Hi there,
I just got back from the 5-mile St. Croix Coral Reef Swim--a terrific race for anyone considering it. I've done this 4 times, and despite what I am going to ask about, I highly recommend the race. I saw tons of turtles, rays, and had a great 5 days in the sun.
Given all of that, during last year's race, I was stung by a man-of-war, and "sea lice." The man-of-war sting was extreme, and required a hospital visit as I developed a systemic reaction. (This kind of sting is almost unheard of in St. Croix so don't let it put you off the race!)
This year, I seem to have been attacked by sea lice again. The last two days, in addition to the bumps and itching, I have had a headache, felt feverish, had the chills, and generally felt like I have light flu symptoms. I am also sleeping really badly. I've been up since 4, totally unable to get back to sleep. I didn't equate the other symptoms with the reaction until I did some reading. Now, I'm pretty certain they're related.
Has anyone confronted this? My concern, based on looking at some things online, is that now that I've started these kind of reactions, they will continue to get worse the more times I encounter the little beasties. I hesitate to use the prednisone I have leftover from last year's man-of-war sting, but I'm feeling pretty lousy. (No pun intended!)
What have you done in the past? And have you tried Safe Sea, the supposed prevention lotion? I love the sport, but I'm paying for it dearly in terms of how I feel!
Thanks for any advice.
Hi again,
Just thought it was worth an update. I went to the doctor this morning, after another night of terrible chills, headadche, and waking up soaking wet. Yuck!
The doctor actually said "Wow! You're really sick." It's rare that they say that. He agreed that it's not the flu, and recognized spots I hadn't even noticed. (In the waiting room, although there was almost no fever, I literally sweat through my clothes. I looked like I had run a marathon by the time he saw me. GROSS! Given the fact that I am usually freezing cold, this is HIGHLY unusual for me.)
He did a blood test, just to rule out everything, and basically said I have to ride this out. Of course, now between the trip and the illness, I've been gone from work for well over a week. Not great when you own your own business. Donna, like you, he said it could be 10 days of this!!
He also said that at this point, he doesn't recommend the Prednisone, especially because my skin reaction is not as bad as my systemic one. Bummer. I had hopes of a miracle cure.
I do have moments of feeling better, during which I of course do too much, and then feel worse again. (It's a gorgeous fall day here in Massachusetts and all I want to do is RUN!)
He did mention that he thought I'd have to take next year off from St. Croix, let my system calm down a bit in terms of exposure--during which time I could become less allergic. Does this ring true to you? I could do Bermuda instead of St. Croix, although the St. Croix race really does have my heart--and appparently, my health. He said the systemic reactions can decrease with less exposure, during which time your immunity gets revitalized. (Not his word, but my interpretation.)
Anyway, thanks for thinking of me, Donna and Mary, and thanks for all of the encouraging words.
Take care,
Sydne
Hi again,
Just thought it was worth an update. I went to the doctor this morning, after another night of terrible chills, headadche, and waking up soaking wet. Yuck!
The doctor actually said "Wow! You're really sick." It's rare that they say that. He agreed that it's not the flu, and recognized spots I hadn't even noticed. (In the waiting room, although there was almost no fever, I literally sweat through my clothes. I looked like I had run a marathon by the time he saw me. GROSS! Given the fact that I am usually freezing cold, this is HIGHLY unusual for me.)
He did a blood test, just to rule out everything, and basically said I have to ride this out. Of course, now between the trip and the illness, I've been gone from work for well over a week. Not great when you own your own business. Donna, like you, he said it could be 10 days of this!!
He also said that at this point, he doesn't recommend the Prednisone, especially because my skin reaction is not as bad as my systemic one. Bummer. I had hopes of a miracle cure.
I do have moments of feeling better, during which I of course do too much, and then feel worse again. (It's a gorgeous fall day here in Massachusetts and all I want to do is RUN!)
He did mention that he thought I'd have to take next year off from St. Croix, let my system calm down a bit in terms of exposure--during which time I could become less allergic. Does this ring true to you? I could do Bermuda instead of St. Croix, although the St. Croix race really does have my heart--and appparently, my health. He said the systemic reactions can decrease with less exposure, during which time your immunity gets revitalized. (Not his word, but my interpretation.)
Anyway, thanks for thinking of me, Donna and Mary, and thanks for all of the encouraging words.
Take care,
Sydne
