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Name: Tracy
Country: United States
State: Virginia
Gender: Female
Interests: Scrapbooking, quilting, singing/songwriting, playing guitar, bass, and other instruments, biking, needlecraft and beadwork, etc.
Expertise: Christian Homebuilding, Teaching, Encouraging, Music and Arts
Message: message me
Member Since:
8/31/2001
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| If you would like to find me, I'll be over here: http://lamplighter777.blogspot.com/ | | |
| I'm downstairs in my special place trying to sort out how this day
should run. I know a few facts, like the allergy appointment at 11 and
the kids BookIt lunch shortly afterward. I know I need to go get some
PJ's for Zack, and some groceries and batteries and pay some bills and
sort out the medical bills better so we can attack them better when the
tax refund comes... But what I really want to do is stay down here in
this little room, my craft room, and play.
The first craft show
I intend to work this year is in May. I have some jewelry ready, but I
need to do alot more. I have not mastered time management yet (praying
for wisdom and understanding, though, so I WILL get it!) I haven't
figured out how to school the children and keep the house really clean.
Anything beyond those two has eluded me completely.
I want a solid quiet time with God every day. I NEED it.
I want some craft/business time several times a week.
I
want to have a spotless house, but I have been ever so willing to
sacrifice the spotless part for the sake of the kids' schooling. It
needs to be cleaner, though...
I want time to play music every day.
I
want to finish my basement so I have a nice, consistent classroom and
access to the craftroom, and so my husband can have a space of his own
to sprawl over without taking up my craftroom!
These are strong
desires and needs. I will find a way to have better quiet times with
the Lord, that is a must, but the rest are desires that I will just
have to figure out and not obsess over. My first priority is my First
Love, Jesus Christ, followed closely by my second, my husband. After
that, it's the kids, training them, growing them, encouraging and
allowing them to blossom. The rest may come - I hope and pray that it
does come soon, of course - but it pales in comparison. I do know,
though, that I am beloved, bought and paid-for, and that my desires
matter to my Father in heaven. That gives me hope! | | |
| This was a rough weekend indeed. I
had another anaphylactic reaction, but this time I was home alone with
the kids. I had shown my sons Joshua and Zechariah where I keep my
epipens and how to do it, in case of emergency where I am not able to
do it myself, just a few days ago. Then on Saturday, it started up.
Most likely this reaction happened because of two reasons: first, the
blasted doctor in the ER last week did not give me credit for knowing
my own body and medical history. I told him that before, when I had the
reaction to the crab and shrimp, that I had been put on prednisone 60mg
for 4 days, and when it was stopped suddenly I had another anaphylactic
reaction, and my doctor had suggested that it was probably a rebound
reaction. He insisted that it was very rare and would not happen again.
Guess what... The second reason this reaction probably happened was
because when the prednisone was stopped from a high dose suddenly, a
small allergen became a big one for the moment. I had brushed my
sheltie, Charlie, about twenty minutes before my breathing became
compromised. My hands had been itching, and I had not heard back from
my regular doctor about whether I should risk taking benadryl or not.
When
the itching started in my mouth and throat, and the tightening
sensation started around my chest and neck, I called my dr on his
private number (bless his precious heart for answering) to ask if I
could take benadryl. He heard my breathing go from bad to worse and
advised me to use my epipen and call for an ambulance. He said to tell
the ER doctor to fax him a copy of the report and to please write the
prednisone prescription as a 12 to 16-day step down. The ER doctor said
NO. Fortunately, my husband called our dr back and he called the
pharmacy directly with the step-down prescription.
