My life’s been a handicap for the last 3 months due to the enormous prickly pain that I get when my body gets warm. Every episode of the reaction seems like an eternity and believe me, the pain is unbearable. Without medical insurance I can’t get it treated. And I’m afraid to go to urgent care or emergency room because that might cost too much. I took the risk of going to a county community hospital yesterday. The doctor doesn’t know what it is either, but have recommended me to take 2 benadryls every 4 hours and a tagamet twice each day. The goal is to block the histamine from every direction. I am recommended to see a dermatologist if that doesn’t work.
Yup, you guessed it, the Benadryl is kicking my ass right now. I have never felt so drowsy in my life. I’m willing to do anything though, just to see what happens. So far I have not gotten any reaction today. It has also been very cold, so I’m not sure if it’s from the medication or the cold weather. It might be from both. We’ll see what happens.
Dec 15, 2009- Tuesday
The 8 plus Benadryl and 2 tagamet per day has turned me into a zombie. I feel like I’m walking and snoozing every moment of the day. I’m so tired all the time. My eyeballs look like someone that hasn’t slept for days. Here is the good news. I’m still getting the reactions but at the minor level. Yesterday I was teased in the classroom by a classmate and got the major reaction like I did before I was heavily medicated. The many current minor reactions seem to be more on the feet and hands. I’m not quite sure why. I also noticed that the sensation felt different too. They seem minor but more like shrieking pain. I have not had the courage to venture in to the sunlight yet, and I probably will continue to avoid it a little longer. So basically I still have the symptoms but am able to tolerate the room temperature more now. I can’t wait for it to go away.
Dec 17, 2009 – Thursday
I took my last final last night. I got perfect scores on the finals in 2 of the 3 classes. Anyhow after class several of us went to a Japanese restaurant/karaoke/bar place. It was a little warm inside of the restaurant, so that put my body at the verge of getting the reaction. I did however get the reactions, but only when I participate in the conversation. I had to rush outside several times because of them. After the third episode I basically said to myself “screw it” and withheld my participation to a minimum. I thought it was odd that those reactions were so intense. I would have been able to tolerate the heat if I hadn’t participated in the conversation. Now I am questioning if the medication is working as I had thought, or at all. It’s no longer raining like the last many days and seems to be getting warmer according to the news. I fear that my condition will worsen.
Dec 19, 2009 – Saturday
It was a little pass 5 pm. After taking my Benadryl and tagamet, I wrapped up my things at Starbucks and headed home. I knew it was a little dangerous to drive especially when the Benadryl kicks in. Yet a part of me also wanted to enjoy my Friday night. So I decided to stop at the usual neighborhood bar and risked the chance of getting the reaction while I am inside. I figured it was early enough that the bar should be practically empty. The chance of experiencing a lot of body heat is slim as long as it is not busy. I wasn’t thrill about my time at the bar, but I was glad that I went there. I needed the break.
(A the bar)
I was feeling very empty as I sat at the bar sipping my pitcher of beer. Yes, I was sipping it and was trying to make it last for most of the night. It is my usual way of trying to cut down the cost. As the bar was getting more crowded, more negative thoughts began to enter my mind. Before long I hated my time there. Every time I find something interesting or attempt to engage in a conversation, I would get the reaction. I even tried to play pool. I would get the reaction as soon as I get excited from running the table. After a while I got tired of excusing myself to the bathroom too much, and decided to forget about the game altogether. Most of the night I spent my time sitting at the bar, taking deep breaths, and remaining as calm as possible. It was the only way to avoid the reaction. It was all that I can do.
February 20, 2010 (Saturday)
I’m sad to reveal that I still get the hives. At the beginning I was asked by the doctor to take 2 benadryls every 4 hours and tagamet twice per day. About 1 month later I was asked to take 2 benadryls every 3 hours, 1 zyrtec every morning and night, and 1 doxepin every night before bed. Now I’m at 3 benadryls every 3 hours, 1 zyrtec every in the morning, 1 tagamet in the morning and 1 at night, 1 doxepin before bed, and continuously put lotions on myself throughout the day . My right eyeball now has a huge bloodcloth. The weekend before the last my body physically broke down. I woke up in the middle of the night throwing up as if my body wanted to flush everything out of my system. I can understand that it cannot take any more medications for my body. I thought it was a flu in the beginning because of the aches and pains. I couldn’t get out of bed the whole weekend, and felt more aches and pains than any previous flues that I’ve ever had. Now as I ponder about the event, I’m not convince that it was a flu since I did not have any soar throats or coughs at all. My body simply couldn’t take it any more so it rebelled.
It’s getting warmer right now. Every day as I leave the house, I worry about what this new day brings. I wonder how I will cope with the heat today, and if my body can even put up with it at all. It’s been a rough ride even up to this point. It’s disappointing to know that it is not going away soon. Nothing seems to work. Even the many pills that I take each day seems to be of no good. They may temporarily subdued the attacks, but by far they have not made my day go by without getting the hives. I’m now scared for my life, my vision, my liver, my depression, my skin, my insomnia, and many others, as I isolated myself from everybody around me and the world itself. I tell myself not to worry about anything every day so it doesn’t stress out any more than it already does. It hasn’t worked. Maybe deep down within it knows that I’m lying.