Oh Pain Excruciating!! And still one ear to go!
I don’t know why I should develop Allergies at this tender age, but all of a sudden my pierced ears refuse to let earrings In, my nose is streaming (cats? dust? general breathing?), and my eyes retaliate Redly and Voluminously at a miniscule whiff of makeup.
To start with the ears… I mean, it’s thirty years since mum greeted my newly-perforated lobes with ‘Aaaaaahhhhhh! Oh Dolores – you had such Perfect ears!’ (True – I coyly did).
I remember being very concerned the first week that I’d forget to turn the studs and they’d refuse to let go without flesh attached, but my flatmate was brilliant (being an experienced wearer) and stopped me being So Soppy.
Since that first trepidatious experience, ornamenting my ears has been a delight - dangly, delicate, sparkly, colourful, bizarre… Fluffy purply cubes, miniature red and black fans… a Crayfish-shaped pair sent from Japan by my brother and his wife. (I thought they were chopstick rests till it was explained they Came Apart).
Now, though, something inside seems to be rebelling against Anything Decorative, and I have to catch my moody ears on a Feeling-Good! Day - even then I must be satisfied with the jaunty one-earringed pirate look.
The eye-makeup allergy is even more annoying. Ravishing though I am naturally, of course, just a Teeny Tinge of shadow, highlighter, eyebrow pencil, liner, mascara, blenderbrush… is Indi-flaming-spensable if I’m venturing beyond the garden without a balaclava. And you can't get an Ornamental balaclava anywhere…
But I really can't believe I’ve had to take up Anti-histamines - the nose-blow was just too constant. I have no idea where these Histamines are coming from but if I find out I’ll give them a Damn Good Thrashing.
The chemist said it’s quite common for people Beyond Youth to develop allergies – just one of those things we must Shrug at.
But what can be the cause? The dregs of the Ash Cloud? Our cats exuding toxic fumes in their Ripe old age? A secret bio-weapon bunker under the abandoned village butcher’s shop? Or simply the inevitable effects on a Delicate organism of Chemically Modern Life?
Of course, In My Day, we didn’t have Allergies.
Tuesday Top Tip
1 day ago
28 comments:
This is awful Dolores!
I fear you are not far wide of the mark when you suspect the Chemically Modern Life.
Have you tried drinking green tea? I have heard that this can be highly beneficial.
Please persevere Dolores!
As Ogden Nash said:
A girl whose cheeks are covered with paint
Has an advantage with me over one whose ain’t.
:-)
I feel your pain! My allergies have grown and grown over the years, until I too can no longer wear any makeup of any kind.
Hopefully you may be able to cure the problem with earrings by only wearing real gold or sterling silver. Even gold or silver plated earrings irritate can cause irritation, but real gold or silver usually prevents the problem.
Jon - Thank you for the suggestion, (as well as the Icecube one at your Place).
In fact I already drink buckets of green tea with Mint, or Ginger, or Orange 'Savour Pain d'Epices' - my Favourite. (Although I suspect the ginger & orange may be INFUSIONS-Not-Green).
Oh gawd - Perhaps THEY are the culprits!
CI - That's Brilliant! and makes it all worthwhile!
I have renewed hopes with news of a company called Yves Rocher, who make all their delights from Plants not Chemicals. And no animals are tested upon - triffic!
Am going tomorrow with Enormous Sack.
Karen Lizzie, I'm so sorry to hear that.
Interesting about the earrings - I do have a pair of silver I can try...
Have You tried Yves Rocher makeup, perchance?
'...over the years...' You've obviously had problems far longer than me, poor you, and they're no doubt far worse - I do hope you find a dedicated doctor who can help. Take care!
Now I remember where I know you from, Dolores. Thirty years ago, Hollywood, you were an ear double for Bo Derek. We had a chat in the lesser extras trailer. I was Dudley Moore’s nose double. You said you were soon to be going under the nail gun and I tried to warn you of the aural danger of this cosmetic procedure. Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
As for the other allergies. See a good mechanic to let you sail (verb confusion) through your facial MOT. Anyhows, wear and tear don’t make me change my opinion, DD, you’re still a perfect 10 to me.
Me, too, Dolores. Though my allergies are really very mild...just tree pollen in the Spring bringing on the sneezies and focused hezadaches from something undetermined in the Fall. But I was fine until about five years ago.
BTW, GO ENGLAND! Rooney rules.
Ah, JW - how well I remember this time, so very disappointing for me... (I'd applied for a quite different Part & was bizarrely found wanting). You and That Nose pulled me through... Thank You JW!
Expat - As if you hadn't got enough to deal with!
Deep Wisdom, Beauty and Experience seem to come with extreme Fragility as a penance! Well dyb dyb dyb dob dob dob to us all - specially to you.
(Is Rooney the one with no teeth)?
I think the teeth double for the metal-toothed giant Jaws in the 007 films had a bit part.
And, CI, his bit would surely add Even More Gleam to our already-stunning arrangement.
I think next time, I'll suggest my Elbow - an easily-overlooked part in Hollywood...
Thank you foryour concerns Dolores. I find the best course of action is to avoid anything that is designed to make me look glamorous and "intersting"!! No perfume in anything on my face or hair, no make-up, not even hypo-allergenic anywhere hear my eyes. No hair dye, gel, mouuse or spray. Prvising I stick to that I am mostly fine. I occasionally have to resort to a very low dose hydrocortisone cream on my eyelids. Sadly there is no other treatment and no way to redue to sensitivity.
However hiding behind a nice pair of glasses solves most of my problems and a little lipstick usually does no harm.
Can I impose on you to start a little blog within a blog and hope that you will all see it...
Reflections.
