o is for ouch!

ouch!

11:00 a.m., found me in the urgent care walk-in clinic. by the time you're done reading this...you'll probably find yourself itching all over. you see, last week i brought in bouquets of comfrey. my hands itch after i pick it..our rabbits love it and it's really good for them. on wednesday i got the idea to make comfrey salve. which called for steeping 4 cups of comfrey for 5 hours. i mixed mint in with it. and beeswax. and olive oil. the earthy aroma was sensational. i lifted the lid off the lid often and just breathed in the scent. within hours, i broke out in red welts and itchy hives just on my wrists. still the itching was unbearable and i couldn't stop. calamine lotion only eased it temporarily. the hives.. the itchy, itchy hives spread to my neck, chest, both legs and in between my fingers. itching. two nights in a row, i awoke and couldn't quit itching. how about you...are you itching yet? after contacting my good friend google, i learned that if itching occurs after comfrey is ingested, which i didn't eat, but did do my fair share of inhaling... to seek medical help immediately..something about the ingestion can cause liver damage. i grabbed "the shack," my latest read and headed to a local walk-in clinic. i was treated wonderfully and quickly. the doctor confidentially assured me i didn't have liver damage...just a bad allergic reaction. gave me an uneventful shot of cortisone in my left hip and a prescription for topical ointment and steroids in hand.. i should stop the itching very soon. the doctor joked with me and asked... how do you feel about using the comfrey salve, now? can you say..garbage can? let me know if you were able to read this post without itching or scratching. smile, wink, nod.