Saturday, July 9, 2011

What WAS that? Jeez.. That's never happened before.

I spent a couple of hours very early this morning in the ER because I was having a severe allergic reaction to something. It all began around 4 this morning when I was abruptly awoken by extremely itchy palms. I got out of bed and went into the bathroom so I could investigate further. When I stepped into he light I could see the full extent of what was going on. I was covered from head to toe in hives, my face and lips were swelling, and my skin was red like a lobster all over. Let the panicking begin!
Ever since I had my babies I feel this intense need to take care of myself. I have to preserve my life at all costs because I need to be here to raise my kids. I refuse to take any risks. So the idea of taking benedryl and going back to bed was completely out of the question. Besides, pills can sit in your stomach for a while before they actually start to work and I was MISERABLE! Nothing like an itch you can't scratch, right? Horrible, horrible, horrible. The worst was the itching on the soles of my feet. Torture.
So we get to the ER and we go through the whole drill. No I don't have any known food or drug allergies. I've been eating and taking medicine my whole life and this has never happened. Not even once. There are only two things I think it can be: the shrimp I ate for dinner, or the aspirin I took for my headache. But I ate the shrimp over 5 hours ago and I thought food allergies were pretty fast acting. Then I think, there is noting about me that is fast acting. Maybe my allergies are just as lethargic as I am. Lucky me!
At any rate, my late blooming allergies landed me in the ER, where I was given an IV of benedryl. WOW!! The itching ceased almost immediately, but the room started spinning and I felt... pretty good, actually. I remember thinking, "I wish I could feel like this all the time!"
That was when the wave of diarrhea hit. I floated to the bathroom, sat down, and was fascinated by what was happening to my body. I'm thinking, "I love you, body. I love how you take care of me. I love how you are purging this evil from us. You do everything without my help. I have such an amazing body!!"
Then I remembered they wanted me to pee in a cup, but I couldn't make that happen.
My visit to the ER finally ends with them telling me to avoid shrimp, which is probably what made all this happen. Follow up with my primary care doctor, who will probably send me to an allergist.
OK.
But now all I can think about is shrimp. I love it. I've always eaten it. I enjoy shrimp several times a month. I start feeling like Bubba from Forrest Gump...

But I'll do anything to avoid another episode like this morning's.
So, bye-bye, shrimp. Fruit of the sea...

It's not you, it's me.