I Must Be a Bee-Keeper...

...cause I have so many hives!  Ba dum tsh

Again.

*sigh*

Last week I finally finished the Prednisone.  Even though the side effects took a few days to wear off, the hives wasted no time in starting back up - with a vengeance.  I would post a picture but it's nasty and the main reaction is on my torso.

Finally, after a miserable and itchy week, I went to the allergist again.  Jake worked from home that afternoon so I could go to the office alone (a simple, but rare luxury).  I saw a different doctor who agreed that the hormone shift in my body was probably enough to stress it out and start this reaction.  She said that even though the stress could be over, the hive reaction is its own thing now (meaning it won't go away even if my hormones are all leveled out, like if I stopped breastfeeding I would still have them.)  

She recommended I switch to Allegra twice a day (from Claritin, which isn't working).  I also started up Pepcid twice a day.  It's an H2 blocker.  I've been prescribed H2 blockers before for other bad allergic reactions:

Histamine is responsible for the wheal and flare reaction in various allergic conditions. Classical antihistamines are the drugs which block the H1 receptors and are widely used in various allergic conditions, whereas H2 blockers are mainly used for acid peptic disease. Although H1 receptor-mediated actions of histamine are primarily responsible for vasodilatation, vasopermeability, and itching, it has been observed that combined blocking of both H1 and H2 receptors may provide better relief.

She said that we are going to avoid another round of Prednisone if we can (yay!) but this new regiment may take 3-4 weeks to work (no!)  At least it's a better plan than what I've been doing ie: taking Benadryl every night, slathering on a coat of Cortisone, and being a groggy mom the next day.  Jake sometimes has to wake me from my drug-induced coma when the babies are crying.  He calls me "Jenadryl"!

Another random story... on our anniversary we woke up early to go get our blood drawn.  Both Jake and I had physicals earlier that week (our insurance makes us every year) and we needed our blood drawn after fasting for 12 hours.  We walked into the office and it was PACKED.  We signed our names in and settled in for a long wait.  Luckily we had brought our green smoothies in with us, so we were ready to eat after they took our blood (I was starving - nursing twins + fasting = no fun!)  The turnaround time was awful.  Finally after an hour Jake and Scarlett had to leave for swimming lessons.  I stayed behind with the twins.  Luckily they were both being so cute.  There was a little couch so I sat them both up in the corners and sat on the floor and fed them yogurt bites while they played.  There was a big prego lady doing a 3 hour glucose test sitting by me.  We had a wonderful chat.  She was 36 yrs old but new nothing about babies and I happen to have had a few babies!  She asked me all sorts of questions and I hope I was somewhat helpful and encouraging to her.  Finally Jake texted me and told me they were on the way back from swimming lessons to pick me up.  I STILL hadn't gone back to get my blood drawn.  I went and asked the front desk what the wait was like.  They told me that when Jake told them he was leaving, they assumed I was too and crossed my name off with his!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  At that very hungry, tired, and vulnerable moment I felt like bursting into tears.  They were very apologetic and got me right back.  The phlebotomist recognized me and asked "didn't you used to have pink in your hair?"  I get my blood drawn a little too often!  ;-)  (mostly when I was prego with the twins.)  Not the best way to start your anniversary, luckily the rest of the day was great.