[confused1]

I quilt and have wanted an Ott Light for a long time. It's a special type of lamp that uses a kind of the new light bulb and gives really great light for close work. I finally got one about a year ago. It sits on top of a shelf above my sewing machine and shines down on my head.

I'm doing a special project right now and pulled the lamp down to shoulder level for some really tight work. I had it there off and on all morning. By noon my face was hurting in a different way -- burning bad. I went to the bathroom and looked. OMG! I was so burned, both cheeks, my nose (yes, right where my butterfly often is), my upper lip and my chin and one of my ears. Hot, burned red. Right through my spf 55 sun screen.

Ok, the lamp's history now. I'm looking for something that uses old style light bulbs. We've replaced all our bulbs with the new eco friendly ones. Are they poisoning me? Maybe the light burning down on my head has contributed to my recent hair loss? Oh it makes me so mad.

My face is peeling today and hurts like heck. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Sunny

 

[Maia]

They do all spit off lots of UV rays... so probably not the best for you to be under for much of the time every day given this terrible reaction. Hopefully you can sell the eco-friendly bulbs as they are quite an investment! We put two in our garage recently and they hardly give off any light for at least the first minute. Quite disappointing but that's the one place I can tolerate them

It might have been playing a part in your hairloss... hard to say. At least now you know you can't tolerate that light and hopefully the light changes will bring about an improvement.

 

[lazylegs]

Hi Sunny,

I am sorry to hear you got burnt uch:. Hopefully the pain goes away quickly.

Take care,
Lazylegs

 

[pollianna]

Aww sunny, pop some natural yougurt on it if you aren't allergict, really works. Am horrified with the new echo bulbs commin in Gonna try and stock up on the old fashioned ones before they are illeagal

 

[Joandublin]

Dear Sunny

Im really sorry you had this reaction :worried: I have started stocking up on the 'old' bulbs. As far as I know the fittings are still the same so you shouldnt need to throw out the lamp - just change the bulb. (Unless its a strange and different type of lamp?)

So far I have about 20 bulbs and intend to get some more when I can afford them in my shopping. Im seriously thinking of asking friends and family to get me an old bulb here and there in their shopping. I figure it could be their way of helping me and also creating awareness of the fact that these bulbs cause me real problems.

I spend as much time as I can in the dark :worried: I rarely open the curtains in my house and use low lighting as much as possible. I dont get severe rashes like yours but I get a red blush and stinging feeling. Yes, I think they are poisoning you and I dont blame you for getting mad I wrote to our Green Party about exemptions from those new bulbs and all I ever got was a 'standard acknowledgement' of my complaint. If I had more time (and less work) I would be diverting my energies into making a massive issue about this. Someday real soon I will get there.....

Luv n stuff
Joan:rose:

 

[confused1]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I go around looking like the Unibomber. Hat, long sleeves, gloves in summer, long pants always, no sandals that expose my feet ..... and often in summer I carry and use a large reflective umbrella designed for golfers.

Joann, I don't get horrible rashes typically. What I get is sick. Pain, fever, the whole flu thing. This time, I got your old fashioned "sun" burn. Sometimes I think I was one that should not have survived childhood. I wouldn't have if I'd been born 50 years earlier. I was born early and was always very,very sickly. I believe I've had sun sensitivity all my life. I was always the one who ruined vacation by getting sick the first day at the beach, or in the woods, or on the farm, or .... you get it. That survival of the fittest thing didn't work with me. And I've passed down all my crappy genes to my sons. And I would never tell them, but both have symptoms of .... something. Neither one is really healthy completely. Big strong guys always hurting somewhere or being too tired to go out with friends.

Ok, I have had too much caffeine, LOL. Gotta go ramble someplace else.

Sunny

 

[onetay]

Hi confused1,
I to would like to be eco friendly but not at the risk of my health. Most of the eco friendly things involve sun related ideas. Which as you know can cause great problems for us lupies. I wish we all could be eco friendly and not have problems doing it. I have spaced the eco bulbs in lambs that i am not close to and in my room all old bulbs.

I do cross stitching and sometimes that to requires good light so I have a touch lamp that is doing well so i can adjust the light as needed. Not sure if this will help you any but thought it was worth a try.
Tammy

 

[goats]

Sunny I am very sorry to hear of your burn.

your description or going around lilke the Unibomer made me laugh so much, although I know if it is not funny, I have a terrible time in the summer . your description once again has left me laughing till it hurts
and I have a terrible chest infection right now, so it hurts to laugh , although I needed it


take care of your burn, when I stop laughing I am going to the .......... to see what is wet :lol:

honestly all the best for a quick recovery

 

[Douglas]

Howdy Sunny,
The others have expressed my sympathies for your burning but, as the husband of a "handicrafter" who thinks Ott lights are the greatest thing since the invention of bobbin lace, allow me to express my sympathies for the loss of the Ott light. It is amazing how it shows real colours, just as though it is in sunlight. It will be tough to lose such a useful tool for your craft work.
And I shall stay well away from Kathryn's Ott lights from now on!
Happy stitching.
Douglas+ (in Calgary, Alberta not that far form you)

 

[confused1]

Douglas, yes the loss of the Ott-lite has been tough. BUT -- I found something that offers really good light. Not maybe as good at the Ott but close and it's a regular light bulb. It's called GE Reveal. I put one in an old office desk lamp -- the kind with the snake neck that you can twist and turn and direct any which way -- and was amazed at the difference over the cf bulb or the regular bullb either. Good, clear, "white" light without the glare. I haven't used it long enough to know if it will keep eye fatigue down like the Ott, but I'm thinking it just might.

I bought two and then went back and now I have a shelf of them. Yeah, I know, they're not "green." Sometimes we have to choose and I chose me.

Do keep your distance from your wife's light. And tell her I am envious. What kind of crafts does she do? I took up quilting when I got sick and now it's turned into a real passion.

Sunny

 

[Douglas]

Howdy Sunny,
Kathryn is a life membeer of the Alberta Handicrafts Guild and does [wait for it....it's hard to believe]: sewing, knitting, crochet, quilting (hand but she isn't much for machine quilting), tatting and bobbin lace making (English style). She also does bead work. She used to win all manner of awards from the Calgary Stampede arts and crafts competition but they kept changing the rules till so quit submitting. I will say my favourite is a quilt she made years ago called "Inner City", a rotating box design, that took first prize at the Stampede. On top of all that she takes care of a grumpy neurotic retired husband with SLE.
Douglas+