18 hour day!
I shouldn’t complain - because I did it in my pink sweatpants and slippers in my office that is right next to my bedroom. I can remember 18+ hour shifts at the hospital. How easily one gets spoiled, hey?
A while ago, I was wondering out loud about using NASE’s membership, in particular the health/dental insurance for the self-employed. I got some great feedback in that post - - some good things, some not so good things from people who had experience with NASE.
After this past week of problems, visits to the ER, filling 5 different prescription medications, doctor visits, etc - - that is really the first time I put my NASE health insurance to good use since I purchased it in October. I’m not one bit sorry that I did, either - - after all of that fuss and muss over my mysterious allergic reaction . . I’m out of pocket exactly $8.00.
8 bucks.
It was worth it.
Tomorrow is my last day on the meds - - and so far, things are good. No breakouts. No strange reactions. Still no answers as to what caused it . . . but, hey - as long as it doesn’t come back ever again - I won’t lose any sleep over it.
Here is my best theory, though. The itching and hives started on Wednesday night, while we were skiing. That day - the ski hill had manufactured a lot of fake snow on the hills. I’ve skied on their manufactured snow before, but on Wed. - I was feeling especially daring and tried the black runs. I took a good fall where I slid about 3/4 of the way down the hill on my back - - and got a real good shirt-full of snow. It was about 30 mins later that the itching started on my stomach . . . then it spread - and the rest is history.
Is it possible that the ski hill puts some sort of chemical in their water in order to make the snow? I don’t know enough about snow making, I guess. I’m thinking they put something in there to keep it, or maintain it, at freezing temperatures?
I’ll ask them next time we’re out there.
It’s the only thing I’ve come up with on the creeping crud situation.
Sounds like we’re very similar in this...
6:29 am on February 2nd, 2005
That’s a scary thought. I mean, it makes sense, but it really is scary to think that they might be putting something in the snow on the slopes that would somehow bother people… Especially in a sport like skiing where you spend plenty of time on top of it!
You can’t forget to follow this one up
7:33 am on February 2nd, 2005
Hmmm..I’d follow it up, too. It might be some new additive that they are trying out, and they don’t even know the potential to cause an adverse reaction. It would be pretty horrible if that happened to someone else and they died right there on the hill.
And who knows, maybe as your reward for bringing it to their attention you’ll get free lift tix for the rest of your life!! Woo hoo!
~L.
7:45 am on February 2nd, 2005
IT WAS THE YELLOW SNOW!!!!! Told you.. you need to listen to your uncle Fred!
8:42 am on February 2nd, 2005
That’s a real possibility. I used to work for an air compressor company that was occasionally used for snow machines. They used to use just plain old ice and air.
Now they use additives, especially when the temperature is warm and approaching the melting point. Usually it’s either a detergent or a fungus that’s added.
10:50 am on February 2nd, 2005
Wow! I never would have thought it would come from manmade snow. Keep us posted!
10:52 am on February 2nd, 2005
Hi Lisa:
First-great new design and I am sorry about your illness.
As to additives, it is likely that they are present, though it would be difficult to say what exactly since each ski resort/area is different. The chemicals seem likely with respect to the hives because it happened so quickly afterwards. Unless that area also has some sludge/contamination underneath that they don’t know about.
Best of luck and once again - thanks for all that you do!
10:55 am on February 2nd, 2005
I would never have guessed someone would get sick from fake snow, although now that you mention it, it makes a lot of sense.
11:06 am on February 2nd, 2005
Vinny: I will definately keep you updated on this. We’re going skiing tomorrow night - I’m gonna ask them about it.
Fred: For the last time — I do not eat yellow snow! Iew!
Michael - Fungus? Did you say FUNGUS? That is very disturbing!!
YaYa - Kinda Stephen King-ish, isn’t it? Killer snow!
Jay - Thanks for the comments on the design
Maybe the whole ski resort is built on top of some bizzare waste dump? Now I’m getting paranoid!
Jennifer - It’s those every day kinds of things that you overlook, I guess. Scary thought.
How am I gonna ski there now without feeling I’ve got creepy crawly bugs all over me??
Ugh!
12:54 pm on February 2nd, 2005
have you considered wearing clothes?
4:45 pm on February 2nd, 2005
Yeah, fungus. Apparently some scientists years ago discovered ice crystals on plants were actually formed by tiny little fungus thingies.
You notice Michael googling for “artificial snow fungus”
Yuck. Here’s some.
6:31 pm on February 2nd, 2005
From this page, I found this:
“To enhance freezing, snowmakers add products to the mix called nucleators with names like Snowmax and Drift. The added impurities create better quality snow by causing more water molecules to freeze.”
10:06 pm on February 2nd, 2005
I can believe that would cause the reaction! I am so glad you are feeling better.
12:41 am on February 3rd, 2005
Miss Lisa,
I think that you are on to something regarding the snow you wore in your shirt…look at this site:
http://www.aquatrols.com/LabelsMSDS/MSDS/2004_msds_pdf/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20MSDS%20DRIFT%20rev%2002%2012-03.pdf
and this site:
http://www.snowmax.com/products/snomax/safety.htm
And there are other products out there that might be less safe and cheaper to buy. Imagine if a kid ate some of this stuff on the bunny slope?
I’m not a moon-bat conspiracy theorist, but there is a bunch of stuff out there that only bothers a “small” segment of the population and makes that segment really sick. I can’t eat at most salad bars because the “sulfiteing agents” used to make the lettuce stay nice and pretty green make me run (excuse the pun) to the restroom facilities within an hour. I love a good salad, but I eat them at home.
4:43 am on January 24th, 2007
In Europe some countries forbid to use chemicals to make snow. Austria for instance forbids it. In fact when skiing on artificial snow in Austria, you are skiing on water which is processed up to drinking water quality! In Switzerland, a country where environmentalists are heavily represented, Snowmax is allowed. So I would assume Snowmax is safe. Maybe you have to check in your neigbourhood which states have rules concerning snow making.