Oooo, I was so excited to chuck it all the other day, sit in the sun wearing teeny clothes, jamming with my iPod while my cabana boy brought me frosty beverages. The next day was paying the piper, but the price didn't come in full effect until the last couple days.
Sun poisoning. I've got it, and got it bad.
I think I've had one other instance of sun poisoning in my life, which I had blocked out until reminded today by a friend. Back in high school. I vaguely remember it. It was nothing like this. Nothing.
The ultimate irony is that I think the root cause of this aftermath is actually from a prescription skin care cream. Although the offending cream is applied in tiny amounts only on a very small area, it warns me not to go in the sun, as there may be that wonderful side effect called photo sensitivity. The cream obviously is absorbed systemically into my body. I didn't give it a second thought, or a third and forth thought for that matter. I no longer am a tanner, I no longer sit in the sun. Every time I go outside for a run, beach cleaning or any other reason, I've got my sunblock with me. Its rare I forget it. Skin damage is serious issue down here, and now that I live in an almost constantly sunny climate, I heed my doctor's advice.
I had my sunblock with me, and used it on the sun worshipping day of this weekend past. Its true, however, I have not been in the sun like this for years. It wasn't an entire day, not even a half day, just maybe about an hour and a half. Too much.
So, the better part of today has been spent with cool compresses, ice packs, drinking gallons of water and occasionally blotting cool chamomile tea bags on my wounded skin. The damage is localized. If you look at me, you wouldn't know what I am secretly enduring.
I thought about titling today's post "A Cautionary Tale" because that is what this really is. Its summer, in the Keys. Latitude 24. Closer to the equator. My own father got sun poisoning on one of his first visits here years ago. My dad, a man with very dark Mediterranean skin left here with one of the worst cases of sun poisoning I ever witnessed. My poor daddy.
Anyone out there contemplating a visit to the Keys, or any tropical climate remember this: heed the warnings on your medications, slather the SPF 3ba-zillion on, and never, but never sun bathe.
I am not looking forward to the next visit with my dermatologist. Not by a long shot. For now though, my thoughts simply return to my trusty ice pack, which beckons as I write.
Sun poisoning. I've got it, and got it bad.
I think I've had one other instance of sun poisoning in my life, which I had blocked out until reminded today by a friend. Back in high school. I vaguely remember it. It was nothing like this. Nothing.
The ultimate irony is that I think the root cause of this aftermath is actually from a prescription skin care cream. Although the offending cream is applied in tiny amounts only on a very small area, it warns me not to go in the sun, as there may be that wonderful side effect called photo sensitivity. The cream obviously is absorbed systemically into my body. I didn't give it a second thought, or a third and forth thought for that matter. I no longer am a tanner, I no longer sit in the sun. Every time I go outside for a run, beach cleaning or any other reason, I've got my sunblock with me. Its rare I forget it. Skin damage is serious issue down here, and now that I live in an almost constantly sunny climate, I heed my doctor's advice.
I had my sunblock with me, and used it on the sun worshipping day of this weekend past. Its true, however, I have not been in the sun like this for years. It wasn't an entire day, not even a half day, just maybe about an hour and a half. Too much.
So, the better part of today has been spent with cool compresses, ice packs, drinking gallons of water and occasionally blotting cool chamomile tea bags on my wounded skin. The damage is localized. If you look at me, you wouldn't know what I am secretly enduring.
I thought about titling today's post "A Cautionary Tale" because that is what this really is. Its summer, in the Keys. Latitude 24. Closer to the equator. My own father got sun poisoning on one of his first visits here years ago. My dad, a man with very dark Mediterranean skin left here with one of the worst cases of sun poisoning I ever witnessed. My poor daddy.
Anyone out there contemplating a visit to the Keys, or any tropical climate remember this: heed the warnings on your medications, slather the SPF 3ba-zillion on, and never, but never sun bathe.
I am not looking forward to the next visit with my dermatologist. Not by a long shot. For now though, my thoughts simply return to my trusty ice pack, which beckons as I write.
No comments:
Post a Comment