Quick update...

I'm not sure how exciting it is for you to read a play by play of my daily medical intrigues, but Jenni said something about daily updates so here you go. Today I lasted at work till about 1 when I was having adverse side effects from the Prednisone. Big surprise - powerful drugs and I generally do not get along. It was miserable for awhile - felt weak, shaky, my head and face felt really weird, and I felt like my heart might pound away. The doctor said I could go off it and if I get any symptoms from the bee venom, take the drugs and come in right away. So, here's to hoping tomorrow is uneventful. I can't wait for this week to be over. What's new with you?

To answer your questions...

Hi again. Here's a quick update. Let's see - no, I have never ever had a reaction like this before. But I only ever remember getting stung one other time in my life. The doctors have said several cheery things such as, often you don't react till the second sting and usually subsequent reactions are worse than the first. And possibly I could be allergic to some and not others. I did go to work today and stared blankly at the computer for quite awhile, then went and got some lunch. I thought maybe if I took the Benadryl early, like 6:00, it would be worn off in time for work. No such luck. It didn't wear off till around 4. I did a couple visits. Not my best work I'm sure. = P Last night I was late in taking the Benadryl and I started breaking out again and itching. great. Today I'm fine and haven't taken it since 6 this morning. Which is good since it's pretty much impossible to work with that stuff roaming about the system. I'll take it at night so I can sleep - need something to counteract the uppers. And, I'd like a refund on the happy drugs. So far those are a big disappointment. I'm feeling more weepy and paranoid and have lost all desire to spend any amount of time outside. So that's the news around here. Hope your day is a happy one.

This was after I was home and it was looking much better. = )

Like I needed one more reason to hate mowing grass!

So, I think I need to quit blogging. Because just when I think I have nothing to blog about, it seems as though something comes along that is blog worthy, but generally exceedingly undesirable. It's true - while speeding to the hospital last night, I actually had the thought, well, at least I'll have something to blog about. Now that I have your attention - a short story from one high on drugs so bear with me. Last night around 6:30 or so (way too much detail already, sorry) I was out mowing the grass when this evil and possessed bee flew out of no where and left his stinger in my hand. It hurt like, well, a lot. So I came in the house and tended to that for a bit, then went out to mow again. I was mowing along and determined to finish but was feeling really really itchy. I've since heard that intense allergic reactions alter your thinking, judgement, and cause sort of a panic type feel - all true in this case. I just kept thinking, I have to finish mowing. Then my face started to tingle and I thought, oh well, I can still breathe. Must mow, must mow. Then it was as if I didn't even make the decision, but found myself heading speedily for the house where thank GOD my roommate was. I started telling her that I think something's wrong, I feel really really weird, but couldn't think straight or talk right. She suggested I stand under some cold water. So I went to the bathroom and looked at my face and thought, my nose looks huge. No, can't be. My mouth was all tight and felt weird. Face started getting puffy... Then I started feeling some welts and called her in again and by then they were all over the place - big puffy, white welts. And everything just itched and hurt all at the same time. So we sped off to the hospital which is only a few yards away. It seemed to take plenty of time - the receptionist took me to a back room and said a nurse would be in soon. It seemed like an eternity, but it's the oddest feeling that I can't describe - Bethany was trying to distract me by talking about other things but all I could feel was this panic and like my skin was going to eat me alive. When the nurse finally arrived, she had to be about 107. She looked at me and muttered something and started walking away, and we weren't sure if we were supposed to follow her but we did and the other people who were back there took one look and said some things that got her moving and got me in a room quite quickly. Then they of course did the usual - hook up to the monitor and IV and started pumping lots of drugs. They gave me lots of Benadryll along with epinephrine which they said will make me a bit - I can't remember the word - but jumpy or something like that. And some steroids and other stuff. So my skin was settling down and that felt nice, but then all of a sudden my scalp got really hot, throat felt really weird, I felt all lightheaded - it was so weird and I thought maybe I was dying, but the nurse (another one who was wonderful) assured me that it was just the drugs working. Then I got the shakes and laid there convulsing against my will and they would try to ask me questions and I couldn't talk right. But after that subsided, things got mostly better, I laid there in a drug induced stupor and slept some and finally around 4 hours later they let me go. Wheeled me out to the car - how embarrassing. Walking wasn't really my strong point at that moment I guess. When I got home I still had red spots all over and my feet felt like they were on fire. Now I'm supposed to be taking some powerful drugs for awhile and it's going to make working rather difficult. Not sure what to do about that. And the steriods I'm taking are supposed to make me inexplicably happy - hopefully no one notices too much of a difference. I have to see another Dr. this afternoon and see what he has to say. So that's my story. Funny how I haven't really noticed the sunburn I got while hanging out at the beach with LaRonda this past weekend. It was so good to catch up with her. And see Bethany too and other Ohio friends. Okay, that's all for now. I'm going to go repose upon my couch.

