BY COURTNEY MURPHY
HERALD DEMOCRAT
Let's face it: I have always been one of the palest children. Despite my silky smooth skin and my tolerance against ashy flakes, there are no other pros, especially in the summer. The blistering Texas heat, as we all love and loathe, is the greatest enemy against my skin, and the one obstacle that lets down the complete enjoyment of my summer days.
It is of little surprise that as I enjoyed a hot Saturday afternoon on a recent weekend in my friend's pool, my skin was boiling up to a higher temperature. Though I was unaware at the time, I looked like a lobster when I went inside.
Not offended by being told I was "the most burnt person anyone has ever seen," the most significant part of getting sunburned is the hurt and pain, the soreness one feels, from the burn. I also tend to rack up a little bit of a fever and am sometimes in bed for a few days if the burn really gets too bad.
Thinking that I was feeling fine, I enjoyed the night after I took a nap, but was met with a strong sense of nausea and tingling in my arms that put me straight to bed. The next morning, I was barely able to lift my arms without feeling excruciating pain, but was luckily not still sick.
As the temperatures increase, please be more careful than I was around the sun for prevention of both bodily illness and damage to the skin. Some helpful tips from FamilyDoctor.org, besides the blatant wearing of sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, include: avoiding sunlight from 11 a.m. -3 p.m. (the hottest time of the day), wearing protective clothing and hats when outside, and not being outside just for the purpose of getting a tan.
Happy birthday Thursday to Cindy Dobbs and Orville Edward Walker, both of Denison; Saylor Sawyer, Pauline Neblett, Jerod Jacobs, Raymond Shirley and Kameron Hopper, all of Sherman; Amy Melton of Durant, Okla.; Barbara Pearl Braxton and Shelanda Nichol Braxton, both of Dallas; Homer Fairchild of Bonham; Dianne Keesee Williams of Bedford; Larry Joe Hendrik of Smithville, Ms.; Darrell Walker of Luella; Jean Hughes of Savoy; Audrey Rayford of Bonham; James Emmons of Tom Bean; Sue Coats of Ravenna; twins, Ethan and Cadence Giarraputo of Arlington.
Happy anniversary Thursday to Robert and Mary Lou Barker of Sherman, 72 years; James and Ola Springfield of Garland, 54 years; Lawrence and Belinda Beamon of Sherman, 23 years; Timmy and Lori Tyree of Denison, 4 years.