Living with HIVES

*WARNING: this post contains some graphic pictures taken from my personal case of CIU*

So this isn't something I normally talk about, but it's really been bugging me lately. HIVES. Itchy little red sores that keep me up at night. My body can't fight them off no matter the amount of Benadryl I have poured into my body, or lathered on my skin. Oh maybe I should introduce what I'm meaning by all this medical babble; hi, I'm Stephanie and I suffer from Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria, or in a generic term chronic hives. You think when you are stressed and a small cluster of hives pops up you are annoyed well try having yours last for 7 to 12 days, turning into black bruises and your skin being paper thin. Let me just show you the journey.

Christmas Eve 2015 I came down with what stared as a stomach virus that lead to a fever during the candle light service at church and then the hives. After hiding out after the last Silent Night my mother looked over at a pail version of myself and knew something had to be done. So this begins the never ending cycle of ER visits, thyroid checks, gallbladder examinations, steroid packs, an unlimited amount of medicated ointments, and EpiPens.

 

Looks painful? It is. It burns, it's tender and can make you the most self cautious person on the planet. Working in the pharmacy I can't help but think that these people don't want me touching their medications because I'm "infected". People ask, "isn't there something your allergist can do to help you?" Yes, and she is following all the protocols for my insurance. We started out on Allegra and Zantac, yes a stomach medication can be used as an antihistamine, and the occasional Benadryl when needed. Well, Benadryl was still needed multiple times a day with the new medications. I felt like a zombie. Our next step was to have me sleep through the outbreaks so Doxapin was prescribed for sedation. This served its purpose but now I would wake up with swollen lips and not being able to breathe; meaning more trips to the emergency room. Our last step for medication was Singular. This did absolutley nothing and something had to change as the hives only seemed to affect my everyday life more and more. 

We've finally come to our last resort, Xolair. It's a fairly new drug that is used only for patients who continue to suffer from hives that can't be controlled by H1 antihistamines. I read multiple pamphlets that suggest all the worst possible outcomes like cancer and parasitic infections. Bug infections are not particularly something I want in life, but the hives are unbearable. I was tired of living my life indoors for the soul fact that I knew people would look or ask question or whatever, but also you have no idea the pain of hitting your leg ever so slightly on the corner of a table and now your pants leg is covered in blood because your skin was so fragile. Now I live a happy, hive controlled life that I am very thankful for. This is just something that I was compelled to share with the world. Why? I don't know, but I hope this helps someone in the world. 

-Stephanie