Hives & the ER, Part 1 – May 8, 2013

Smiling at the doctors' office

So Tuesday morning started off a little interesting. I was at work when Amy texted me and said that she was developing a rash. It was observed to be on her knees and elbows. After consulting with Dr. S. Call she had an impromptu visit to do some blood work. He increased her prednisone dosage from 5mg to 40mg per day. As the day progressed, her left side was hit the worst with the hive-like symptoms. When I returned home, I could tell how tired she was, worn out from all of these visits. The weather was luckily good while she was outside, as around dinnertime it was raining and hailing quite hard. We had a good dinner and watched some Boy Meets World. We updated the blog and then got her ready for bed. It took some extra time because now the hives have spread to more of her limbs. We get her in bed and she is clearly uncomfortable. As I was saying our prayer together, she fell asleep and I hoped that she would continue to have those deep sleep breathing patterns. About 30 minutes later she woke up and was just itchy all over. The hives have now spread to most of her body, including her neck and the sides of her face.

About 10:30 PM I called Amy and had her come over, just to have another set of eyes there in case an urgent decision has to be made. Cassie is slathered with hydrocortisone and lotion in an attempt to alleviate the irritation. She slept for another two hours and then woke up again with the same symptoms. I make an early morning trip to Walmart to purchase more hydrocortisone. She then slept for an additional hour and then woke up needing to go to the bathroom. As Amy and I help her, she took two steps and then swayed side-to-side. Her head lolled to one side and her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed. We lay her down on the bed before we can slide her to the ground. 

She is not responsive and breathing quite shallow. Amy sits with her and makes sure she remains conscious. I call 911 and the ambulance is on its way. I get ready, and then Amy gets ready as we trade off. We arrive at the ER at Utah Valley RMC around 5 AM. After normal procedure happens, she eventually takes some Benadryl and goes to sleep. The neurologist, Dr. L. Altamirano comes and gives the diagnosis: most likely a seizure. Fortunately her hives are retreating as a result of the increased prednisone and possibly the Benadryl. Also fortunate: the results of the CT scan, urinalysis, etc. are normal. She has an upcoming brain wave test and an MRI. More details to come. As all of this is coming to fruition, I reflect on my feelings of losing my wife for at least a second time, if we don’t include her first ER visit. There are just so many things that are possible in her life now as a consequence of the stroke. Seizures are scary. It scares me that there are so many things out of my control, that I get to be a spectator rather than in control as much as I would like to be.