No Comprendo

Sorry it has been a while since I posted...I have been working on a post for at least 2 weeks (still working on that one) but it isn't coming along as fast as I'd like, so it's still in "drafts".


I can't remember the last time I felt so ridiculous and embarrassed as I have these past 2 weeks.

I mentioned in my last post that I had an allergic reaction almost 2 weeks ago where my throat began to close up, but I managed to suck some benadryl down in time, so everything was pretty good as far as that went...

She had my arms wrapped in wet, hot towels,
wrapped in hot, dry towels, with bags over
them to get my veins to pop out for the iv!

Well, the next week I had 2 CT scans that had been a PAIN to schedule and one of them had iv contrast involved. Sometimes it is referred to as "iodine contrast". I've had a reaction to it once in the past, but it was incredibly minor and I have had several CT scans with contrast since then with no problems...in fact, they actually told me to tell doctors I had an "irritation" instead of an allergy. So I do...and they normally say something like, "just watch her, but we shouldn't need to pre-medicate her..." See, sometimes they go ahead and dose you with benadryl ahead of time if they know you're going to have a reaction because there's no way around the contrast when you need it for images.

So I had my first CT on Tuesday and it was the one with contrast. It took almost an hour to get my iv in because my stupid veins are tiny, they roll, and they are super deep. They dread seeing my arms...
To top it off, I hadn't eaten anything all day (it was 3:00-ish?) because you can't eat for an abdominal CT, but you have to drink this NASTY barium "smoothie" that will make you want to vomit. Vanilla is the best flavor if you're ever going to have one. Unfortunately, they only had berry - which is the worst flavor, in my opinion. Moral of that whole rabbit trail: drink a lot of water before you have to get an iv and it will be so much easier - if you can, that is...you can't even drink water for abdominal CT's.

So it was already getting a little frustrating, but my CT tech was fabulous and I loved her!
The CT was going great, and they got the "pre contrast images" and we were set to go for the contrast. Iodine contrast is funny because it will make your body feel really warm...especially your inner thighs. It's the weirdest thing, but they'll even tell you it will make you feel like you are peeing yourself!

hangin' in the ER with the hubs...

The contrast went in, and I felt warm, but also a little uncomfortable. My chest got a little tight, but that isn't terribly uncommon. Every time usually feels just a little different for me. Then my nose started to tingle and I felt like I really needed to sneeze. Again, not too uncommon for me, but it usually goes away in a few seconds - this didn't. Then, my throat felt a little heavy, like the back of my tongue was super heavy...not really "swollen", but heavy. My lips started to tingle and I said, "aw crap...Linda!" So I told her what was going on, and she got a little nervous, but then I coughed and she said, "oh no! Better call the nurse!" Of course, by this time it's around 5pm or so and it is officially "after hours" at the hospital. The nurse didn't answer, so she had to call a "code". So all of these doctors and nurses run in and it was freaky. They kept asking, "WHY WASN'T SHE PRE-MEDICATED?!" over and over. I felt really bad for my tech. So they injected me with a TON of benadryl and went back and forth about whether or not to use my EpiPen...

By this time I was coughing a TON and could barely breathe, which is what happened the last time my throat closed up. It was super uncomfortable and a little scary. I knew the hospital was probably the best place for this to happen, but it didn't make it much better. Then they stuck me in the ER for 6 hours, where Randy came to sit with me, and they flushed my kidneys with TONS of iv fluids to get all of the contrast out of my system so I wouldn't have another reaction. We got out of there at midnight -_-
I appreciate them making sure I wasn't going to die, but it was still annoying. Especially since they kept having people coming in via ambulance with heart attacks! Seriously, there were like 8 heart attacks that night! I knew I was just taking up a room, and I was technically fine at that point! I guess?
Then, they brought in a homeless man who was coughing up blood and stuck him in the same room, just a curtain away. I don't have anything against the homeless, but it was kind of scary to think he might have something like TB, only 10 feet away! I hope he got care, nevertheless. 

So why now and not the other times? Well, who knows...
But they think my reaction last week caused my immune system to go into overdrive and I'm more sensitive to everything I was just "irritated" by. Greeeat...
OH, and as a bonus, my mom had just had surgery that morning (nothing too major) and it made it the 3rd time I've been in the hospital at the same time as my mom! Randy said, "you and your mom really need to stop being in the hospital on the same day!"

So that's my tale of 2 anaphylactic reactions in 1 week.

BUT that's not all...oh, how I wish it could be.

About 2 weeks ago, my right foot began feeling bruised on top, but it was no big deal. Long story short, by this past Sunday I could barely walk and even fabric lightly touching my foot made me cry. I was just trying to ignore it and hope it got better because I could still walk, but I knew I needed to at least get an x-ray on Monday when even walking a little became hard. It's not broken, but the doctor said I either have severe tendonitis, or another blood clot that is cutting off circulation. Seriously?! Ugh!

Honestly, a clot had been in the back of my mind because it usually hurts worse to stand after I've been sitting a while, which is a HUGE symptom of a clot, but it's not really a for-sure sign. My ankle had also started getting a little tender, so I was beginning to wonder if it was something higher up, but I still wasn't thinking it actually could be a clot. I don't really have the swelling (a little in my foot, but none in my calf), no redness, and no warmth. However, I didn't have any of those symptoms last time either until it got really bad, but even then I never had much redness or warmth. By the time they found it, they said it had been there a while. So who knows? As previously mentioned, my veins are ridiculous...guess we'll find out!

I've made an appointment with my hematologist, but I'm really dreading it.
I talked about it before, but I was really hoping to be DONE with tests after my CT scans, and now I've been stuck in the ER, I've had several x-rays, and might end in the ER again if I have a clot. For now, I'm just hanging out at home in a lot of pain, trying to stay off my feet :(

There's also the worry for next week! We're flying to Colorado for my in-laws' 50th anniversary vacation with Randy's family, and I'm afraid I won't be allowed to fly if they find something.

Then there's the other problem: I'm REALLY sick of having tests that doctor's demand because something is wrong, but then they come back clear and whatever is wrong is still wrong.

SERIOUSLY?!?!? I don't understand.

Even with all of this, He is still good!
That is so hard to say sometimes, but my heart cannot deny its truth!

Thanks for reading everyone! I'll keep you updated!
Be looking out for a post about the most incredible face/acne secret I have EVER come across!

Blessings,
E