Allergic Reaction?

Let me start off by saying, PRAISE THE LORD!!! My children are all better. No one else is ill or showing any signs of getting ill. Woooo Hoooo!!! Thank you Jesus!

As for me... well, the docs aren't sure, but they believe I've been having an allergic reaction. I haven't shared this because my focus has been on my children. I'm sharing this now because it might help someone else.

Back on 5/14, I had an upper endoscopy. I even journaled about it and why I have it done. Well, a couple of days later I noticed my left eye started to look puffy and red. Then it started to itch like crazy. It started to happen to my right eye too. Being that my children had been working on our yard, I thought I was allergic so something that got "stirred". I called my doc and he wasn't out due to an emergency. I wouldn't be able to see him until the following Thursday. I had started to take Benadryl but it wasn't helping any. The itching got worse and the my reaction was no long "just around my eyes", I was having a reaction all over my body. I can't begin to share how this all felt. My skin felt raw and in flames. Cortisone cream didn't even help. Nothing seemed to help. I was getting absolutely no sleep. I don't know why, but it made me feel "dirty". I'm very OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) when it comes to cleanliness, but it still bothered me that my reaction was all over.

I saw my doc on the the 24th. *I will share something that happened during that visit, at the end of this post. God ALWAYS has a reason why things happen when they do. Well, I suggested that maybe it was a yeast infection. He didn't think so. He gave me a prescription for Halobetasol Propionate Cream and Hydroxyzine HCL 50mg. The itching did not subside, but where ever I applied the cream, it would alleviate it. By that, I mean it would take the edge off it. But I still felt like I was in flames and try as hard as I could to stop scratching but , I wasn't successful. God is good, cause during it all, I never blistered or had an infection.

Now I'm not one to run to the doc for every little thing, but this was getting out of hand. Nothing was helping. I called to see if he could just call something in for me. "Lady G~, he's going to want to see you, why don't you just come on over." URGH!!! Don't take me wrong, I'm glad and thankful that he's caring enough that he wants to see me BUT ..."I have to put on clothes AGAIN!" Not that I was walking around our castle in the buff, but I do have some very comfy lounge wear. Needless to say I wore one of my soft, 100% cotton sundress with no slip. I prayed, "Lord, I know this is nothing compared to what Job or your Son, Jesus Christ went through, thank you for your mercy." Well he gave me Prednisone. I've been on it plenty of times before, because I have Systemic Lupus Erythematosus better known as Lupus. Prednisone is a strong steroid, most call it the miracle drug. It instantly makes you feel like you are better.

Actually on Friday 6/8, it dawned on my Knight and I that I might be having a lupus flare up. I'm not a compliant patient. So all my "lupus" medication is outdated. I called my doc on Friday and asked if my Plaquenil could be refilled. He called me back and said, "Lady G~ ... you naughty girl, we haven't seen you in quite some time regarding your lupus. We need to keep an eye on that." My hands were slapped... my prescription was filled.

Today is June 10 and I'm still not better. But I have to tell you that I keep thinking about Job. What I'm going through is nothing. I know that I can't through this on my own, only with God's help and the love and caring of those around me. I know that this too shall pass... till then, I guess I have to grin and bear it. I have to keep telling myself, "There are others that worse off than me."

*My doc had to go on an emergency leave. His brother died suddenly of a brain aneurysm. It was his baby brother. He was a husband, dad, leader in his community and a leader at church. They lived in another state, so my doc and his family had to travel. When I called to set up the appointment. I was not told about the death in the family. I was only told he was out due to an emergency. I prayed for him every day. When I got to see him. He looked tired and worn out. It was his first day back and he had been seeing patients since 5a. He's an early bird. By the time I saw him it was 1p. I was his last patient before his lunch break. First thing I told him was that I had been praying for him because I had heard he was out due to an emergency. He sat down and just looked at me. He's a Christian. I'm not just saying that. He really talks the talk and walks the walk. You can see Christ dwelling within him. He told him he had not even had a chance to think. He was still in shock. He told me a little about his brother. I shared my story about my baby brother. I shared how God used my brother's death not only to save me, but my Knight (who believed in NOTHING!) and my children. We talked about how hard it is to see the bigger picture. But we gave God all the praise and glory for being in control. We both know that His ways are better than our ways. We both walked out of there knowing that God had wanted me to see my doc at that moment in time. We were meant to minister to one another. What a MIGHTY God we serve...