Don’t let the bedbugs bite

“Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite” sounds catchy but is not really a nice nursery rhyme for little kids to ponder whilst they fall asleep. I can tell you I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy, it has been causing me much distress lately. The bumps turned into larger welts and some on my neck and left arm have filled with pus. Yes, I know…gross. It got so bad that I went to a hospital in Rethymnos but it was Sunday so they told me to come back the next day to see a dermatologist. First giving me some pill to take (containing who knows what) and writing my name down in some giant dusty book of records. It seemed pretty primitive, no electronic records here, or computers no less, but they did see me immediately and didn’t charge me a dime.

We went back the next day to see what was not “a dermatologist” but what was “the dermatologist”, the only one in town, but apparently his mother had died suddenly and he would not be in (for how long, they weren‘t sure). I hope my bad luck had not somehow stricken down this poor women. I guess I’ll just keep using the cortisone and antiseptic ointments. But it is not healing very fast, and it is really tough to be on these beaches in the summer!

I’m not exactly sporting a tanned bikini body these days and now with my temporary yet still all too disgusting skin disease I’m particularly self conscious on the beach. Unlike a dodo bird, I wish I could just bury my body in the sand. In addition, I have total psychological problems, thinking things are crawling on me and neurotically examining every mattress I sleep on. However, I am trying to keep all this in perspective. I know it will pass, like all things good, bad, or indifferent, it is just weighing on me heavily at the moment.

One positive piece of news, I contacted the suspected hostel in Ireland about getting infected from their bed and they have cordoned off the room, called the pest man, and refunded my money. So we are officially back on budget! Who says bug-borne illness doesn’t pay off?