Another Hive Update

At the scrapbook retreat, we were having a really good time. My classes went really well. But, I noticed during the class that I was starting to get that "woozy, flu-like" feeling which signifies a hive attack. Now, there were several things that happened leading up to this, so I wasn't sure which had started my downhill spiral. On Friday night, I noticed a feeling of pressure that made me think I had a bladder infection coming on. I also got a mosquito bite on my foot that had developed a huge hive and made my foot swell. On top of that, we got in the hot tub late Friday night and the water was REALLY hot. Jeanne and Janet were such babies that they tried to get out of getting in, but I wouldn't let them.

Anyway, one thing lead to another and I kept getting side-tracked and never took any extra prednisone. There is no reason for me ever to go down like that---in fact, I haven't had an episode like that in a few years. Being able to self-medicate really comes in handy. I finally took the extra med, but by then it was too late. Jeanne had to help me to bed. I slept for 3 hours and felt like a new woman. Prednisone is truly a miracle drug---pretty much exactly 4 hours to get it in your system.

We left the next morning, but the bladder pressure had intensified. I got a cranberry juice on the way home (my doctor says this is not an old wive's tale---it really works---but too much can cause kidney stones).

Jeanne was sitting in the back seat and chimed in---"I hope you aren't getting a kidney stone, that's how mine felt." I've never had a kidney stone, but Butch has, so I know how incredibly painful they are.

After I loaded up at Janet's I headed home to Nashville. The closer I got to Mount Vernon which is about an hour and a half from St. Louis, the more pain I was in. I kept trying to think about what I should do---take myself to the hospital or try to make it on to Paducah---the next hospital. I called Butch to ask his opinion. By now I was pretty certain that I was having a kidney stone attack. We decided that I'd stop in Mount Vernon, get gas and see how I felt. I did just that, used the bathroom and was totally fine. I called Jeanne and thanked her for planting that seed and completely "wigging me out." She said, "you mean you couldn't tell you just had to go to the bathroom?" All I can say is it felt different---and was very painful!! Really, I'm just glad that's all it was. I had visions of myself dying on the side of the highway because I couldn't drive or go anywhere.

I made it home without further incident. I talked to Mindy and she told me about her drama the day before. She was on her way to work when she discovered that her battery was dead. She called a cab. Traffic at 7 a.m. is pretty light in New Orleans on a Saturday morning, but it was pouring down rain. The cab hydro-planed and wrecked. Mindy was fine, but the cab was wedged between some trees and a fence, so they couldn't get out. She called her fellow manager and friend, crying, to let her know that she would be late. A minute later, her boss called and asked if she was okay. When she said yes, he said, "well stop crying then! If no other cars were involved, you don't have to stay." She explained that she was trapped in the car. The firemen had to cut her out. She said that not only is she DONE with New Orleans, New Orleans is DONE with her!!

HCA---the company that Steph works for---flew Mindy in for an interview. We're keeping our fingers crossed that this is the job that will get her back to Nashville.

Now back to me. Monday morning, I took myself to the doctor. I definitely have a bladder infection. I tell you this as a warning. The doctor asked me how much water I drink. I had to admit that I drink very little water---I'm a tea drinker almost exclusively. He said that tea is bad---very dehydrating and that our bodies "require" water. I think there must be a course for doctors called "analogies 101".* He said that I should think of my bladder as the body's toilet. Water is required to flush the toilet in order to flush out the bacteria that grows there. He said that not drinking water is like not flushing your toilet for a week. Yuk! What a picture. That sold me. I haven't had anything but water this week with the exception of 2 glasses of red wine. I like it okay if I can squeeze some lemon or lime juice into it. Restaurant lemons bring up a whole 'nother bacteria issue. Another thing to obsess about. Where will it end....

*My doctor I go to about my hives use another analogy. In reference to my melt down about my weight, he said, "look at it this way---prednisone is holding you hostage and we're trying to pay the ransom." At least doctors make things easy for me to understand.