Holiday is over now to get sorted out.....

[sylvi]

Well we had a lovely time despite my back causing me trouble and my knee, It has been very painful. I have had some bites as well and they have become very painful as well and hot and itchy. I ended up with steroid cream to ease them. I have never been bitten like this before let alone suffering from them.

We went loads of places,Eden project,lost gardens of Heligan,lands end,Boscastle,Tintangel,Lanhydrock house and gardens,St. Ives where i have a friend who has RA among other health issues as well and she is not very well. Looe and Polperro as well. We had a lovely time all told. Our friend flew down on the day after we arrived and went back last Saturday . She is lovely company to be with,she doesn't have RA,but her daughter does so she has empathy with me. SHe is so easy and gets on with both of us which is nice and when my hubby and daughter go to the Menin gate in August with the standard for GP90 which is to comenorate the end of the first world war,she is coming up from the south to be with me so i am not on my own,thats the sort of lady she is. Also she makes fantastic shortbread which is a bonus.xxxxx

[ruth_p]

I think bug bites have been particularly bad for reactions this year. I was bitten on my foot and it swelled up so much it looked like it was twice as as big as the other one! I also had others on my hip and lower leg (six in total) and all of them swelled up and were hot and itchy. Something I found that helped is a bicarbonate of soda. I had a bath with a whole pot of bicarb in and it helped with the itching and swelling. Glad you enjoyed your holiday 😊

[sylvi in reply to ruth_p]

My friend brought some stuff for the itchy and though it helped it wasn't a cure,but the chemist gave me steroid cream which seem to see them off. It has left the skin on my left hand still feels strange,i have bites on my arms,thigh and lower legs. The holiday was great despite my back being so bad and i am not seeing the consultant until August.xxx

[Jesnaskah]

Sounds like you had a nice time and have something to look forward to!

When I go to Hawaii, I get the worst mosquito bites, they swell into welts. So it could be some kind of allergic reaction.

Is RA affecting your back as well or is this another issues on top of the RA?

[sylvi in reply to Jesnaskah]

Well you could say it is related to my RA as my spine is riddled with arthritis.xx

[Jesnaskah in reply to sylvi]

Oh no. I'm sorry to hear that. Before my RA set in last year, I was dealing with a herniated disc in my lower back, but I feel like that's unrelated to my RA. Hope you are able to get some relief. As if we need more to deal with, right?

[stbernhard]

Nice to have you back and to hear you had a lovely time. NOW REST a bit. xxx

[Nsmith13]

You must have very sweet blood that's what I've been told cos they love me and they always swell up and weep an itch like mad nasty little things !!!!!

[helenlw7]

We are off to the Menin Gate in November to commemorate the ending of WW1. We have been several times before - my great uncle is buried nearby and I just love to go and sit in the cemetery - it is so peaceful. On the other hand the i have bad memories of the Thiepval Memorial. I can pinpoint my RA starting after a visit there!

[Daph39]

Hi Sylvi, like to read your emails. I have taken vit. B with thiamin for 3 years and the gnats do not like the smell of me. I have not had a bite since then. You get them from H&B . And it takes about 6 weeks to get in your system. I start taking them Feb. Hope you find them OK