Why do ER
doctors so often refuse to HEAR what their patients present them? For
example: Last week when I had the reaction, my heart started beating in
a bigemini pattern (a PVC every other heartbeat) as the benadryl was
being administered. I had not used my epipen before hitting the ER
because we were close by (and BOY did I get read the riot act for that
one!) so they gave me epinepherine when I got there, along with some
strong steroids and benadryl. As the benadryl was being administered, I
suddenly could taste it, then the sensation traveled to my heart and it
started skipping beats. It might have been the epinepherine, as it does
affect the heart, but given the physical trail that it took, it was
most likely the benadryl. Perhaps it was administered faster than I can
handle it. So when I got to the ER this time, I made sure to let them
know about that reaction and the doctor told me that it was not the
benadryl, but rather the epinepherine that caused it. He didn't say
'not likely,' but 'not.' He then proceeded to tell me that I should not
use the epipen so quickly. Hmmmm... My throat was closing and I was
having a harder and harder time breathing... when should I have used
it? After I passed out??? (This is not even considering the fact that
my own doctor told me to go use it, and I live at least twenty minutes
from the hospital...) He said that I was not even wheezing when I got
there. Let's see... The epi started wearing off in the ambulance,
enough that the techs got REALLY nervous and wanted to administer a
second epi. They called the dr in the ER and he advised them to
administer an albuterol neb treatment instead, which did the trick for
a while. Hence, no wheezing... Anyway, I asked the doctor, "Okay, then.
Would you please advise me as to when I SHOULD use the epipen?" He
said, "No." I reminded him that my throat was closing and I was having
a hard time breathing with 4 small children in the house, and he would
only say "It's different for each person."
Even though he
doesn't believe the benadryl was the cause of the bigemini, he did
order a slightly different antihistimine, and a lower dose of it, and
it was administered by IV over a ten-minute period. I was not watching
the nurse, but I could tell every single time she pushed some in. I
could taste it, then I felt like I was going to vomit. It got to where
I had to close my eyes, because looking around made me feel like I was
going to faint. After about 10 more minutes, those sensations lessened
to a tolerable level, and I thank God that my heart only skipped a beat
here and there rather than going into that awful rhythm!
I did
my very best the whole time I was there to be calm. I used relaxation
techniques to try to get past the freaky stuff. I tried to breathe
slowly and evenly. I spoke kindly with the doctor and nurses (those
nurses were wonderful.) But now I am honestly perturbed by the whole
thing. Is it the ER doctor's version of pride or arrogance? I mean,
this guy is supposed to be great. I had a similar situation in a
different ER, more than once, during Stephen's treatments and on my own
visits. It's like they don't give me credit for having a brain, or for
knowing what I am talking about.
Hello, I've been here before! Hear me, Okay??? | | |
| This
afternoon I was downstairs working our our taxes. Stephen came
into the room and said, "Mom, I love you! Can we have a date night
tonight?"
I love date night with my boys! It is generally an excuse to treat one
of them really nice, and allow them to treat me nicely, too. They
get to practice their manners and etiquette, and we get to eat really
good food. Among seven children, individual time is at a
premium! This is the way we've been able to make it happen over
the past few years. It is not a frequent experience, but always a
pleasant one.
Tonight, though, we honestly don't have the money for a date
night. Still, I couldn't turn him down. I mean, I treasure every
single time one of my children wants to spend time with ME!
So I asked if we could have a date watching a movie together and
enjoying some snacks. He was thrilled with that idea, so we are
going to go watch RV (again) and enjoy some fruit and cheese and
crackers. This is going to be wonderful!!!
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| Hmmmmm... I am running
a concurrent journal on my blogspot, and somehow my entry posted twice.
What's up with that? LOL... So I edited the second one with these
thoughts, and figured I'd post them here as well...
My
husband and kids have been fantastic to me, allowing me to rest up
after this weekend's episode. I'm still sore and tired, my chest is
somewhat uncomfortable, and unfortunately I threw my back out today
(UGH) loading the washing machine. The nurse at my doctor's office told
me I couldn't take anything for it because I am on prednisone for the
anaphylaxis. She also advised me not to take benadryl for the hives
since I had that bigemini episode in the ER... She was supposed to
consult the doctor and called me back, but alas, no call. So I am
taking it easy, watching movies, trying not to be grumpy. Trying REALLY
HARD. Doing okay at it, too. I am so glad that we have been told in the
Bible that we have the ability and directive to take every thought
captive! Thank God! That means that not only is it desirable, it is
totally possible. I have the ability to measure every thought against
the Word and Will of God and see whether it is worth pursuit. If not,
pitch it! I pray for the wisdom to do this on a regular basis...
Something
I am really working on/dealing with: I KNOW that I have authority over
my body, thanks to the blood and suffering of my precious Jesus. At
times I remember this and take authority over the symptoms or pain, and
they go away. At other times I fail to even consider the precious price
paid for my healing, and I suffer. WHY???? | | |
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