I got the itch, I got it!

A new study found that a mothers diet affects her baby's allergies. Which can only mean one thing: My mom ate cats. - Jimmy Fallon

Yesterday was allergy testing day.  When they tell you to plan for a 2 to 3 hour stay THEY MEAN IT!  It ended up being more like 4 by the time all was said and done.  I spent a lot of the time fighting the itch and holding my arms out so the test wouldn't be skewed.

It's amazing how quickly they scratch your skin all up with the "palettes" or whatever you call them.  I was like, this is a breeze, I can so handle this.  The technician said "you're tough."  I patted myself on the back and thought, yeah I'm tough. 

Time for round two.  TWO big trays of needles.  I'm tough right?  Yeah, that's it, I'm tough.  I have been poked and prodded so many times, I can so do this.  OUCH!  I'll be the first to admit those needles really smart.  I'm still considering myself tough.  I only winced a few times, I played the tough role very well lol.  It hurt though, my arms were bleeding.  Not a pretty site, but, hey I'm TOUGH!

It turns out I am allergic to my fur babies.  Not my Mia dog luckily, but the cats.  They get to stay (whew, like that was ever an option anyway) but I have to make some changes.  Also, molds, HIGH allergies to molds.  I already suspected this pretty much.  Also, dust mites, isn't everyone?  Lastly COCKROACHES...eww I am totally ok with being allergic to them.  I really hope to never have a run in with one of them and if so, hey I'm allergic, go away. 

I love the gazillion things they recommend you do to alleviate your allergens.  It's A LOT and it's a big pile of money.  As if while I am in an Ulcerative Colitis flare, unable to work, spending all of my money on co-pays and prescriptions, I can tear up all of the carpet in the house and put down hardwood or tile.  UGH!!!

At least I found out that I am most likely NOT allergic to my UC meds and definitely not allergic to the foods I've been eating.  That's a relief.  My arms are still sore today, so I had to go get blood work done.  More needles?  Sure, I'm TOUGH!

Empty...

Empty, empty, empty!  Every store, every shelf.  Either they didn't carry my probiotic or it was all gone.  It's hard enough to just go to a store.  It's exhausting.  If you are familiar with the spoon theory, you'll understand that it takes at least half of my days spoons just to go to the doctor and the store.  That's a BIG day for me right now. 

I had to go to SIX stores before I found my probiotic, but I had to have it.  I almost cried when I finally found it.  I had 3 more stores I could go to and it was at the first of the three.  I was SO incredibly relieved.  I could have laid down on the floor right there in the aisle.  I was so relieved that I could finally go home and warm up and get my pajamas on.  The cold had started to sink in.   Whenever I go out and do too much I get this cold that sets in.  It gets in your bones.  It's very hard to warm up from.  I don't know what causes it, but I hate the feeling.  I am usually hot.  I want the door open when it's 30 degrees outside.  Sometimes I do get chilly and put a blanket on, but my comfort temperature is always all over the place.  The only time I get this "bone chilling cold" is when I have to go out and run errands though.

After the days events I am contemplating changing probiotics to one found more widely or just squirreling them away so I don't have to go through this over and over.   Every month I have a hard time finding them.  They work for me though and in the middle of an allergic reaction issue, I wasn't about to try a new one right now.

It's amazing how much can change in a short time.  I used to work myself to death cleaning and gardening and cooking before succumbing to exhaustion.  Now a trip to the store and doctor does me in.  Chronic illness sucks...

I know there are others out there that have it so much worse and I sympathize completely.  I wish we lived in a world without illness.  If we could live our lives without pain and illness and just focus on being the best people we can, making the most of every day, wouldn't that be grand?

Laundry Day

Well last week the washer decided to die.  It was 22 years old.  For an appliance that is a good long life.  I'm not complaining.  However, I wish it hadn't left with a full tub of stinky, dirty water.  Do you know how hard it is to hand wring a load of towels, sweatshirts and pants?  It's not an easy task.  As my daughter and I wrung them out one at a time, I reminded her that "back in the day" they had to do all laundry by hand.  We are very lucky to have a machine to do it most days.  We were just as lucky to have a boat pump to get the water out of there...PEE EWWW!

