I was already feeling sorry for myself when I finally got up at 7.15am. I had no idea how bad things would become just a few minutes later.
At 7.15 I was in a foul mood.
It had been a hot sticky night, so I had had trouble sleeping anyway.
I'd been up several times in the night with the cats, including one instance which sounded like Izzy in torment outside but was actually Wash wanting to come in. (We have a cat flap). When I went rushing outside to see if Izzy was OK, a mouse ran across the kitchen floor. I couldn't be bothered.
Later, there were more disruptions as the cats had, presumably, caught the mouse and were fighting over it. I could not get up.
Lotti started whinging at about 4.40, and the others joined in. I fantasised about taking all of them down to the allotment and being chicken free. (That's a symptom of how rough I was feeling).
At about 6.45, Wash started farting around near the curtains. I was tired, I was aching, I couldn't be bothered to get up, I threw a pillow at him. It stopped him for a while, then he started again,. I threw my stuffed cat. This went on, and in the end I sat up. Looking at Wash, I guessed that a mouse had run up the curtains, and I could see that it wasn't going to stop until the mouse was removed.
It was 7.15am. I got up, retrieved the mouse - which wasn't the one from the kitchen - and took it outside. I was very angry with the cats. I don't think I've ever been angry with the cats before.
I washed my hands, and crawled back in to bed. Wash bounced on the bed wanting breakfast. I was aching, I needed a drink and I needed something for the pain, so I got up. Fed the cats, made tea, stamped around. Angry at everything and everyone.
I felt like sh*t.
I saw some Tildy bombs. I curbed my still-rising annoyance (I'm never annoyed with her for this!), wiped them up, dropped the tissue in the toilet, flushed, and washed my hands.
I looked in the mirror.
I got the shock of my life.
My face, my chest, my arms, part of my tummy, were a horrendous mass of swollen bites. There were so many, that they had joined up. I even had some on my scalp, and the back of my head was really sore. My chest was just one angry mass of bites. My face angry red, with red weals.
I didn't know what to do.
I showered and washed my hair.
I dried myself.
I got some hydro cortisone bite cream out and started to apply it. I had well over 100 individual bites.
Yes, that's right. Over 100 bites. They are horrendous. They itch like crazy.
I took some antihistamine. I took some Ibuprofen.
My face is a mass of bites, I can't go out looking like this.
I've been putting all the bedding through the washing machine. I've sprayed everything with flea treatment (although I can't see that it's fleas, I've never had flea bites like this. And the cats have spot-on treatment anyway).
DH is coming home today. What a lovely welcome for him.
I feel pathetic, and I really DO feel sorry for myself.
