Teaching on Meds

Last Thursday morning I woke up with (a few) hives. I really needed to go to work so on my way to school I stopped by the gas station and picked up some Benadryl. When I got to school I took one and it seemed to help me make it through the day. When I got home after work I noticed the hives had gotten much worse and I needed to head in to Urgent Care. So, I called my wonderful Assistant Principal to let her know what was happening and that I would not be able to make it to our Open House.

When I got to Urgent Care I was the only one there. That made me feel pretty positive about the situation and that they would be able to help me quickly. Well, they did get me in very fast and was able to "diagnose" my problem, but I wasn't very happy with what they were going to do to "help" me and my hives. I had to get an IV and a shot!!! For those of you who know me, you know I am very VERY afraid of needles and usually don't do well no matter how good the person is at their job. But the hives were very uncomfortable, so I did my best to be a good patient.

The IV and shot would have been worth it IF the hives would have stayed gone! But they did not!!! I started on 3 different medicines Friday morning and throughout the day the hives continued to get worse and worse. So, after school I went back to the Urgent Care...paid a $50 copay...for them to tell me they had me on the highest dose of medicine they could put me on and there was nothing else they could do.

I was very upset!

So, I went ahead and went to the Football game to be with the WHS Color Guard. I showed the other color guard staff and they freaked out a little. I told them if it was even worse tomorrow (Saturday) I would probably go see someone else.

Saturday I woke up to my lips being about doubled in size....NOT FUN! I always thought I wanted a lip job....now I do NOT! I called my mom and told her that if the meds did not help at all during the day that I was planning on going to the ER Sunday morning. Sure enough, the hives continued to "travel" and not get better, so my mom said she would be down in the morning to take me to the ER.

I got up yesterday (Sunday) morning around 7 and took a shower. Then my mom arrived at my house to take me to the ER. Funny part was...we actually stopped at Starbucks before getting to the ER! Real emergent...I know! There was NO ONE in the ER and the nurses even joked that we were suppose to bring them some SB, too. It was all very light hearted and I had a positive attitude that someone there would be able to help me.

The doctor that saw me actually was a Dermatologist before becoming a MD so that made me hopeful. She told me to throw out all the other meds and she was going to start me on a much stronger dose of Steroids if I was ok with it. I just wanted the hives to go away so I told her I would take anything. She gave me my first "high dose" of meds there in the ER and told me I was to start my prescription the next day. When I got home I feel right to sleep! My mom was sweet and while I was sleep she cleaned my kitchen.

It was great having my mom there to help me out with all that! I hope she knows how much I appreciate her coming down to Springfield.

As the day went on my hives started to disappear. I was very happy and so was my mom! What a relief!

Well, today was my first day on my medicines from the ER doctor. I warned my classes that the meds might make me irritable....but mostly they are just making me very loopy and disoriented! My students seem to be having a lot of fun with it....they said I should always take these medicines!

Teaching on high doses of medication is slightly difficult, but my students are great and I am sure I will make it through just fine. I am looking forward to all this being over with.