An Injury Update for You

So early last week, I shared that my world got shaken up a bit when I was chewed on (as my son's like to put it) by my in-laws dog. I just wanted to go ahead and give you an update, as I am sure a couple of you are probably wondering by now how I am doing. Well the good news is that it only took a few days before all of my pain to disappear. I never had to take anything for pain beyond the first 36 hours which is wonderful. I initially experienced some infection in the puncture wound on my left hand which caused the doctor some concern, but she switched my antibiotics and approved some Epsom salt soaks. Between the Epsom salt soaks which are like the total bomb for any swelling, and the clay I coated all over the infected hand, my swelling disappeared very very quickly before the day was even over. It's amazing how many old fashioned remedies are still handy tricks to use today. 
oh if you are wondering what I meant by clay covering--I took some French Green clay and added a bit of water to it until it was easily thick and spreadable. Then I added a few drops of Lavender essential oil (I love using doTERRA for my essential oils, but use your favorite company if you already have one). Stirring it all together, I think spread it all over my hand and wrist--everywhere there was swelling or redness. I let it stay on until it was totally dry and then washed it off. It has a drawing capability which works very well for swelling or poisons or infections in extremities. I use it a lot when it comes to bug bites or stings for the same reason. I keep French Green Clay and Bentonite Clay on hand all the time. I need to get some more Aztec clay which is the BEST for drawing. But really any clay works. Super easy to use so I highly recommend it as a NECESSITY for your medicine cabinet.

Anyways, by Monday night the swelling had significantly decreased and was moving out of the lines on my hand that the doctor had drawn to track the progress. By my follow up appointment on Wednesday, the swelling was gone except for a tiny bit the side of about a nickel right on the wound itself, so the doctor was pleased. She said everything else looked great and scheduled me for removal of my stitches the following week (which is this week).

So the rest of the week I learned how much I could AND COULDN'T do without moving my left index finger or getting it wet--and without being able to rest anything against the bottom of my right hand. Which meant like--well. Next to NOTHING was possible when it came to housechores. I couldn't even sweep properly! And when it came to dishes, while I could load and unload the dishwasher--there were always a few that needed handwashed--and my bandaged hand couldn't even fit in the gloves! LOL!

Anyways, there were many challenges I faced last week. Towards the end of the week however, I start not really feeling great. I attributed it to my anti-biotic as it was known to cause nausea. But I found that I was beginning to eat less and less without feeling yuck. By Monday, the nausea really wasn't going away. And that afternoon I really started feeling bad. Almost like I was getting sick. I waited for a bit that afternoon, and then drove up to my parents for dinner. When I arrived, I still just felt awful. Like I was getting the flu almost. Nauseated again.

Only drinking glasses of water seemed to help--so I just naturally assumed I must have gotten dehydrated and continued drinking and drinking.

At about 9pm I got the chills. Started shaking and shivering. And still nauseaus. Because that can be a sign of dehydration, I simply increased my fluids and my mom made me some ginger tea. I drank about 40 ounces of fluids in 3 hours. And it did indeed make me feel better. So I decided to go ahead and head home. 

I took my next antibiotic dose and drank one more glass of water before bed and hit the sack. I woke up multiple times during the night, but didn't really think it was anything more than needing to go to the bathroom--remember all the water I drank??

I woke up and initially I felt good as I just laid there. I got up and decided to drink some water. 

Big mistake. It made me puke.

So I chose some juice instead and sipped it slowly without issues.

I got the boys up and they got ready for the day. We were hoping to go to Cincinnati for the day and night to stay with some friends, but I wasn't feeling 100% yet--although definitely better. So we just piddled around that morning--then at about 9am, I used the restroom, and when I was done, and tucking in my shirt, something caught my eye in the mirror--I went closer and lifted up my shirt....

Yep, you guessed it. 

I was covered in the early stages of a rash.

Ding ding ding!

It wasn't the flu, or dehydration--no I was HAVING AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO MY ANTIBIOTIC!

Needless to say I called my doctor right away and they had be come in within the hour. One look at my torso, and then at the prescribed anti-biotic (BACTRIM) and they confirmed--I was having an allergic reaction. Apparently, if I had looked a bit more closely at the the list of allergic reactions, I would have seen that everything the night before--from the flu like symptoms to the suppressed appetite to the chills--and now the rash was guaranteed allergy. 

Well, this doctor looked at my presciption and didn't know why the previous doctor had even put me on it. Saying it was overkill for the type of infection I might have had the previous week. And because I am allergic to Benedryl (I know. Right? Allergic to the allergy medicine?) I only had one option...

So a short time later I was getting an allergy shot in my hip.

Let me tell you.

Within 10 minutes I started feeliing like a NEW PERSON. All nausea went away completely. Fuzzy head went away. It clearly was what was plaguing me. And imagine my surprise when at my weigh in before the appointment it revealed that my suppressed appetite over the previous week had lost me FOUR POUNDS!!!! Oy! Four pounds in less than a week! Clearly a problem.

Well, although I mean. I NEEDED to lose 4 pounds in all honesty. But this wasn't the way to do it.

So I left the appointment after the shot being told to throw out my anti-biotic and just come back in a couple days later for my stitches. 

New woman.

That's the difference I felt.

I actually ate FOOD for lunch. Not much. A small salad. Water. Half a piece of peanut butter toast--but that was the first "meal" I had eaten in 2 days!

So we decided to go ahead and head in to Cincinnati.

Unfortunately, my rash continued to get worse. It got it's brightest and most coverage of my body yesterday morning. But my friend and I looked it up, and discovered this was normal. Usually it takes 3 days to purge your body. 

I am happy to say that as of this morning and right now--day 3--the rash has faded back to very faint blotches that you have to really look for to see. My appointment showed that my weight was still where it was the last time--even though I had been able to start eating again. Yay! And my stitches were removed with little pain today.

So I am definitely on the road to recovery! Now I'm ready to start attacking the scar tissues with Vitamin E and Rosehip Oils with added drops of Helichrysum, Frankincense, Geranium, and Lavender essential oils to decrease any scarring and ramp up complete healing. 

Thanks for all the prayers that so many of you have shared! I am very grateful that things worked out the way they did--even if I discovered a med allergy along the way! LOL!

Have a most wonderful completion to your week--and month!