchy phase. I had pityriasis rosea rash once--they don't really know what causes it. And I used to get hives (when I was a kid) if I ate too many peanut M&Ms.
ReplyDeletepattisjarrett,
DeleteI had to look that one up too. Didn't know there were so many types of rashes. Sure am glad you only got it once. Glad you no longer get hives though it is a shame having to give up peanut M&Ms. They are so good.
Never had hives from allegories but I do feel for you. Only two foods do not agree with me and in fact, send me scurrying to the porcelain gods: Anything by Red Baron Pizza and anything by Jimmy Dean.
ReplyDeleteI've always gotten half-baked compliments on stuff that I do at work. Last week, finished a three month+ project boxing and shifting files and the only compliment I got was for the shadowing I had used on the labels.
G.B. Miller,
DeleteAt least you know what foods to avoid. That compliment you got last week was a bummer. It is like someone looking at your infant child and saying "My what cute elbows he has."
All the time. Ever since I've become an octogenarian I've taken compliments with a grain of salt ... they almost never end with "...for your age." but I know it is what they are thinking.
ReplyDeleteGinnie,
DeleteMe too but those I really don't mind too much. Can't deny it as much as I'd like to.
So sorry about the hives. My son and I used to share that reaction whenever we took a certain antibiotic. Yuk! My fav compliment came from a college president. He said he'd never liked my face but now that I was pregnant I looked better. Needless to say, I was speechless.
ReplyDeleteAnnie,
DeleteOMG that is a jaw dropper. Pretty sure he lives alone.
Every once in a blue moon I will break out in tiny hives on my face for no reason. If I leave them alone (don't scratch) they will go away pretty quickly. My mother says I am allergic to oranges, but I've never had a reaction that I can remember. Maybe it was that MSG or whatever they call that spice that so many people are allergic to.
ReplyDeleteOuch about the hives! You probably remember when I went for several months itching and swelling like crazy until I was finally diagnosed with a formaldehyde allergy. (It's in so many products.) if I get a small patch of itching now, I know I've been exposed. I'm really careful (though I don't live in a bubble). I wonder if it was something in the cheese that caused you to react? Many people tell me they'd love to cut their hair short like mine but they're not brave enough. (Ditto for letting it go white.) Somehow, nothing about hair seems brave to me!
ReplyDeleteSure hope those hives have cleared up by now sweet Patti. I get them sometimes if I have to get out and go to certain places. They usually go away after I get there and back though. When allergies cause swelling it can be very dangerous, I am very glad you could breathe and it was no worse. As for compliments the only one I can think of right now is...you don't look a day over 30. LOL Hugs
ReplyDelete