Let The Antihistamine Detox Commence....

No literally! Hello my name is Kylee and I'm addicted to antihistamines. I've taken at least 1 Claritin, Aerius, Allegra, Reactin, and most recently Zyrtec every day since I turned 12. That's 10 years. And I can count on my hands the times I've missed taking it. And never two days in a row. Spring, summer, winter or fall I diligently take a pill every morning. Why all the time you ask? Well....

Besides the unfortunate affliction of Crohn's Disease and my daily fights with Little Crohnsie Bit I have COPIUS amounts of allergies. I'm talking to just about everything. Let me list SOME of them shall I....
-environmental (pollen, grass, dust, ect. like a lot of people, no big deal).
-cats (again no big deal).
-all kinds of fabric softener except 1 certain hypoallergenic brand.
-every antibiotic they give my except Azithromycin (no more than 250mg a day) and Flagyl (which you can only get when admitted into the hospital because it costs so much).
-rats(a weird one I thought I'd throw in).
-all fruit (with the exception of watermelon and blueberries at certain times of the year if I take Benadryl 20 minutes before I eat it).
-some raw vegetables.
Some or a combination of these things can make me break out in hives, wheeze, make me lightheaded, make my heart beat fast, make my throat/tongue tingle/swell, make my eyes swell shut or itch to the point I that I break the skin and make myself bleed while some just make me sneeze, cough or eyes itchy. Especially at this time of year. And it happens anywhere, anytime. The antihistamines above just keep some of the milder symptoms at bay but if I encounter something that my body does not like sometimes 50mg of Benadryl is the only thing that gives me any relief and sometimes that doesn't seem to work as well as it used to.

So why the detox you ask? Well after two years of waiting I finally have an allergist appointment I can keep (I had three different appointments while I was on Prednisone, none of which I could keep) on Monday and for the testing you can't have any antihistamines in your system for at least 48 hours beforehand. That means Friday morning (39 hours ago) was my last one and I am in full detox mode. I mean detox. You'd think I'm coming down off of meth or something. I'm getting the sweats/hot and cold flashes, itchy all over, my leg is rubbed raw in no less than three areas, I feel like there are bugs crawling all over me, I'm nauseous and my eyes are so itchy I could claw them out on a whim.

Oh well, only 38 more hours to go. I'm over half way there right?!?!

Caterpillars Everywhere and Way To Hot To Think....

Day 1 of my "Caterpillar Experiment" and I think it's started out well. We collected 4 Tent Caterpillars; 2 large ones, one medium one and one tiny one. We have affectionately named them Papa Bear 1, Papa Bear 2, Mama Bear and Baby Bear (remember I deal with three year olds). We put them in a large plastic container with sand in the bottom and four large sticks for them to "play on, you know like a park?" and some leaves "so they can have snack". Then we did this in another container but this time we put in other caterpillars. I'm not sure exactly what kind they were but I think they turn into Swallow tail butterflies. And we put so many of those little suckers in there we didn't name them. Although I heard the names "Pinkalicious", "Sparkly" and "Mario" being thrown around. I personally kept the names "Hopeful" and "Resilient" in mind while they were tossing the containers around.
In other news, if the kids don't kill the poor little creatures, the heat just might. The temperature as per Le Green Monster on my way home at 5pm....

The Death Of Yet Another Food....

Well, Carrot Salad is officially out. Just thought you all should know so that you can grieve in your own way. I know I am....

Rest In Peace dearest Carrot and Raisin Salad, you were my favourite since I was a small child and now you are but a distant memory.... :'(

Forget It....

Ok so I had this totally wickedly awseome long blog post I thought out in the middle of the night last night when I couldn't sleep and I've been trying to remember it all day but do you think I could? Nope! I blame the 'roids.
Oh well, tomorrow is another day....
At least it's the weekend.... :)

The End Of An Era....

So tonight, Monday May 21st 2012 something else is coming to an end. One of my favourite television shows of all time, House, MD is having it's big finale. I was doing some research and math and realised that this show means more to me than even I know....

This show started on November 16th 2004. I was 14, and in grade 9. I am now done high school and working full time. I have both learned to drive and bought a car.There have been 177 episodes. The last of which ending tonight. I have seen every one at least 5 times, some up to 20 . This show has gotten me through a diagnoses of Crohn's Disease and all of the subsequent couch time that goes along with being so sick. This show taught me what Erythropoietic Protoporphyria, Inamrinone, and Thrombocytopenia are and what they do.

So I guess what I am trying to say is that I'm going to miss you Dr Gregory House. Thanks for all the escape you have provided for me. I wish you would never have to end but I guess you can't always get what you want....

A life sized banner of the good Doc himself.

World IBD Day....

And because making videos is what I do....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCi5M5ufck4

MRIs: A Pain In The Neck....

