Emergency

My sister often tells me I have the worst luck. As time passes I am more and more inclined to believe her. Random freak things seem to happen to me, and this past Thursday was no exception.

In an effort to lose my Emily weight (I will just blame her) I have started running again. After the kids were in bed I was in need of some exercise. I was feeling guilty for indulging a little too much at dinner. So off I went. The route I take is about 3 miles round trip, and I have been doing it for several weeks now. Nothing new. I am presistaly trying to increase my speed and the amount of time I am actually running.

I hit the half way point and began the trudge home. It was a hot night. I was hot. But as the minutes passed I began to get really hot and really itchy. I started to walk to cool myself down and then began to run again. Then I began to walk again, I was SO HOT and SO ITCHY. I thought in the moment that it was probably my body overheating from exercising and I didny think much of it. I ran again.  I itch everywhere, my throat is really dry, and then I see my hands and wrists are swelling and have welts on them. Similiar to the picture below.

 I started to panic a little but I was still far from home and I did not have my cell with me. Its MY time when I run and I dont like to be bothered. I run again in an effort to get home sooner and that was a mistake. I start to get dizzy and I can feel my tongue and lips swelling. Anxiety hits. At this point I am getting a little freaked out. Not sure what to do. I am probably just under a mile from my house and I know I cannot make it.

I had a "flash vision" of myself lying on the side of the road, and my mind then went in to overdrive. I contemplated stopping traffic and begging use of a cell phone, a ride home or knocking on someones door. The road I run on is a main street thus all the homes are a little ways off. I am still walking, seeing more stars. I prayed. I asked Heavenly Father to allow me to make it home safely...some how.

As I rounded a corner, the road goes close by a cul de sac where a house is somewhat near. I spot a man talking on the phone in the drive way and realize this is my chance. I interrupetd him and asked if I could either use his phone or could he give me a ride, I thought I was having an allergic reaction. He looked at me. Got off the phone and asked where I lived. We got in the car and I directed him. At this point my speech is a little imapaired because of my swollen tongue and lips and I am a bit incoherent from lack of oxygen. He kept asking me if I was OK and if someone was at my house. I then looked in the mirror and saw a version of myself that was rather scary. Welts all over my face, lips swollen. No wonder he got in the car. Similar to the picture below.

I am breathing rather rapidly from running and my throat swelling... on top of which I am freaking out. Thus, I'm hyper ventilating. This has happened to me once before when I was so sick vomiting  I couldn't breath. Your hands become hard has rocks and form to the shape pictured below.

It hurt really bad. So bad in fact it felt like my bones were going to snap. I was a  site to see that's for sure. Swollen welted face, hands like a penguin in a lot of pain. I get to my house and I tell Seth we have a problem...he looks at me and is like what the heck? I sit down, in an effort to breath. Seth gets on the phone to see if anyone can get to our house ASAP so I can get to the doc. It was taking longer than I thought I didn't think I could hold out since, by this time, I'm freaked. So Seth told me to go get in the car while he went and woke the kids up. I didn't think I could. I stood, saw stars, and went to the ground. I may have passed out momentarily, but i'm not sure. So Seth called 911. It felt like eternity before they got there. 

The assessed the situation, gave me oxygen immediately and asked a lot of questions. They saw my hands and face, my tongue and lips, and apparently a rash on my neck and back as well. They loaded me on the stretcher and gave me an IV of Benadryl in the ambulance while they monitored my stats. Then off we went to the ER. In the meantime our neighbors down the road who are in our ward noticed the commotion and came to see what was up. Seth was in the process of calling them when they got there and they stayed with Abby and Briggs, who managed to stay asleep through it all, while Seth came to the hospital along with my Dad and Cindy.

On the way there I began to calm down realizing I had help, that coupled with the oxygen my hands began to relax. Not to mention how drowsy I got from the Benadryl! At the ER They gave me more Benadryl through my IV along with Steroids and a few other things. My body began to return to normal.

No I hadn't eaten anything unusual. No I didn't run in the forest or encounter a weird plant or poison ivy. No I hadn't been stung or bitten, that I knew of anyway, and no I'm not allergic to anything that I am aware of. It was so strange and scary. The only thing I can think that was different was that I went at night instead of the morning and that while running I remember running through a cloud of cigarette smoke that had come from someones car. Maybe that was it, however that has happened to me before as well. So who knows. I am just really thankful that everything was OK. I have a huge bruise from the IV and my hands and wrists were really sore the next day. I had a bit of a lingering rash but my tongue and lips went down immediately when I got the steroids.

I am thankful to Heavenly father for answering my prayer. For the man who so willing gave The Mask a ride home, and Seth, Dad and Cindy for their help as well. Also thanks to the Matchetts who came and watched our kids and came the next day to see if we needed any help.

I went and got a new arm band so I can now have my cell phone, some Benadryl and water with me when I run....