I Nearly Killed Mama

I feel so guilty! Mama told me to not think a thing of it, that she wasn't holding it against me. Well, dear Lord, that just made me feel even more guilty. Let me explain.....

My daughter, Emily, makes homemade soaps, lotions, detergents and such. All natural, some organic. So I thought I would follow suit and make some laundry detergent for myself and share it with mama. It was January, when I made the huge batch of detergent. I gave mama a heaping container of it. She was so excited to try it. I've been using it since January and still have a couple of quarts left, plus what was left of mama's. She won't be needing hers anymore.

Mama called one day last week to tell me she thought she was allergic to the detergent. She described a rash she had broken out with. It started on her abdomen and spread up from there onto her torso, then to the creases of her arms and now onto her face and neck. Apparently, this has been going on for about 3 weeks. Once mama concluded that it had to be the detergent, she stopped using it. She re-washed all the towels and wash cloths because she thought this was where she was getting the most exposure. The way she described the rash was that it was very red and itched a little. She had been using some over the counter stuff to treat it. One of my sisters called that same day, very concerned....she felt mama should go to the doctor. So, I went to mamas to check on her and OMG! Her face and neck was so red! It look like she had a very, very bad sunburn...almost like she had been scalded. I've never seen anything like it and I was alarmed. I tried to get her to go to the doctor, but since she had an appointment in a couple of days, she decided to wait. In the meantime, I went through the list with her..."so you've re-washed the towels, etc." Yes, she had done all that. "What about the sheets", I asked. She had not....so we stripped her bed and put on fresh sheets that she knew had been re-washed.  Wednesday morning, I carried her to the doctor. I couldn't imagine that she was still breaking out after stopping using the detergent 3 weeks ago or that it had taken since January to affect her. I was wondering, if it was shingles. After seeing the doctor, she agreed with mama that she thought it was the detergent, too. If mama had gone to her 3 days or so earlier, she could have been treated with steroids. But the doctor didn't think they would be of help this far into it. She told mama to get some aloe vera gel, chill it in the fridge and then rub it on her face as needed. Y'all, I felt terrible! I apologized and said, "Mama, I didn't mean to nearly kill you." We laughed and she assured me she didn't hold it against me. Ha! I didn't take a picture of her, that would have just been wrong. But, y'all should have seen it. I'm serious!

Mama makes her doctor appointments all on the same day, so after leaving her medical doctor we drove to the next appointment in Georgetown. Her eye appointment was later in the afternoon. We had some time to kill so we drove over to the beach for lunch and then with still more time to kill, drove around Georgetown for a bit. I took a few pictures.....see below.

Mama's eye appointment was making her nervous because the doctor mentioned at her last appointment that she was developing a cataract and she might want to consider having it removed soon. So mama was fully expecting him to tell her at this appointment that it was time. Well, after seeing the eye doctor he told her the cataract wasn't in need of surgery anytime soon. Mama was elated about that, but he then told her she was developing glaucoma. Again, it is very early and he didn't want to start her on eye drops, yet. They are watching and waiting. Y'all, I couldn't help myself. This was one of those times that I had to take advantage of the situation. I gleefully said, "Hey mama, you'll have to get some marijuana, a little Tijuana BamBam." HaHa! She laughed that one off and said, "I don't think so!"

It's a good thing mama takes me with a grain of salt. She never knows what I'm going to throw at her. I bought her the aloe vera before taking her home. With freshly washed towels in her regular detergent, nice crisp clean sheets and some chilled aloe vera, every thing is right again with mama.

And now, the pictures from around Georgetown....

The old, old bridge that used to lead to the beaches.

The newer bridge and the one traveled to Pawley's Island and Myrtle Beach.

I ran a half-marathon across that bridge.

And, I ran across this bridge from Satan in the same half-marathon.

It leads to Charleston.

The waterway runs behind Front St. and boats will anchor back there.

Anyone have Gilligan and the Skipper's number, I found their boat.

A fish house. It might not look like one, but it sure smelled like one.

Someone probably would spit, if they knew I was calling these boats.

I guess, technically, they are sailboats.

Isn't this gorgeous? This old house overlooks the waterway. I would love to walk through it. Georgetown is full of gorgeous old homes. You should visit. Take a tour. Bring your sailboat.

A little something to guide boats through the waterway.

A dock, beckoning for a few seagulls to rest upon her railings.

 

I'm so glad I took my camera with me that day.

 

Later Y'all,

Laurie