A few months ago, I bought a new flavor of my favorite hand cream: Lemon Creme. At first, I really enjoyed it. As I slathered it on every night at bedtime, it smelled like Key Lime Pie to me and made me hungry and happy. As this pregnancy began to set in, the notion of Key Lime Pie still comforted me and, each night, I'd vow that the following day I would make a pilgrimage to get some Key Lime Pie, to quench my craving.
I'm not sure how or when it happened, but a few weeks ago is when the troubles began. Somewhere in my twisted, pregnant brain, as I massaged in the lemon creme lotion, I didn't smell Key Lime Pie anymore. My head began to throb at the first whiff of the stuff and all I could smell and even taste was lemon-flavored Theraflu.
I've never had issues with Theraflu before. It's helped me through many a flu and cold. It's warmth makes your throat feel better instantly as it clears your sinuses. The lemon flavor is downright palatable when you're feeling mucus-y and groggy. HOWEVER, there's still that lingering medicinal aftertaste--especially as you get to the bottom of the mug, where all of the powder has settled. That sensation....of sort of drinking/eating crushed aspirin is the sensation I get now when I smell my Lemon Creme hand lotion. So, I still dutifully slathered the stuff on every night at bedtime, making myself gag and retch until I just couldn't take it anymore and went and bought some different lotion, in a more pregnancy-friendly scent.
Yesterday was the first day in a long time that I felt really decent for most of the day. I woke up feeling refreshed and energetic. I didn't have any strange cravings or food aversions. When Anna went down for her nap, I did not. It was wholly unlike any day I've had so far in this pregnancy. Four o'clock came (the beginning of my "ick" time, typically) and I had a little "ick" begin to settle in, but not as bad as normal. I was just beginning to gloat, feeling pretty confident that maybe (just maybe) this first trimester woe-is-me was behind me when Kevin came strolling through the living room, rubbing his hands together and massaging his cuticles. Before he even got to my side of the room I smelled it: Lemon Creme. Immediately, I felt the back-of-the-head, carsick headache set in, as my stomach began to churn. And, my friends, that was that. I spent the next few minutes slurping a Coke out of a can, with a straw, laying in the recliner, moaning and cursing my husband. Luckily, he left shortly after having applied the hand creme, but for the rest of the night, I'd find myself stumbling upon the scent of that stuff...either on the doorknob or the handle of the refrigerator. Kevin has now been debriefed on the new rule in our house...No one uses the Lemon Creme hand lotion. No one TALKS about the Lemon Creme hand lotion, until further notice.
*While doing some surfing to find the link to the "lotion which shall not be named", I found this review of the stuff: "Makes me want to eat and cuddle my hands at the same time". Definitely not written by a bitter pregnant woman.
** I'm hoping that someday soon, I'll have more to write about than nausea and constipation. In the meantime, my apologies.
***A million thanks to Julie for bringing over Chinese food which, inexplicably got me over the ick that my husband caused me last night. Much love, Chica.
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