Benadryl Nights

It would seem I have developed an allergy to latex, the stuff in most paints. Or perhaps it's an allergy to the other chemicals that show up when paint is gassing off as it dries. Much like ALS, this is all new ground for me. I've never suffered from this kind of "environmental" allergy. The truth is that I've always kind of brushed this kind of thing off when other people said they had it. Now, in exquisite irony, it's my turn.

I've always felt that these kind of environmental allergies represented something wrong within your body, a body not strong enough to fight off the effects of exposure to chemical gases or other airborne pollutants. If you got sick with any kind of allergies, you just weren't strong enough to take it. I still think that's kind of true, only now it applies to me.

This allergy is new, brand new. I'm almost certain it arises out of a combination of reaction to all the medications I'm taking these days, along with a compromised immune systems. The observation certainly fits the case, my case. ALS has come along with another sideways kind of thing, something nobody warns you about. Here I am worried about a cold virus, and something that's been easy for me to deal with in the past has now become impossible.

The hives were terrible, sufficiently so that my evening caregiver felt I should call an ambulance. The burning and itching on my skin were maddening. I couldn't reach the areas I wanted to scratch. There was no fever, no other physical irregularities. So we, the EMS technicians, the doctor they called on the phone, and my HCA all said to take Benadryl. My HCA even took some money to go to Safeway and get a package.

I took a couple last night at 10:00 PM. I took a couple more at 5:00 AM. I took a couple more at 10:00 AM. It was enough to make me punch drunk and sleepy all day. Those effects have  just started wearing off. This is my first lucid moment all day. I'm going to eat something; all I've had today is a couple of pieces of buttered toast. Tonight, when I go to bed, I'm going to take a couple more Benadryl. The itching on my lower back has returned, and the antihistamine really takes it on. I'm hoping to sleep well, with no accidents or interruptions. That's be helpful.

Tomorrow, when someone comes to sand and paint the kitchen door frame, I think it might be wise for me to disappear for a while, perhaps an hour or three. A movie might be a good idea. Then a couple more Benadryl tomorrow night too.