All that scratchings making me itch

So the sun is out and shows no sign of going in for the next few days.  Whilst it is lovely to see it and fills your heart with joy, it really pisses me off.

Why?

I love the sun and I love being outside making a bit of Vitamin D.  However, with chemo, it is inadvisable and you burn very quickly so I make 5 minute "sitting in the sun with a cup of tea" forays.  

With the heat come the hives.  How do I explain severe allergies to those who have never had them?  Well, here's my day.

It starts OK.  I sleep with my bedroom window open and my room is cold.  I mean really cold.  So I wake up OK.  Once I get out of bed, it begins.  Very slowly but it starts.  For instance, I am sitting on my typist's chair at my desk.  I can feel the material of my chair chafing against my thighs through my pjs.  My arms have got welts in them where my cardigan is  against my wrists and my neck is itching where the collar of my t-shirt touches it.

By mid-morning, my (normally very comfortable Spanx) bra will feel like it is two sizes too small and be digging in.  The same goes for my loose linen trousers (that I have to wear a belt to keep up) and my knickers feel like they are filled with sand.

By lunch time, I am squirming and scratching.

By the evening, the family is complaining about all the doors and windows being open (cold - I like cold!) and my hands and feet (wearing shoes is NOT an option) are almost numb with cold.  They are, however, bright red and unbearably itchy.

I eye the parmesan grater and the mandolin in the drawer - deluded thoughts of "if I just take my skin off, I will be OK".

All this is interspersed with the "moisturising" routine.  I spend my life being unable to open a door or hold on to a mug of tea because I have "greased up" to stop the itching.

Or on the loo, because I drink liquid solidly all day to keep myself hydrated and my blood pressure from dropping.

I can't wear my wedding ring or a watch because of the swelling.  I am seriously distracted and bad tempered.  I resent everyone and everything.

Wandering around nekkid doesn't help.  The slightest breeze produces an unbearable tingly itch.  Besides, I don't want to frighten the dogs.....