Just face it...

Friday was my first day back to work.

So,

I woke up early while furiously scratching my face. A couple minutes later I faced the ugly truth in the mirror. The right half of my face, and my entire forehead was swollen and the color of a well-ripe tomato.

For a couple minutes I tried to tell myself that maybe it was just a really bad pillow mark. But, several minutes and one shower later, it was still there, lurking conspicuously across my face.

I started to get nervous.

I started to notice how itchy and hot my face was, and how raised and hard the welts were.

Having little medical knowledge, and not yet knowing the name or information for my primary care provider (I just switched medical insurance...), I didn't know what kind of a reaction I was having. I hadn't changed any eating habits, taken any new medication, used any new products on my face, or anything else I could think of. I made a mental list. I wracked my brain to figure out a quick-fix solution. The only thing I could think of was Benadryl. Lots and lots of Benadryl. I ran out the door early so that I could visit my trusty CVS and buy a jumbo family pack of Benadryl.

I also almost paused to take a picture of myself to post on the blog, but then thought better of it...I'm vain enough that I didn't want to show the world my Quasimodo face.

Halfway through the metro ride I noticed that people were staring. I wore makeup to make it a little better, but didn't want to cake it on, so the reaction was still clearly visible. The large amounts of Benadryl, however, kept me from being too self-conscious by just trying hard to stay awake.

Yes. You're wondering why I still went to work with a red, puffy, itchy, painful face. Well, here's the deal: who wants to be the one that calls in on the first day back to work (which is a Friday) and tell their boss that they can't make it because they're having an allergic reaction that's disfigured their face. Yeah, and my dog ate my homework too, teach', I swear.

I couldn't bring myself to make that call, so I went in. I twilight-zoned it for three hours, and then left to spend the rest of the day resting...and making Blake laugh unintentionally. I was slow.

I wasn't playing with a full deck of cards for most of the weekend, but at least the swelling and pain are gone.

Because I am terrified of spiders, and because that's what the consensus was on what had happened to my face, Blake helped me search through my room, and my bed to make sure the culprit(s?) were gone by Sunday night.

I haven't found them yet, but I have a can of raid by my bed just in case. Just in case.