i went under the knife for vanity and all i have to show for it is erythema multiforme

 about 2 1/2 weeks ago i went in for a 100,000 mile "tune up"-- (translation, breast reduction and a little nip here and tuck there). my ginormous breastesses that had 3 letters in the the B-C-D region behind the 36 part were taking over my body, so i knew it was time. the surgery went well and i actually have had a fairly easy recovery, thanks to my wonderful man who has taken care of me and my friends and family who have taken care of my kids.

on the afternoon of the 3rd, i was busy making plans with kamari and megan and brooke to have a wonderful 4th of july --by 2:30 am on the morning of the 4th i was in the er with a really, REALLY bad rash, while some doctor who looked like he just graduated from high school told me that i needed blood. NOW. i tried to make a funny remark about the fact that i would have to refuse the blood transfusion because of my religious beliefs as a jehova's witness, but he thought i was serious at first, so i had to take it back. but i feel like i should get props for at least attempting the joke.

i don't know technical terms but the jist was that my hemoglobin level should have been at a 12 to 14 and i was at a 6. they admitted me, and started the blood. the thing that got me most emotional? when the nurse informed the other nurse that i was "npo"--when we asked what that meant, she said no food or drink. obviously that was TOO much. unfortunately my tears failed to impress anybody but it didn't really matter because nobody listened to me, so i was happy to take the morphine and drift off to sleep. my doctor came in around 8 am and said that i looked fine, could have food (praise BE) and that the rash was probably a symptom of some allergic reaction and my body trying to tell me GET. BLOOD. NOW. i finished the blood (4 bags) and we checked out about 5 pm on the 4th.

i wore my pj's up to my parent's cabin in pine valley, ate some dinner, fell asleep on their couch and then was home in bed by 10:00pm. semi- good times.

what was NOT good times was by 5:30 pm the next day i was back in the emergency room looking like this:

(note from author: don't go falling in love with that sweet little number of a nightie--it's been a life saver and it snaps.)

i wanted every inch of skin to be scratched completely off my body and start again. the e.r. was a nightmare and way too busy with lots of rednecks with unfortunate firework incidents,  and we settled in for the next six (ugggghh yes 6) hours.  i laid there in that little room waiting for a dermatologist to come in to consult. which is apparently harder than to get an act of congress passed.

the dermo came in and told me that i had erythema multiforme which is a disease that occurs as your body reacts to something it thinks is foreign. they gave me some heavy duty steroid course of pills which symptoms include water weight gain (yay!) and puffiness in the face (double yay!) but then  sent me home with a parting gift of one more dose of morphine for the pain.  (TRIPLE YAY!!)

i'm home and doing great and normally would not put something like this out for the entire world to see.  but i'm neck-deep in hysterical new blogger mode and this screamed blogging gold.  also i wanted to remember the way i looked in this housecoat.