I've been quiet...

It occurred to me today that I have been really quiet about this surgery.  That is because the hives came back - worse and more painful than before.

Friday evening I felt great, even into Saturday morning.  By Saturday evening I was a tearful, swelly wreck.  The hives covered me from my scalp and face, down my arms to my hands, and too many on my torso/upper leg region to count.  David said he thought it may have been easily 500 on just my back.  The pain was unreal.  In hindsight I wish I had taken pictures of my hands.  It is fascinating to see the hives form perfect circles on top of each other.  Strangely, it reminds me of tie-dye. They covered my palms, and went up both sides of  my fingers.

The hands, face, and feet are the hardest to deal with.  The hive is a reaction, you itch it and it releases histamines, eventually dissipating into the surrounding fat.  In your hands, feet, and face you don't have that extra fat, so the hives have nowhere to go.  This creates a constant burning, itchy sensation.

It has been a rough few days, but thankfully I knew what to do.  I had a lot of conversations with God, and a lot of help from my husband.  Now I am thankful to say that I only have the pain from the surgery and a few, scattered hives.

I think we have proven the hypothesis that my body produces the hives in response to trauma.  I am so thankful that the worst of them lasted less than four days and that I didn't need any steroids.

For now I am still wrapped up in a binder, but I am fairly confident that I will be pleased with the results from this surgery.  The spot I was worried about was confirmed necrosis and he was able to break it up.  My body will eventually absorb it.  The surgeon also revised both the scars that had formed necrotic tissue, and closed the wound that had been opened since January.  I am so thankful for his steady hands and amazing work.

I am also thankful for a very special nurse that has been with me (either in the OR or in Prep for the OR) for each of my surgeries. Courtney and I went all through elementary school, middle school, and high school together.  The first day I was at St. Francis to have my port placed I was so scared.  I saw Courtney rush past us and asked another nurse if that was her, my childhood friend.  It was, we were both so happy that she would be there with me.  I don't think that there are words adequate enough to describe how wonderful it is to know that I have someone like Courtney there, in the operating room,  to watch over me.  I am so thankful for her friendship, and for her amazing nursing skills.

As soon as the binder comes off I promise to share lots of pictures.  In other completely amazing news the ladies at  Buy a Thread are making me some super fancy new headbands.  One of you wonderful people paid it forward for me to have a few made, and I cannot wait to see them!

Until my next post I promise to keep up the #fightlikeamommy, you promise me to spread love and light into the world!