At first I thought that they were insect bites since it was damp and the bugs seemed to be out during my walk. Even though they seemed to be increasing I still didn’t connect the dots (excuse the pun, but I couldn’t resist – laughing is far better than crying). Last night however when I looked at my arm, there seemed to be a cluster of them on my one forearm and that’s when it occurred to me. They are not bites, they are hives.
What has caused them? I have no idea. The best we can come up with is the lovely Michigan water. It has an abundance of nickel in it, to which I am allergic. I am sure that there must be chromium in it as well, (to which I am even more allergic) although that wasn’t in the lab report I found. At home, we have softened water. The installation of the water softener seemed to coincide with the abatement of the rash and itchiness I had been experiencing. In Michigan, needless to say the water wasn’t softened. For almost a week, we showered in it, brushed our teeth with it (although we started using bottled water) and most likely drank it in various forms such as coffee and lemonade. Could it be a buildup in my system that sparked the hives? It certainly could be. Whatever it is, I wish it would go away.
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June 3, 2010 at 7:08 am
Patty
Not poison ivy….
June 3, 2010 at 8:46 am
tammyheff
No, definitely not poison ivy. It’s hives. Just hope that it is from the water which will eventually pass.
June 3, 2010 at 8:47 am
kirby
hope you feel better soon!
June 4, 2010 at 7:31 am
Patty
Any better today?