First of all, I am not really that brave, but I am determined. This diagnosis knocked me for six at first, but only temporarily. I am informed, upbeat and ready for whatever comes next. I am going into my surgery on June 25th with a degree of confidence but I am not complacent. I know that things could be uncovered that will change everything. I will keep you all up to date. Having you along as I make this journey is more precious to me than you could imagine.
CI. I wish we could hear from Cathy directly. She is in our hearts. And she and I have a bond now. Different cancer, similar emotional journey.
Hells Teeth, Karen! '... Providing I stick to that I'm mostly fine.' I should hope so, 'cos it doesn't leave you much to Go Wild with!
Thank heavens, then, for the Glamourous & Interesting glasses that abound these days, and the Joy of lipstick. You've obviously got it under control, Karen.
(Being nosy, can you Eat anything you want)?
Expat, "... impose" ? On the contrary, Thank you for letting us along on your Journey.
"Confidence... not complacent" - that's you to a T, Expat! Exuding Positive, but Rationally.
Well, along with everyone who knows you no doubt, I'm exuding loving healing wishes as hard as I can.
You're surrounded by tenderness, Expat (and splendid doctors to boot).
Yes - please keep us up to date, and we'll keep sending lots of love over there (including to John, who's suffering with you)...
And certainly to Cathy too - How are you two going, CI?
xxx
Oh I can eat anything I want, the only side effect of that is growing out of my clothes! It started with a reaction to perfumed soap when I was about 18/19 which caused a reation to the skin around my eyes and has slowly grown to encompass all eye make up, but foundation tends to be a problem if it gets too near the eye area. Then the earring thing developed. Finally I was using unperfumed shampoo to protect my eyes but my scalp started to crack if I used any hair products.
I have always had problems with wearing scent too as many of them give me a headache.
I have been fairly recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia and over-sensitivity appears to be one of the accompanying problems. However as I say with care and nice glasses I survive quite well, however there is no escape from the grey hair!
Hi Dolores. Not good news, I'm afraid. Kathy's biopsy confirmed an aggressive cancer. Tomorrow she will have an MRI scan. Kathy has been complaining of pain in her shoulder, and there is a risk that the cancer has spread from her face. When the results of the scan are known, she will be booked into surgery. All we know at the moment is that her face will be operated on twice, the second op being for reconstruction, which is a repeat of what happened two years ago. The scan will tell us if more is needed. From what the surgeon says, it is almost 100% certain she will be operated on in the next two weeks.
Expat, you are so right. It's the uncertainty that is so hard to bear, and it's impossible to articulate the anxiety that this creates. But we are keeping active. After each of two hospital visits so far this week, we went walking, exploring, and shopping together! We'll probably do the same tomorrow. We laugh a lot when we do stuff together.
Yes, it's definately time to be brave - and to keep busy! I'll write more when I have news, and I hope you do too.
OK. Time to be proactive. CI, start a blog that we can all go back to. Call it Journeys. We will laugh and cry and exchange progress information...and we wiil BOTH beat this beast.
You and Kathy continue to be held close to my heart. I know how helpless you feel. John feels the same way. He is there every step, but ultimately this is a journey the cancer patient, in her heart, makes alone. Not sure if that makes sense but I think Kathy will understand.
XXXXX
Thanks Expat!
In the meantime, here's a little gem that Kathy came up with yesterday. Maybe you remember it from schooldays...
Q: What's the cure for water on the brain?
A: A tap on the head!
I think Readers Digest had the right idea. Laughter is the best medicine!
:-)
CI - that's shocking and appalling news, but you're both positively en route to Conquering the bloody thing.
You're both inspirational, as are you, Expat & John.
The waiting for results and operations must be an agonising limbo.
You are all so much in my thoughts, and all I can pitifully offer is warmest wishes for continued srength and laughter to get beyond this ghastly period in your lives.
take care
xxxx
Hi Karen. I've just googled Fibromyalgia - what a multitude of nasty symptoms and the difficulties of diagnosis adding to the distress.
On top of that, the treatments sound rather vague and you've evidently got a determined version - from '18/19' to 'grey hair' is pretty persistent...
I hope the doctors can ease some of the symptoms somehow, and keep battling this insidious ailment - your Glam and joviality can only help
Hello!
Well, the scan has been done, and now we wait. I'll be following Expat's suggestion and shall post further news in my "Canary Archive", which you can click on from my main blog page.
Dolores, Expat - thanks for your warm wishes! :-)
Be Brave, CI and Kathy. Will follow your posts on Canary Archive, but you'll be constantly in my thoughts
xxxx
HELP! I cannot rspond to Journeys because there is non :name" option!!!
Oh heck, Expat! I had the same problem because I couldn't remember my dolores password. I got round it by going there from All the days of dolores, and it didn't demand a password.
I wonder if that could work for you - if you clicked on Canary Islander from my title page 'blogs-I-like'.
Don't know what else to suggest, but I'll tell CI about it - maybe he can change the access somehow.
How are you, though, Expat? Both you and Kathy have ops on Friday I think - Tons & Tons of Luck to you
xxx
Actually, Dolores, that's how I always access CI, JW and Jon. I have you in my favorites so open your blog first and then do the rounds.
I am well. Getting a little nervous as the surgery approaches. Very relieved to read that Kathy is just facing the one surgery and that her MRI came out well.
I'm a complete dummy! Expat, thanks to Dolores, I've now changed the settings on Canary Archive. It's weird that that the default settings for a new blog site aren't set to allow every kind of comment.
Please forgive me Expat - I really did want to hear from you. We'll be rooting for you on Friday!!!
xxxxx :-)
Dolores - thanks to you, Expat has managed to access the Canary Archive. Thankee (copyright Dolores)!
:-)
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