Update: Allergic Reaction

My allergic reaction in my "Let Me Tell You About The Time I Almost Died" blog was caused by a sudden allergy to wheat. I found out 2 weeks later I was allergic to cats, dogs and wheat. Since I've had dogs for the past 10 years, I doubt it was my dogs that set off my allergic reaction. The proof that it was the wheat, was me wheezing the weekend I ate some peach cobbler. After taking children's Benadryl, I was completely fine. Now I have an entire lifestyle change occurring in my eating. I'm now a "wheat-free" eating girl!

Can you bear it?

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." I can honestly say I've questioned this scripture over the past few months. Having had to bear excruciating pain like I've never experienced before in my life made me ask God, "So you think I can bear this?" Now only having come out on the other side a few times, have I realized and been assured, qith God's help...yes...I can.
I had the final procedure Tuesday. Cervical Facet Neurotomy... and it was the craziest thing I've ever experienced on an operating table. I had no anesthetic...via IV or local. I had 4 large hollow needles probing along my cervical spine to find the nerves that were causing me to experience the most pain. Never in my life have I ever HEARD a needle poking it's way threw layers of skin, sinew, tendon and muscle. It was like small pops in my ear. When I began to explain it to my husband he asked jokingly, "Was it like that guy on "The Hulk"?" My husband was speaking of a part in the movie where the "hulk" formula was being injected into a soldiers bone marrow. It make the most sickening pop that almost made you feel it. "No way!" I said.
With each needle, the Dr had to poke certain parts of my nerves and then send a jolt of electricity to see exactly what responded. So, there were times where my head, neck, arm and hand jumped from the charge. "Well that's not it." the Dr. would say.
Oh by the way, remember I'm doing this with no anesthetic. Why? The Dr needed me to feel what he was doing. Each time seemed to last forever and even though I moaned and groaned throughout the procedure the entire staff said I did really well. I can only imagine what the patients that didn't do so well did. There were times I felt like leaping from the table and running out the operating room door...hospital gown, footies and all! (LOL) My analytical side was too curious to move...it actually wanted to experience what was going on. My other side kept calling on Jesus and trying to be courteous to their trivial questions like,"Do you have any children?", "So, what do you do?".(LOL!!) I know they were trying to keep my mind off of what was happening but that tactic wasn't really working, I was just appeasing them with answers.
Finally...after the Dr found this 4 targets,then came the burning of the nerves. Did I feel it? HECK YEAH!!!! Could I hear it? No. Did I smell it? No. Finally, after the 4 nerve was burned, he injected something to numb the area. I could hear the fluid as it was squeezed from the syringe and entered my body. I felt it when he pulled the hollow needles from my neck and a cool fluid fell on my neck. I have a feeling the fluid was my own blood. After 2 band-aids were applied, I was wheeled out of the OR and into recovery.
In recovery, I just chatted with my Mother. Initially, I didn't think there was really anything to recover from because I had no anesthesia and the pain hadn't quite it me yet. Just thirty minutes later, I asked for Percocet and an ice pack. for the next 48 hours Percocet and ice were my best friends. The pain was excruciating and I cried out of frustration a couple of times, however, three days later I no longer needed the ice pack and I traded in my Percocet for Vicoprofen.
One thing I didn't anticipate was an addiction to pain killers, but after being on a narcotic around the clock for almost 5 months, I should have expected it. The way I know I'm addicted is because when I miss my dosages thru the night, I get the most hellacious migraines ever. Last night was a 3 hour marathon of moaning, groaning and crying in pain. I think it started at 2pm. My precious, loving husband, prayed over me, massaged me, spoke sweetly to me but that migraine was not shaking loose. He made me take a hot shower, drink apple juice and wanted me to eat but even chewing seemed to hurt at that time, so I couldn't. I initially took a migraine medication but that didn't help. An hour later I took an over the counter medication for Migraines but that didn't work either. Out of frustration, an hour later I took the narcotic and slowly (and I mean SLOWLY) the headache began to dissipate. I'm not sure my husband ever went back to sleep. All I know is I woke up at 7:42am with no migraine, no appetite and almost afraid to move.
Only God could know I would be able to bear so much pain in the last 5 months because I sure couldn't. My prayer now is that the procedure was successful (I really won't know until 3 weeks) and my body will be weaned from the narcotics safely and totally.
This has been occurring the entire summer of 2009 and this has been my trial to bear. If I can bear mine, I'm sure by the grace of God, you can bear yours as well.

Let Me Tell You About The Time I Almost Died

For you Denzel Washington fans who can recall the movie "Fallen", only you will be able to appreciate the dark humor of my title.
I guess you could say, it all started on Sunday morning...no early Monday morning. I had the most horrific migraine...and of course it was storming like nobody's business. There's something strange about migraines and barometric pressure that my body doesn't like. I wonder if I could get a side gig as a "weather vane" or "weather consultant" because my migraines are more dependable than the weatherman.LOL
Anyhoo, before I knew it, it was 6:00am. Time to take the meds. I go in the kitchen and grab a bowl of granola, pour in soymilk and I let it sit for about 20 minutes. I know...I know...it's weird but I like it a little soggy. Okay A LOT soggy! I eat my bowl of granola and 3 minutes later I start coughing, then suddenly my sinuses clog up and I sound as if I'm talking while holding my nose. Then the back of my throat feels like it's closing in on me...then I was trying to fill my lungs with air but it wasn't working. "Oh God, what's happening to me?" My husband immediately jumped up and started dressing. While in the midst of chasing a breath that seemed to outrun me, I jump up, throw on the first thing I see, slide on my flip flops, grab my purse and beat my hubby to the door. Now I can't hardly swallow. "Hurry, hurry." I managed to gurgle while still trying to catch my breath.
In the car everything became surreal. I remember thinking, "Lord, what should I do.". The answer quickly came to mind, "Take as deep of a breath as you can...consistently." I started doing just that and quickly it seemed to improve, even if only a little.
We get to emergency and thankfully nurses and Dr's are trained to notice when a person comes in unable to breathe. As a matter of fact, I think I knocked everyone out of their boredom. (I later heard it had been slow since about 1am.) Now what I didn't understand is why the nurse was posing questions to me...ya know...the one that CAN'T HARDLY BREATHE let alone talk. I tried to answer her as best I could. I began to realize I had slipped into this..."other space or place". I had drifted into "surreality". I could see, hear and respond but it was through a haze or veil. There was a part of me that was so tired, I wanted to just slide to the floor. Yet there was a strength that wasn't my own that kept me lucid and in the moment. I know it was Jesus because Tracy wanted to just...stop...and take a quick nap...that may not have been quick at all.
My full consciousness didn't come until I was given a steroid and Benedryl through and IV drip. I know what life is. Life is that wonderful full capacity of air I breathed. I have a whole knew perspective on the worship song that says, "You are the air I breathe...and I'm lost without You."
Okay, so it may have not been as dramatic as my title alluded to, however, as one who has never experienced any like that before in my life, it was pretty dramatic to me. I think I have a bit of a clue of what asthmatics and people with allergies go through when they are in distress and I never want to experience that again.
When we returned home from the hospital 2.5 hours later, it didn't just rain, it downpoured and our power went out for 12 hours. That's okay...my husband and I needed the rest from such an active morning.
Now when I think about the scripture that says, "This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it."...whenever I begin to complain too much, I think of that scripture and the very fact that even though my day got off to a rough start, I lived to rejoice and be glad in it.