A Cure for Hives

Bill is not a cat lover, but he does love taking photos. . . 

When that day comes and I pass through those pearly gates, I am eternally hopeful that there will be some answers, maybe in the form of a printout that I can study. First of all, why didn't baby Calvin give it up for a nap when he was tired. Second, why does Garfield pee on my things but only now and then. In between he acts really cute just to keep me from "rehoming" him. Thirdly, what was with Mary's hives?

For the past eleven days Mary has had hives. They travel from legs to back to neck to feet to hands to face and everywhere in between. What a curious and miserable journey. On day three I took her to urgent care since her doctor had no appointments available. Dr. Jim took blood and a strep test and proceeded to write a prescription. I took a moment to ask. . . Dr. Jim, is it an antihistamine? Is it a steroid? No, he said, it's like Aleve. Yeah. That would be ibuprofen. We have a $2 bottle of that at home so I think we will skip the $45 script. The word jerk ran through my mind.

On day five I tried again to get an appointment. No luck and you can't go back to urgent care for something a second time, not that I wanted Doctor Jerk again anyway. So, we limped through. Each day the hives seemed to be okay by about 9:00 in the morning with Benadryl and Zantac and Ibuprofen and oatmeal lotion and cortisone cream. They returned each night.

Day six bruises started showing up on her feet and ankles. Don't google hives with bruises. I messaged her real doctor to have her look at Mary's blood work to make sure that I only lost one night of sleep wondering if we were near the end.

Blood work was normal.

On to the weekend of SAM Graduation recitals.
Mary played on Sunday. Here is a link to her Puck. MARY'S PUCK

Sunday night was worse than ever and many tears.

On Monday I decided Mary needed a boost, so I cleaned her room for her. Per the Gist book, (The Essence of Raising Life Ready Kids) I've been trying not to do this. Even though I can. And it doesn't even take that long.

I'm not saying a clean room is a cure for hives.
I did not say that.

On Monday I managed to win the lottery for the actual dermatologist appointment. That was after getting an appointment with her regular doctor, switching all my students for that time and then having the regular doctor call and say she should see a dermatologist. Switch lessons back. Shift lessons for dermatologist appointment. I am woman hear me roar. And I have flexible students.

If having a clean room did not cure the hives, having the golden ticket of a real appointment with a real dermatologist did.

We are down to only a dozen hives at night and in the morning. I'll take that. I cancelled the derm appt.

Writing this blog and skipping the derm appointment will probably ensure that she goes into anaphylactic shock tonight. I hope not.

We will probably never know if it was the cinnamon bread, or the chocolate almond milk, or some mold outside playing, or a virus, or truffle oil from french fries or if she's really just reacting to an untidy room.

She has been a trooper. I respect that. All joking aside, it was a moment to confirm that who we are inside is not about our skin. Our skin maybe be completely covered with red bumps that burn and itch and look terrible, but inside we are the same bright, joyful, creative, musical, talkative child of God. Still all things considered I'll take the no hives version of Mary.

Amen to that.