Well this (possibly) sucks...

SBS0628

So, I've been whining for a while now about being sick. I just assumed it was the same abysmal cold everyone else has had recently.

Monday morning, I woke up covered head to toe in hives. They didn't *itch* at all though -- just raised pink bumps in random patterns all over my body. I called in sick to work and went to the doctor. She said some cold viruses can cause hives, told me to take some Benadryl, and sent me home.

I took one dose of Benadryl and fell asleep for 4.5 hours. When I woke up, my hands and knees were really stiff. I thought it was just from the way I slept in my antihistamine induced coma. After hitting the six hour mark, I took another Benadryl. Slowly but surely, my hands and knees (joints specifically) began to swell. I took an Advil to relieve the swelling.

I woke up this morning and my hands were so swollen and sore, I couldn't get my wedding ring on. I still had hives, but more mild (and in different locations). I called my doctor and told her. She told me to come back in immediately. She checked all my joints, but only my hands and knees were swollen (which is weird). She ordered a TON of lab work.

I went to get blood drawn and apparently the nurse thought I was Julius Ceasar (Beware the Ides of March!), because she stabbed me repeatedly while taking my blood. They had to draw five vials for various tests. She actually started coughing while taking the fifth vial (hence the repeated stabbing), and had to pull everything out of my arm, leave to cough, and come back and reprick me and draw the vial again.

So here's the possibly sucky part: my doctor says it's most likely a random side effect of my cold, a werid seasonal allergy, or a drug interaction (like, my body doesn't like Benadryl + Advil or something). However, there's also a chance it's Lyme Disease or Epstein-Barr...but she won't know for at least two weeks. She's starting my on antibiotics as a preventative measure in case it is Lyme Disease, because it's the kind of thing that needs to be treated early in order to avoid long term/lifelong complications. She also said there's a chance the symptoms will go away, the lab tests will show nothing, and it will just be a mystery as to why it happened at all.

I don't mind getting poked and prodded and taking pills...but I really hate not knowing, so I'm completely freaked out that it could be something more serious but I won't know for two weeks.

Okay. Whining over.

Leigha12

Fingers crossed that it's absolutely nothing! I get the hives too, I know you've heard me b!tch about them, especially 2 weeks before the wedding.  The hives I get swell abnormally large (think of my face ballooning into Jiminy Glick) and the swelling causes pain and stiffness from the skin stretching when it's over my joints like my knees.

mamie329

Aww, health dust to you. I hope it's nothing serious! 

And Leigha, omg I remember your pre-wedding hives. I was so nervous for you!  

mrscdobs

Whoa!  That sounds insane.  I hope it's nothing and, worst case scenario, just a bad reaction to the drugs or just a weird cold symptom.  Feel better soon!

mbd62709

Oh boy SBS. Lots of health dust being sent you! I hope it turns out to be nothing and that the two week wait goes by quickly for you. I know it is hard but try not to freak out. ((Hugs))

darby0422

How sucky!  I hope you're feeling better and it turns out to be nothing.  Waiting is no fun.  Heath dust from up north headed your way!

hawkilady

Yikes -- hope it turns out to be ok and you start feeling better!

keb270

Oh SBS! I hope everything is okay! Keep us updated.

vhcoleman09

2 weeks of unknown really does suck. I'm sorry, but as pp said, I hope it's nothing but a cold side effect. Hang in there and please keep us posted.