Sun Poisoning

Dear Diary,

Alright. A lot of you have been asking how my trip to Punta Cana was and for the first few days, it was great. Then something totally awful happened to me. I got sun poisoning. Before I left for my trip, I was having some allergy problems with my face. Like getting really hot and red after working out (like 10x more than normal), my face was rough to the touch, it was almost like I had eczema for a few weeks. I thought about making a dermatology appointment but I couldn't find the time to go between then and the trip. So we get to Punta Cana and everything seemed totally fine. Thursday I was noticing it a tad in my face so I decided to go play in the ocean. They say saltwater is really good for the skin so I thought it would help. I was splashing and putting my face in the water, having a grand time. I was drinking vodka with sprite and cranberry (I had about 4 during the coarse of the day) and laying out. When we got back to the room, I noticed one of my eyes was slightly swollen. I put on my makeup and we went out for the night. When I woke up the next morning, I had no idea what I was going to be walking into the bathroom looking like. I knew something was wrong. I could only really see out of one eye but I didn't know the extent of what it was. I texted Bobby to come back from the gym and he has no idea what he was walking into. He thought it was going to be something simple, but he took one look at me, told me to get dressed and off we went to the emergency clinic on property. 

The nurse at the clinic had seen it before and told me some things to do. 

Below are my pictures. 

I give no one permission to share my photos. I give no one permission to save these photos for themselves. If you want to tell/teach someone about the importance of sun safety, please feel free to bring them to my blog. These photos are raw and real and I ask that you don't make fun. I am not sharing with you for you to laugh. I share to teach! 

This was the morning of. Between the sun, the alcohol and the saltwater, I got sun poisoning. Some people even get sick from it, like vomit/diarrhea. I never got those, just the swelling of the face. I do believe my allergies had a role in this too. So if you are having really bad allergies, just stay out of the sun. 

The nurse on staff as well as a Doctor that was part of the Henry Schein crew, told us to put ice cold tea bags on my eyes, every hour for 10 minutes. As well as 2 Benadryl every 4 hours and 4 Ibuprofen as well. I stayed in a dark room only lit by a lamp at times to see. No sun-light. 

This was me 6 hours later. 

Again, tea bags were the thing that actually healed me to be honest. My face was super dry for days afterwards but it was worth it. I am strong believer in this now. 

This was me 12 hours later.

This was me the following morning, so 24 hours. 

And this was me the next night, so 36 hours. I am almost 100%. I still have a droopy side and my face was still a tad swollen but much better.

Here is a comparison of it. Morning of, 6 hours later, 12 hours later, 24 hours later. 

Sun poisoning is real thing. There is such a thing as getting to much sun. Some people experience a very bad rash or their skin gets burnt. I didn't have either of that but the reason I tell you is so you can look for signs. If you start to feel tired or weak, get out of the sun. Sunscreen every 2 hours, drink water especially if you are drinking alcohol, get in the shade some, keep your body cool by getting in the water, wear a hat! There are so many easy steps you can do to prevent this from happening to you. 

I share this with you because I believe there is a lesson to be learned. If I can help just one person not experience this, then I'm doing something right. I will now always use caution when I am in the sun. I will listen to my body and watch for the signs. I know being tan and having fun outside is awesome...but taking care of yourself is more important. 

Love, Me