So today was the infamous MRI. Eugh....

I started out by ending my eating at 8am and I had to be at the hospital for 9:30am. I arrived with mama in tow to keep me company. I was processed through and had to put on a gown and housecoat(boo for hospital garb!). Then we were moved to a bed where the real fun began.

Peglyte. Oh how I loathe thee.

This (next to CT Scan contrast *SHIVER*) is THE. WORST. TASTING. LIQUID. EVER. INVENTED. PERIOD. DONE. ZIP. KAPUT. END. OF. STORY.
It tastes like chalk that has artificial fruit flavouring but it can't decide if it wants to be bubblegum.... If that makes sense. The weirdest part is that it has a chalky texture but looks clear like water. Hmmm..... And did I mention that you have to drink an 8 oz. cup of it every 15 minutes for an hour?!?! That's 32 oz.!!!! Phew....

Needless to say I got down the first cup and half of the second cup before Little Crohnsie Bit(CB) started acting up. She had 3 "little fits" and all I wanted to do was keep up with my drinking. I slowly started to fall behind further. And further. And further. Until finally it was an hour past and they were coming to get me and I had only had two and a half cups down and couldn't get out of the bathroom. When I finally get back to my bed I take a look at the unholy bottle and read "Gastrointestinal Lavage Preparation and Laxative".

WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I didn't sign up for this!!!!

No wonder everything I just ate over the last week made a reappearance! I didn't have this kind of reaction last time I did this! (December 2011).

After getting calmed down a bit the MRI Tech. comes to get me and takes me to a different area to prep for the test when I tell her I don't yet have an IV because I've been stuck in the bathroom. So back to the other bed area I go.

I get an IV, go back to the prep area, go to the washroom again, then make the trek to the MRI machine. It's in a new part of the hospital so they're still getting the layout down right.

When I get into the room it's cold. I'm not sure if it's actually cold or if it's me (remember I'm wearing a hospital gown). She has me lay on the table on my stomach and put my arms straight up above my head. Then her and another Tech. put a bunch of equipment on my back, heavy equipment that helps with the pictures. Then I get some fancy dancy headphones A) Because it's extremely loud when the magnets get going and B) so I can hear the Tech. speak to me and when I need to hold my breath.

Ten minutes later I'm being squeezed into the machine.

And that's pretty much it. I laid there for an hour, intermittently holding my breath when told to through the headphones, sometimes holding air in, sometimes keeping it out. All the while they are pumping dyes and contrast and meds to slow down my bowels into my IV.

When I got out let me tell you! I had such a stiff neck! And still do 8 hours later! Laying in the same position for an hour with your head cocked to the right sucks!

I got my IV out, got changed, got my parking validated (YES!) and headed home.

It wasn't that bad, just wish Lil' CB would stop revolting though....

Water Loading....

Also I forgot to mention I'm water loading tonight. What is water loading you ask? It's kind of like carbo loading for athletes but instead of carbs you use water. As any chronically sick person knows the night before a test/treatment you water load. Basically it involves drowning yourself until you feel like you are going to barf and/or pee your pants uncontrollably. This ensures that even someone with even the most horrible of veins can to have a comfortable experience and only have to have 1 IV poke .
I'm bottle 4 in two and a half hours. I'm not getting stuck three times again tomorrow! MRI, uh....

That'll Be The Day....(x2)

So has anyone heard about these "reborn" dolls? They are VERY life like dolls that look and feel like real newborn dolls. They are even weighted to an infant's weight. They are extremely expensive. I'm talking like 700 dollars expensive....
Anyway, today I'm walking through my friendly neighborhood Walmart and there is a lovely young African-American couple walking in front of me and the man who for entertainment purposes I'm going to call "Darrell" is holding what I assume to be his infant daughter in his arms. I follow them almost to the front when they stop so "Takeisha" can look at something at the end of the isle. So naturally I go around them and as I do I sneak a peek at the baby as I do (I do this with all babies. I'm not creepy, it's part of my profession to pay attention to children and I usually congratulate the parents on such a beautiful baby). I look and look away. There is something wrong. I look again and realize that it's a doll. At this point Takeisha turns to me and says, "You have a problem with my baby?" to which I say "No. She's very beautiful." and walk away. End of story.
You see I saw a story like this on Anderson Cooper's show a couple of months ago. People actually dress these dolls up and take them out to show off. When she turned to me and said that I fully expect she wanted attention just like the women on Anderson. I did not give her that satisfaction. Sorry Takeisha. Not getting a rise out of me.
That'll be the day when I spend $700 on a doll.
That'll be the day when I take it out to show it off to the world.
Although it would be nice to model my knitting/crochet on....

Awkward Moment #63...

When you find out that you babysit the granddaughter of your gynecologist...
AWKWARD!!!!