Eyecheewawa! That hurts!

We went to the beach again last Friday.

Though everyone else had remembered and I was reminded, I got busy and forgot to do something very important.

We played all day in the surf and the sand.

That afternoon, my skin began to feel tight.

Uh oh.

Though cool, the salty-sandy water began to hurt.

We packed everything up and left the sunny shore.

Even walking through Downtown Disney later didn't appeal as it had the week before, so we cut out earlier than the kids wanted to than usual and headed for home, the heat on my skin growing worse by the mile.

When we finally arrived, I saw red.



Lobster red.



I had sizzled like bacon out there in the warm California sun.

Sleep was impossible thanks to burns on the fronts of my legs from the knees up, the exposed v-neck area of my swimsuit, the backside of my knees and my upper back.

No position was comfortable for sleeping.

What I wouldn't have given for one of these chairs about 3 AM, just so that nothing burned would be touching anything.



Aloe vera gel, the old tried-and-true standby worked great to cool the heat initially, but an hour later I woke miserable, skin dried tightly all over, stuck to the sheets.

I don't reccomend that, however, as it was like a skin graft giant band-aid peeling painfully off my back when I tried to get up.

I cried.

And yes, ever the blogger, I had to take pics.

This is not posed. It's me moaning because holding the camera up like that hurt my burned shoulders somethin' fierce.



After that torture-by-aloe vera in the night, I had to sacrifice my favorite nightshirt to make a strapless, backless number that wouldn't touch any sunburned areas. It wasn't pretty, but kept me halfway decent in case the boys came wandering in before I woke up the following morning...providing I slept at all, that is.

Just standing up from sitting position caused my sunburned knees and shins to pulse (painfully) with every beat of my heart.

I hurt so bad all over I whimpered, tossed and turned most of the night.

Pain is bad enough when you can sleep, but pain on all sides of your body isn't exactly conducive to rest. Any which way I tried to lay down, my body/burn heat would feel like it might catch the sheets on fire.

Desperate for sleep and something to cool the burning sensation, I went out and googled Sunburn First Aid.

Plain yogurt was supposed to help, the fats in the yogurt soothing parched skin while cooling the heat. Iced tea with it's helpful, healing tannins were also supposed to help, too, as well as my grandma's favorite remedy...vinegar.

Having no yogurt on hand, I chose the latter two, mixed together in a squirt bottle and woke Jeff to ask him to mist me all over with it.

Ah, yes...nothing like going to bed smelling like a pickle. I'm sure Jeff was delighted. Especially when he had to wake every so often to spray me down again.

Then, around 5 am, skin dried out from the overhead fan and feeling like I'd been run over by a truck, yet desperate for something to keep my skin from drying out and tightening up making the pain even worse...I spotted the olive oil mister on my kitchen counter. It'd be messy, but at least it wouldn't stick to the sheets.

"Voila!"

I even thought to get some old sheets out to put under me on the bed.

I woke Jeff again, this time to spray me with oil. And this time, I finally fell asleep...smelling like salt & vinegar potato chips. So pleasant, I'm sure.

It wasn't what you'd call restful, per se, but at least my back didn't stick to the sheets. Plus I could actually bend my knees without searing pain.

There was also the added, unexpected benefit of an oil treatment on my hair.

And might I just add that a husband who tells you he loves you and does whatever he can to help ease your misery in spite of your post-sunburn helplessness (and grossness) is a keeper?

Though still red the following day, my legs felt normal again. No stinging burn.

However, while feebly cleaning house, I could have sworn that I felt stretch-marks happening all the tight, burned skin regions of my body. Needle-prick sensations every time I moved or bent or gravity tugged.

Turns out that lovely sensation was just the blisters popping out all over the burned areas.

Yes, it appears I went and got myself a 2nd degree sunburn.

And of all times for this to happen, days away from a long family vacation...a road trip.

For four days now, I've walked around like a rusty robot, wearing a greasy, hacked apart-in-the-wee hours- nightshirt, reeking of pickles, complete with stringy, greasy hair and oozing blisters on your shoulders...yes, quite a beauty, I'm sure.

And don't get me started on trying to get dressed by myself in said condition...particularly in those devices of torture undergarments that are supposed to provide 18 hour support.

I'm still feeling pain and going on very little sleep...which reminds me of the good old days...right after my c-section and having to feed a hungry baby around the clock.

Please let my stupidity hard-earned lesson be a warning to you...USE SUNSCREEN!

It's like hell...you wouldn't want your worst enemy to go there.