Health Update #3.

The last week and a half has been absolutely insane.  Things are finally starting to return to normal, so I'm enjoying it until next week (the 15th) when I get to start the whole thing over again when I start yet another new round of HIV medications that will hopefully work for me without turning into the fiasco of this last combination.

I thought it was going to work out well because after the initial week I wasn't feeling too bad on them aside for some dizziness and nausea, but sure enough, ten days after starting the meds (Sunday) I woke up covered head to toe in a rash.  I am allergic to TONS of medication (pretty much every antibiotic and about a million other HIV meds I've taken in the past), so I knew immediately that I was reacting to the medications and not some other outside stimuli.  We had gone to Schiltterbahn the day before, so there was a bit of wondering if maybe I was reacting to either sunscreen or something in the water, but I knew deep down that it was the meds.

Unfortunately, it was Memorial Day weekend, so I couldn't get in to see the doctor until that Tuesday.  In that time my fever reached 102.3 and 103 degrees, so we got really scared.  I was delirious  and feeling absolutely horrible.  Thankfully, my doctor got me in as quick as possible and confirmed that yes, I was reacting to the medications.  We think it's was the Isentress.  She said that the sunlight might have exacerbated the reaction, but that it was definitely the meds and nothing else.  She gave me a Solu Medrol injection and put me on a taper pack of steroids to get rid of the rash.

She also did some more blood work to find out if I can take another type of HIV medications.  She said that with me being positive for so long there is a good chance I won't be able to take them because the virus will be too smart for it, but it might be my next option.  Until then, I am on absolutely no HIV medications for the next two weeks.  I have to be extremely careful not to get sick while I'm not on any medication, so for the time being, I am taking it really easy to hopefully insure nothing will go wrong in the meantime.

Here it is, a solid week later and the rash is just now finally starting to disappear.  We joked about how I looked like I had "plague legs" the whole week.  JD said I looked like his little zombie girl.  Horrible.  And of course, it's hot as hell here in Houston and this last week was the boys' graduation, so the entire family came down and I couldn't wear shorts or skirts to be comfortable and I not only looked like I had the plague, but I've been swollen as all get out from the steroids.  I've been absolutely miserable.

Within the last three or so days, the steroids have caused my gums to be inflamed and extremely painful.  Just eating a banana hurts so badly.  Brushing my teeth is like torture.  I described it to someone as the inside of my mouth is complete hell.  Hopefully, over the course of the next couple of days the inflammation will go down and the pain will subside.  Also, my glands underneath my jaw are swollen and painful, so I'm hoping that too is a reaction to the steroids and not anything I need to worry about while I'm not on any medication.  All I know for sure is that I am absolutely sick of dealing with all this.

Like I said, I will start the whole thing over next week, but hopefully I will be able to tolerate the next round of drugs and I won't react like this again.  Gosh, I hope so because I don't think I can handle doing this again.

My mental state is definitely not good at the moment.  My anxiety is through the roof.  I guess it's from all the stress and the stimulation as of late.  I've been waking up in the middle of the night with panic attacks.  Thankfully, the doctor gave me some anti-itch medication that also is prescribed to calm people before and after surgery, so that's helped a little bit, but not nearly enough.  I see the psychiatrist on Thursday and believe you me, I'll be talking to him about the panic attacks because they, especially the ones that wake me up in the middle of the night, are something I absolutely cannot deal with.

Thank you to all of you who have called/texted/emailed me over the last two weeks to check on my well being.  I don't know what I would do without the support of all of you.  I love you and am so blessed to have you all in my life.