Eric Tapley

So, I’ve been back in the hospital. I know… It’s a habit I’m trying to break. But this was for poison ivy, a particularly nasty allergy I have, not for my gut problems of the past.

A short summary:
On Saturday I woke up with itchy and slightly swollen eyes. By noon I had a small rash that was developing on my arms, and by evening it had spread to my abdomen and legs.

I went to the Fallon Clinic to get checked out and, while there, had problems with dizziness, lightheadedness, and trouble breathing. My throat was swelling and felt sore and thick. The doctors at the clinic were worried they wouldn’t be able to deal with my breathing difficulties so I was rushed off (and admitted overnight) to the Worcester Medical Center.

Since Saturday I’ve been in and out of the hospital, ER, and seen a number of doctors and a dermatologist. They concluded that I have a bad case of poison ivy that began to spread into my throat (hence the breathing trouble). As of now I have it all over my hands, arms, chest, lower back, abdomen, upper and lower legs, but my breathing is back to normal.

Kate thinks I look like a burn victim. I don’t think it’s that bad, but damn does the itch get aggravating.

The cure?
It hasn’t done much yet but I’m taking Prednisone, Benadryl, and using special creams every day to help get this under control. I have faith that over time this will bring the response under control and I’ll feel better, but my body is reacting much slower than usual to these meds. I think this has to do with my long battle with Ulcerative Colitis and the long-term impact that has had on my immune system.

Silver lining.
As when I’ve been sick in the past I’ve learned that it’s friends, family, and community that help see you through trouble like this. Kate has been tremendous this past week. I’m grateful for the guys at the office, especially Sam Costello and Ali Aslam, who’ve helped cart me around and take care of me (I’m not supposed to drive on some of these meds). And I’ve had a lot wonderful well-wishing from clients and associates.

Community and people matter a lot. I’m glad to have been reminded of that, and will keep it in the forefront of my mind as we work at 3000K to develop the new version of The Daily Jolt and other community sites.

Here’s some of the poison ivy on my arm. It’s like this everywhere. Ugh.