Those who have been following my most recent health saga on Facebook know I’ve been having horrible itching for weeks now. We’re in the second week, going on the third, and though it’s a little bit better than the first week, it’s NOT getting better. I stopped a medication we think might be causing the problem, but still no improvement. I find I want to just dope myself up and go to sleep and sleep through it–wake up and hope it’s gone.
We might have figured out the problem, which has something to do with mast cell activation–we’ll be doing some testing for that. But I have to say, itching is the absolute worst torture you can go through. I’d rather have pain than to itch like this. Three nights this week, I’ve been in tears, begging for the itching to stop, wishing to be put out of my misery. This is absolutely horrible torture.
My legs are super swollen, my hands are puffy and tender, red and feel awful. I feel awful. Add to that that I currently have this double chin/swelling going on with my face, having trouble breathing (wheezing and low sats) and trouble swallowing–it’s like a full-blown anaphylactic shock type of reaction, but a slow one instead of an immediate one. This all really does indicate mast cell activation too.
Sigh.
Then to make matters worse, Thanksgiving had me up in the kitchen and working at the table all day, and that caused my feet to swell up badly. I originally wasn’t going to put this image up, because I didn’t want people to misunderstand what I usually look like, but at the same time, I’ve sort of promised my readers here and myself full disclosure and truth–and the truth is, sometimes being sick isn’t pretty.
And so, here are my legs. These are about three times the normal size of my legs when I”m not swollen with fluid. As you can see, there are lumpiness and swelling at the ankles and the feet and the shins… well, that swelling goes all the way up the leg. It’s in my face too. I was considering going to the ER, but I was going to tell them, “You know, I’m a big girl, but usually, I have a neck….”
Well, for the past few days, I haven’t had a neck. And my cheekbones, high as they usually are (thanks for the good genes, papa!) are now nearly swollen up into my eyes, making it hard to see. My eyes are leaking fluid. My legs are leaking fluid. My belly and chest is full of fluid.
It sucks.
But here we are, Sunday after Thanksgiving, and FINALLY, the fluid is starting to release. I take Bumex, a very potent diuretic, to keep the fluid down, but it dehydrates me big time. I end up losing potassium and have a hard time keeping it up. I deplete magnesium too. Both of these things make it hard on my heart and make it hard to function without feeling really, really tired and worn out. Like bone-weary, fuzzy-headed, can’t think, can’t breathe tire.
To make matters worse, with the allergic-type reaction, and then all the extra fluid, my throat swells up, my chest seizes up, breathing is hard, sleeping is hard, then I don’t get enough rest, which makes it all worse than it has to be… and the vicious cycle begins all over again.
A HOLIDAY TIP!
So I have to say something to you all. It’s a known fact in the medical field that those with health conditions–particularly those with breathing and heart conditions–that the holidays are really hard on their health. There are multiple reasons for this, and I’m going to address them in my next blog.
In the meantime, I hope you’ll all realize that as bad as holidays can be, they are tough on those of us who are suffering with health issues, and maybe we can all agree that just being with each other is more important than fancy meals or presents or ‘traditions’ and maybe we can all just relax and enjoy ourselves more.
I’m still not fully recovered from the holiday.. it’ll be a couple of more days still. And then we’ll turn around and do it all over again for Christmas. Ah, well!
But man, was the food ever so good!
So yeah, for those wondering, I’m still alive and kicking, just kicking with swollen legs and itchy hands. But it will take more than that to keep me down for too long!
I love ya all!
Love and stuff,
Michy
