The Rash

18 weeks

08.08.09, Saturday
Matt and I went over the my parents house and swam on the lake before our big birthday celebration (Jess, Edwin and I all had one birthday dinner since our birthday's are 4 days apart).

08.09.09, Sunday
Woke up Sunday morning itching. I could not figure out what this itch was. Gosh. It wont stop. I pull up my shirt to find small red bumps to cover my chest, a ring around my belly button and a strip that lead to my back. Great. I itched all day. Now the bumps turned into whelps. Ah. Stop itching please. At this point, I figured I got a rash from the lake. Odd. Never happened before.

08.10.09, Monday
The rash had now spread to my arms and legs. Ouch. It hurts. The worse part was that I share an office with another person. A man. So, itching my chest is not quite the thing 'you' want to do with another man present. Oh, but I couldnt help it.

At this point, I had enough. My neighbor is a nurse, so I decided, I'll ask her - if she says go to the doctor, I will. So, needless to say, go to the doctor. I had told Matt I was going to call them in the a.m. - however, Matt had a better solution. Google. Duh, you can make any diagnosis through WebMD. Laugh. Matt googled my 'symptoms' and told me, "Well, its one of two things" - my thought, 'DUH' - He says, "Its either PUPPS or something else." Great. My husband can be a doctor!!

08.11.09
It was horrible at this point. I looked like I rolled my body in poison ivy. I called the OB in the a.m. and went in for an appointment at 9:30. I met w. Dr. Laffitte Yep. Sure enough. My husband was a DR. Turns out it is PUPPS. I will get to itch for the rest of my pregnancy - that or Benedryl and/or steroids. Nah. I will pass. I had reached my low - I was g;oing to be fat, pregnant, and ugly with a rash for the next 22 weeks. Great.

Have no fear, I GOOGLED everything about it when I returned back to work. Sure enough there are Natural remedies I can 'take/do' to help 'tame' the rash. So far, the best one that works is Pine Tar Soap, Vitamin E and Dandelion Root. Not sure which it is that's magical but something works! My rash is 'tamed' and I dont look like I have rolled in poinson ivy anymore!