Scabies

Well, I have to say this will probably be the bravest post I ever write about myself. I know people are going to try to judge me and think very different of me after reading this post. I have done my research, read through, and think twice.

About a week and a half ago I had a weird spot appear on my hip. Slowly over time it got bigger and more spots appeared. I had a preplanned appointment with a health clinic and they assumed it was ringworm. Which happens, I live with two dogs and just got back from visiting family who had several dogs. So they give me some cream and send me on my way. Well, it didn't get better, it got much worse. I was getting pretty freaked out because this rash in that short time has nearly covered my entire body with the exception of my hands, feet, and head. So I finally decided screw it, I am going to see a real doctor. The health clinic as far as I can tell is only run by nurses. So I go to the ER in Urbana, and wait forever of course. Finally the doctor comes in, looks at me, and gives me the ' you are gonna die' poker face and tells me I have SCABIES. I know the look on my face was priceless. I was extremely shocked. EXTREMELY. From what I thought I knew of scabies it was something only gross people got and it was bugs crawling in and on your skin! I was completely freaked out. The good news is that it is easily treated for people. I just have to wash every piece of fabric in my house with extremely hot water, and if possible iron it too. After coming home, I decided some research is in order. A doctor knows how to diagnose and treat it, and I want more info so I can prevent and make sure it stays gone! Here is what I have found.

My scabies was actually contracted from a dog with mange. Garth is my male chihuahua and has a very mild form of mange. I honestly didn't know he had it at all. Near his hind quarters he has a lot of areas with very dry, white and flaky skin. I assumed he had dry doggy dandruff and needed something in his food to add moisture to his coat. Turns out that his skin condition is a very mild form of dog mange, probably in earlier stages. My boyfriend doesn't care for Garth too much and never pets him, and I do, often. Also it is very likely I went and petted him and then scratched some where along my waist line where I have mild acne. Which is how the bug would have been transmitted. They are smaller then head lice, but are visible to the human eye. They are a type of skin mite.
Now when one person has it, it can be transmitted sexually and be considered a STD. It can also be transmitted through personal contact, sleeping together, and sharing infected materials. Now as long as I shower every day and use the prescribed cream I won't be contagious because I will be washing away the insects and preventing the continuation of the spreading.
Basically a female mite lays eggs on a host(AKA you, me, the dog) and when these babies hatch they crawl over and burrow in your skin. The good thing I have noticed is this is actually a painless process. The rash you get is actually a allergic reaction to the mite, its eggs, and its feces.
This is something that can happen to anyone. It is not a condition based on hygiene habits. It is all about exposure. Which means if you visit a friend who has a large family under one roof, a child in school, pet a stray or neighborhood animal, or go to a dog pound you risk getting this little bug. It happens.


http://herpes-coldsores.com/std/scabies.htm
http://www.scabies-information.com/

Hair Cut?

Yeah, I just jump at the chance to make a pretty edited photo. But I have been thinking about my hair lately, to keep my mind off other things. I loved having long hair and I have really enjoyed having short hair too. So I am going out on a limb here to ask the opinions of others. In a weird way I am going through a weird mid-life crisis at 23. I chopped off my hair, I want a tattoo, and I really want to learn to ride a motorcycle. All things I never even considered before! So back to the hair, should I grow it back out, or cut it shorter again?

Super Bargain!

These are my latest super bargains from WalMart! I got all three of these sleepers from Walmart brand new marked down. The first one I got while I was in South Carolina and payed a dollar for it. It is a size 3 to 6 month. The other two are a size 0 to 3 months, and were the biggest deal of all. The one in the center was only 15 cents! Then the one on the right was only 30 cents! So I was thrilled to get these sleepers, because I love Halloween!!

Dreams

Have you ever stopped and wondered about the meaning of dreams. Dreams can mean so much on so many levels. I have had dreams with the simple explanation of my mind creatively combined things I had seen and thought about during that day. On the other hand I have had dreams with a almost prophetic effect to them. In a metaphoric way I dreamt about the exact moment of my future break up with a boyfriend, the death of a relative, and one dream that was a exact dajavu of what happen when I awoke. I personally own several books that interpret dreams and their meanings. Sometimes I feel these match, other times, it just doesn't seem to click. Often in my dreams I have issues with clothing. Now I am not naked in the dream, but usually I am missing a piece of clothing, or what I am wearing is far too small, but yet no one else tend to notice. I found a interesting meaning at www.dreammoods.com which suggest that if you change your clothes (which happens often) represents a need for change. Also if your clothes fit too tightly it can mean you feel restricted. If your clothes are torn or ripped in the dream it can mean you are unprepared for a task ahead. Which to be honest all of these have a meaning in my life. One of the dreams that stays with me are the dreams of children. I have had two separate dreams of having a baby boy. Anyone who knows me knows I am so ready to have a baby and start a family. The weird thing is I really want a girl. In my dream though I am often holding a infant boy, and it feels as real as the air I am breathing. Now my last dream I came into the room, the baby was crying, and I picked him up and it comforted him. According to the website a crying baby means a part of yourself is deprived of attention and needs to be nurtured. Since I comfort the baby in my dream and all seems well, does that mean I corrected the problem in life? All in all I consider myself to be a lucky person because I rarely ever have bad dreams, although I do have those ones that get your heart racing. That's my thoughts for the night :)

Polygamy

So I have been watching this show on TV about polygamy. There are people out there making it work. It has been pretty interesting to see how happy they can be as a large group. The most common is polygyny. Which is where a man takes many wives. Usually in this type a man divides his time up as equally as possible between the women. What I find most interesting is the least common form which is polyandry. Polyandry is where a woman takes many husbands, basically the reverse of polygyny. A big difference is one woman will usually marry two brothers in a family. Currently Africa is the country with the highest amount of polygamy. Currently in many different regions of the US and world there are very uneven numbers of each sex, such as there may be twice as many girls, or twice as many boys then girls. So if I do have any readers out there, what are your views on the concepts of Polygamy?