One of my favorite bands, Paperdoll, is currently on tour in China, October 12-29. I've invited lead singer (and former Angry Reader of the Week) Teresa Lee to contribute some guests post chronicling the band's journeys.
This post in includes a brief video. They've blocked access to YouTube and Vimeo in China, so I had to upload it myself. My very first YouTube upload! (It was quite easy.) Unfortunately, Teresa's first day in Shanghai can be summed up in the one world: itchy. Read on for a tale of hives and hospitals...
After some drama with flight delays and visas, Chip (drummer) got to Shanghai and we thought it would be smooth sailing... little did we know, we'd be taking a little visit to the Shanghai ER.
It's our first day in Shanghai and everyone's a little jetlagged so we get up early, get breakfast and then head to the textile district to get some clothes made. You can get custom tailored shirts, dresses, coats (anything really) made for silly prices. We spend a few hours at the shops and are all excited about our new digs when I start getting itchy. But I I'm like -- I guess I'm getting tired, I'm feeling kind of ornery and itchy.
After we order our clothes, we head to TaiKang lu -- a pedestrian's paradise filled with cute coffee shops and all things adorable (clothes, hats, candles, handicrafts etc). We sit down for a snack and I sip on a cappuccino when I get itchy again. When we finish our drinks, we start walking around the cobblestone streets, buying cute tea sets and loose leaf teas for our moms... when I really start burning up.
Now, I'd like to say that I took my discomfort in silence like a trooper. But that would be a dirty lie and anyone who knows me, knows 1) I hate being uncomfortable 2) I'm rarely if ever silent. We're walking around my skin feels like it is on fire. I'm like "Please get me back to the hotel, I am burning up!"
Back at the hotel, I realize my entire back is covered in hives! Lorie (tour manager/stylist) -- thank god -- has Benadryl. I take two and knock myself out. I wake up at 3am and notice that now my stomach is completely covered in hives too. I'm totally freaking out and down another two Benadryl to keep myself from being conscience because seriously, I am literally scratching my ass off. I wake up the next morning and now my legs and arms are in on this nightmare... I only know this because that's what Patrick (guitar) and Lorie and telling me. I can't actually tell because my eyes are now swollen shut too.
We decide it's time to go to the hospital.
Luckily, there's an English speaking hospital relatively close by. I bring a long book and lots of Benadryl because I figured it's going to be a long day. So, we get there and... now, I know no one is going to believe this part, but I have witnesses who will swear under oath... So we get to the hospital and I was in and out of the ER in under 30 minutes! I don't mean like my wait time was 30 minutes. I mean, I registered, a nurse took my vitals, the doctor examined me, prescribed me steroids and Zyrtec, I got my prescription, and paid... in under 30 minutes!
The next few days were a blur of 'roid raging and sleeping... ok, not that first part, but I was completely out of it for the next 48 hours. Luckily, the hives cleared up just in time for our shows at the World Expo. The crowd was amazing and even came out in the rain! They really loved when the boys said a few words in Chinese.
We never figured out what I was allergic to, but I did manage to lose 4 pounds when I was bedridden which is pretty sweet. I don't have photos of my hospital ordeal, but I did go for a walk today and found a nice older lady walking her chicken and duck. They're friends.