So, with a working dryer at least, I have to run to the laundromat to wash the clothes and lug them back home to dry.  I decided I would go by myself and read while they washed.  There are two laundromats to choose from in town and I chose the one with no cars in the parking lot.  Well as soon as I pulled in, someone else did as well...of course!  This is how it always works, right? I just want to sit quietly alone and read my book and do my laundry.  NOPE this was not to be. They were nice people, but very loud, yelling at the kids.  It's hard enough on steroids to focus on reading but with all of that going on...forget about it.  I did get a few pages in at least. 

As I looked around I noticed a sign on the wall that said you absolutely cannot wash horse blankets.  I wonder how many horse blanket issues they must have here to warrant a sign addressing just this?  I found that funny.

One thing I didn't bargain for was how incredibly HEAVY the clothes were going to be to get back home.  I am so weak and fatigued from this current Ulcerative Colitis flare up, on top of being on Benadryl for an allergic reaction I was just exhausted by the time I got back home.  That is the last trip I make by myself with the laundry.

Luckily, we are getting my Dad's old washer on Friday, so I won't have to venture out again.  It really makes you appreciate so much having a washer at your house. 

STUDY day today!

FINAL EXAMS!!!

Time to break out the books today!  I have completed all of my lessons and it's time to study for the big FINAL exam!  I have been pushing it back and pushing it back, but time is running out.  The steroids make my brain wander in a gazillion directions, but it must be done. 

Yesterday I procrastinated taking the Final to the point that I spent the ENTIRE day organizing and filing papers.  See most people don't realize procrastinators are NOT lazy.  They don't sit around and do nothing, they do anything to avoid the thing they SHOULD be doing.  It took me a lot of years and a SUPER procrastinating daughter to see this and realize it.  She will do a gazillion productive things to avoid that one oil painting she should be doing for art class.   I feel great about what I accomplished yesterday luckily.  The fact is though, that final is still lingering there, waiting to be taken care of.  It's time to get it done.

I had another allergic reaction last night.  I grabbed the Zantac and Benadryl right away.  I had one 2 weeks ago and the doctors assumed it was the Lialda.  After a lot of blood tests and insurance company intervention, now I am supposed to go on Imuran, Humira got denied.  I don't want to take these stronger drugs if the Lialda isn't to blame.  I want my doctor to send me for allergy testing.  I'll call tomorrow and see what I can do.  I don't seem to be reacting yet today so maybe I'm just becoming allergic to everything.  That's a scary thought.  I don't have a good track record with these things.  My body doesn't like many medications.  They are running out of good antibiotics to give me as it is.  Now, I've ruled out a slew of Ulcerative Colitis medications.  It's not just annoying, it's scary.

Well look at that, here I am blogging and talking about allergic reactions, and yet still procrastinating studying for this final exam.  See how easy that is? Still being "productive" technically, but avoiding the task that needs completed...

Terrifying Find...

The car had been shaking and acting funny lately.  I am sooo glad that I took the car to be inspected.  All four tires need replaced, but this one is the worst of the bunch.  An over-achiever in the terrifyingly awful department.  I was actually considering driving it to get the tires put on tomorrow, but after seeing it, thought maybe we had better put the spare tire on instead.  

The metal chords are hanging out of it, and I've never seen such a misshapen terrible condition tire before...EVER!  I hate to spend the money that we don't have right now, but holy cow I will feel so much safer driving the car now.  It's so scary to think what could have happened to us driving around like this.  

Everything feels so overwhelming right now.  On top of being in the hospital, diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, not being able to work, having an allergic reaction to my medication..and the list goes on, the washer decided to die and then this happened with the tires.  

Stress isn't good for my condition but how do you avoid it when all of these things happen one on top of the other.  The only way I've found is to take it one day at a time and deal with one problem at a time.   I've found lately that sometimes I may not get to every problem in a day's time but tomorrow is another day.  I can only handle so much in one day.