So, obviously, I abandoned my blog once a day plan. Oh well. It did give me insight into how my Kindergarteners feel when they tell me they can't think of anything to write about.
2016 has not gotten off to a great start for me. I've been having a major flare with the unicorns. Face, eyes, lip, and other random swells. And the swelling seems to have switched things up, I used to swell more on the right side of my face and now I'm swelling more on the left side.
I also experienced something new one day at school. Dizziness and feeling really strange. Dizziness is a side effect of a lot of my medications, but this seemed different. I ended up leaving school and going to see my regular doctor. Vertigo. Ugh. Something else to add to my ever-growing medical history. Thankfully the episode didn't last very long and I haven't had another bad one since.
If you were thinking that the Vertigo was the double whammy, well, you'd be wrong.
Yesterday was the 100th day of school! We had a lot of fun stuff planned. We also had a busy day with Library story time and Keyboarding Without Tears in the morning. I noticed that some of my kids smelled like they had cologne on when they passed through the "You Are 100 Days Smarter" banner with streamers on our door.
Five year-olds and cologne are a strange combo, I know. Someone must've had it in their backpack or on the bus and shared with friends. I've been sensitive to smells for a little while now. Scentsy, candles, cleaners, and sprays. I avoid them and don't change my shampoo or detergents in case I might react.
The cologne was very strong. I noticed right away that I was starting to react. My nose was swelling and I could feel my lips growing. We went to keyboarding and it the smell was still strong and my lips were still growing. I use the selfie camera on my phone to document my swells/reactions a lot.
This progression of the lip swell was taken over a 15 minute period. I was beginning to wonder if my bottom lip was ever going to stop swelling. (I want to invent Chapstick made out of Benadryl for reactions like this.) When I got back to my classroom I took some Benadryl. I decided to put on one of the masks that I keep in my backpack (usually I need them when the grass is cut) to try and prevent the swell from getting worse. My kids took it in stride and I taught with my mask on until story time in the library.
My throat wasn't doing well with swallowing. (A clue to a worsening episode of anaphylaxis.) I retrieved my EpiPens from my backpack and called my immunologist. They couldn't see me until later that afternoon. After story time, I was feeling a little better. After lunch it was afternoon meds time and the smell of the cologne had dissipated, but my lip had not gotten smaller.
At the immunologist, I was expecting to get steroids for a week or so and then go on my way. Not so much. After listening to my description of my day and other episodes involving scents (the detergent and cleaning aisles at Walmart make me swell and react), he told me that I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Ugh. Double ugh. There is no given treatment or medication for this. I can use my steroids on an "as needed" basis but it won't stop a reaction, it'll only lessen the reaction.
While researching it last night I saw the word "idiopathic". I know all too well what that word means as it is part of my other condition - Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria Angioedema. Idiopathic means they have no idea what specifically causes it. I don't know what chemicals set me off. A normal sensitivity to chemicals involves a person having direct contact with the irritant and their skin. A rash would be a typical reaction. But, I'm not typical (especially medically) and I react to the irritant's particles in the air. Seriously?!?!
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity may or may not related to my unicorns. My doc thinks that it isn't related because the irritants are external, not internal like my other swellings/symptoms.
Frustrated. Ugh. Another idiopathic condition?!?! Why?? What do I do?? Another list of things that I need to avoid in order to not have anaphylactic reactions. Really?!?!?? UGH!!!
For now, I'm researching fragrance free EVERYTHING. Detergents, soaps, shampoos, lotions, and anything else fragrance free that can reduce my chances of having a reaction.
I will be packing more masks in my backpack tomorrow and will be adding my steroids to my medicine bag. Soon I'll need a bigger medicine bag...or a bubble to live in...
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