IS THIS BETTER?

Yeah, I know, these colors are gross - once you start messing with them, then it's all downhill from there. And at 5:30 in the morning... well, this is what you get. Sorry Jenni, I just got too bored with the last ones. Since I don't have much to actually blog about, I've been changing colors lately instead of blogging. So stay tuned and let me know if you actually like something that pops up, K? In other news - Oh, this would be fun - highlight below to read the secret message from me! Okay, that didn't work - it still showed up when I posted. So much for secret messages on this early Friday morning. Ah well, have a great weekend everyone! Is anyone doing anything exciting?

Oh the drippage that is my face...

Or more appropriately, "I have nothing to say, but crave approval so I'm coming on here to try to make you happy." But don't expect anything much. or much of anything. I guess I haven't said anything since conference. It was a lot of fun. It was great spending some time with Bethany and Karla and catching up with a whole host of other people, including a 3rd cousin that I had one semester of college with. It's so crazy to have these connections with so many people. On Monday I had a sore throat in the morning and it got increasingly worse throughout the day and by evening, I practically had to grip something because the pain was so intense when I swallowed. Yeah, didn't feel the best for awhile and now it's just basically a cold and I'm tired and drippy and can't smell or taste and have Larry and Jitus. I took NyQuil on Friday night and that stuff is wicked. I think I forget how bad it is and keep taking it. It seriously didn't wear off till around 4 in the afternoon yesterday. So I was dragging myself around and stopping for rests in between the slightest of exertions and my roommate really wanted to go to a coffee shop. I figured I could sit and hack and sniff there as well as anywhere else but I just didn't have the gumption to get ready. So I slumped in the chair and she did my hair and put my face on for me and then she said I looked like a medieval princess and then we left. She's SO weird!

A little bit of nothing to say...

Hi and happy Friday to those of you that Friday actually means something exciting. I thought I'd wander on here and say hello even though I don't really have so much to say. It's been a long week but I got off early today so that's super nice. Something very odd happened this month that I don't think has ever happened before. So in my job, we tear around all month doing visits and for each one, we have to write a report. Then we also have various other data to enter throughout the month. We are supposed to have all our data in by the 5th, for the previous month. But usually our boss gives us a few extra days and I'm going good to get it all in by the 9th or so. Usually we're at the end of the month with about 30 or so visits to enter. So then you spend till the 9th of the month doing data for the month before and then you are behind for that month and it just a vicious cycle. Anyway, by some miracle this month, I had all my data don yesterday which would have been the SECOND! I know this isn't exciting at all, but it's about the best I can come up with right now. Oh, and just so you know the kind of stress we're under, this morning in staff meeting, one of my co-workers shared this little ditty. She dreamt last night that she cut off a finger. So she grabbed the poor little severed finger because she thought she would go to the doctor and have it re-attached. But first, she carried her finger with her to all her visits for the day because ya gotta get visits!! Created sort of a funny mental picture.

Well, Bethany is here for the weekend and is at conference right now. I'm going to join her this evening and most of the weekend and I'm looking forward to it a lot. It's always great catching up with her as well. My computer is doing this really annoying delay thing where I can type a whole line almost before the words show up and it's really annoying so I think I'm gonna go now. Cheerio!