Itching to Sleep.

One of the things that I’ve omitted mentioning recently is that I itch. I’m not talking little mosquito bite itch. I’m not even talking poison ivy itch. I’m talking itch that makes you seriously consider removing your skin down to the sub-dermal fat layer. I’m talking itch that makes you claw frantically at whatever part of your body you can reach, before you realize that whatever part you’re scratching doesn’t itch as badly as that point about six inches away from it. I’m talking terminal pruritis here.

I was put on anithistamines for it about four weeks ago, and they seemed to work at first. The itch was keeping me awake at night, and my doctor said that an added bonus of the anithistamine was that it would help me sleep as well. I have been sleeping better, but the itch has returned, and it still keeps me awake until my body pretty much drops to sleep from pure exhaustion. I’m absolutely dragging in the mornings as well now, and I’m wondering if it’s the residual effects of the antihistamine.

I did finally get the bills caught up last night. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but at least it’s done. Of course, when I get home today there will be more bills in the mail, awaiting attention, and the cycle will start again. I also got a notice from the apartment that I owe a late fine for my last rent check. I guess they noticed that it was a few days late. I can’t complain – after all, it was my fault that I got so caught up in the Columbia coverage on television that I forgot to pay the rent that weekend. It was one expensive mistake to make though. Hopefully, this will teach me not to forget again.

Every year I participate in the Cancer Society’s Walk for Life in our area. I’ve always walked for the same team, and it’s come to be an important even for me. My usual team leader wasn’t going to ask me to walk this year because of my illness; I told him that unless I was hospitalized at the time, I was planning to do turn at the marathon. I usually take two hours in the wee hours of the morning; this year I may cut back to one hour at a more reasonable time of day. I probably won’t be lapping many people like I have previous years, but that’s OK. At least I’ll still be out and doing.

I really could curl up and sleep at my desk at the moment. I wonder if anyone would notice….