The unicorns (chronic idiopathic urticaria angiodema) have ruled my life for the last 10 months. It all started out small. A small lump in my throat that wouldn't go away. They were cutting the grass at school (I have a severe grass allergy) and I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. I googled anaphylaxis. And there it was listed as a symptom - a lump in the throat. I freaked out and immediately went to see the school nurse. I was given Benadryl and sent on my way. I ended up needing more Benadryl and a phone call to the allergy doctor was made.
Fast forward a week and the whole scenario happened again. More Benadryl. And more Benadryl. Starting carrying my epipen (originally for yellow jacket stings) everywhere I went. Allergy doc prescribed steroids and said it should be better in a week or so. Never got better. Worse in fact. I don't have food allergies but was reacting to all kinds of food. Some as mild as lip swelling and others that involved my throat closing up. I spent many, many nights praying that the Benadryl would work faster so I wouldn't have to use the epipen. Turns out I had two or three reactions that I should've used the epipen.
My friends and coworkers were given directions on the epipen and I tried to explain what I was dealing with. My hives come out as extreme redness and heat on my face and neck. One of the allergy nurses thought I was sunburned on my neck. The swelling involves my face and body. My eyebrows, cheeks, and chin start first. Sometimes it's one side more than the other. It is random and I never know what will swell when or why.
I take about 400mg of antihistamines in a day. One Benadryl pill contains 25mg. Needless to say, I was exhausted. I would teach as long as I could (thankfully had the best student teacher EVER) and then go home and sleep, wake up and eat and swell and take more meds and then start the process all over again the next day. For three months it was all I could do to go to work. I disappeared from life. For a long time I thought life had stopped for me. One day I realized that the world had kept on going. And I was missing it.
My body eventually adjusted to the amount of meds that I was taking. The doc kept telling me that by Thanksgiving I would be better. Then it was Christmas. Then my birthday (February). And finally this summer. As I approach the summer "deadline" I can only pray that this condition goes into remission. Chronic conditions suck. I've got a lot more to say, but I'll end it with that thought tonight. As I get ready to take my nighttime meds and get some rest for a first grade field trip tomorrow!
Comments
Post a Comment