I thought I would post something a little personal because everyone suffers with either a disease or something that they don’t like about themselves. I have Chronic Urticaria. It sounds really bad with the word ‘chronic’ but I break out in a rash, similar to the look of chickenpox but with a hive like raise to the skin. Doctors don’t know why it happens but there are cures out there but I thought I would give my version of living with it.
When I was 16 I started sixth form and I was really stressed and not happy there at all, I ended up leaving after a year. But whilst I was there whenever I entered the building I was suddenly would erupt into one huge red spotted swollen blob. So after wondering what was happening to my body after a few weeks I went to the doctors and at first they did not really know what it was and why I was getting it, so I was referred to a dermatologist and tests went on from there.
Whilst I was awaiting treatment, one hot afternoon I went to the gym and I was pushing myself to do the last few minutes on the treadmill dripping in sweat (such an attractive picture I know) and started to drive home as normal. However all of a sudden I felt my rash come up, I was getting all hot despite the air con been on, and my skin started to swell. My lips were all swollen like I had some kind of botched lip filler. My throat was closing up and if anyone has experienced this you will know how horrible and scary it is slowly not being able to breathe. I also suffer from really bad asthma so it was making the situation even worse. I got home and told my mum and dad, they could see I was having some kind of reaction to something and rushed me to our local Accident and Emergency. At this point on the rush there I was slowly losing the ability to breathe and see as my eyes were so puffy and swollen I could not see a thing.
Once I arrived I was put into a room and given some tablets which were anti histamines but as my throat had closed up I could not swallow them, so I was given an IV in my arm and given four injections into this. I was passed out at this point with an oxygen mask on my face. I was woken up to being wheeled into a different room on a ward and was told to wait for a doctor to come and see me. At this point it was 1am and I was in a freezing room wrapped in a blanket feeling sorry for myself. My rash was still all over my body and still raised from the hives but my swollen eyes, lips and throat had gone down enough for me to be discharged.
The next day I was still covered in a red rash and was so weak I could hardly move. The doctor gave me a course of steroids for three days to calm down the swelling.
It was one of the most horrible experiences to ever happen but it made me realise I cannot do things and push myself like other people can, which is a shame but I almost did not want to believe it.
That was three years ago now. I suffer every day with small break outs of my rash and sometimes swelling but I haven’t had a bad attack. I am still under the dermatologist sorting out a treatment that works for me but it is something that I still have to deal with. I have to be careful with sports and the gym to make sure I don’t push myself too much. I’m not trying to make anyone feel sorry for me or anything like that but just to bring awareness to something. I hope to post a few more personal posts just so that you guys can get to me a little better.
When I was 16 I started sixth form and I was really stressed and not happy there at all, I ended up leaving after a year. But whilst I was there whenever I entered the building I was suddenly would erupt into one huge red spotted swollen blob. So after wondering what was happening to my body after a few weeks I went to the doctors and at first they did not really know what it was and why I was getting it, so I was referred to a dermatologist and tests went on from there.
Whilst I was awaiting treatment, one hot afternoon I went to the gym and I was pushing myself to do the last few minutes on the treadmill dripping in sweat (such an attractive picture I know) and started to drive home as normal. However all of a sudden I felt my rash come up, I was getting all hot despite the air con been on, and my skin started to swell. My lips were all swollen like I had some kind of botched lip filler. My throat was closing up and if anyone has experienced this you will know how horrible and scary it is slowly not being able to breathe. I also suffer from really bad asthma so it was making the situation even worse. I got home and told my mum and dad, they could see I was having some kind of reaction to something and rushed me to our local Accident and Emergency. At this point on the rush there I was slowly losing the ability to breathe and see as my eyes were so puffy and swollen I could not see a thing.
Once I arrived I was put into a room and given some tablets which were anti histamines but as my throat had closed up I could not swallow them, so I was given an IV in my arm and given four injections into this. I was passed out at this point with an oxygen mask on my face. I was woken up to being wheeled into a different room on a ward and was told to wait for a doctor to come and see me. At this point it was 1am and I was in a freezing room wrapped in a blanket feeling sorry for myself. My rash was still all over my body and still raised from the hives but my swollen eyes, lips and throat had gone down enough for me to be discharged.
The next day I was still covered in a red rash and was so weak I could hardly move. The doctor gave me a course of steroids for three days to calm down the swelling.
It was one of the most horrible experiences to ever happen but it made me realise I cannot do things and push myself like other people can, which is a shame but I almost did not want to believe it.
That was three years ago now. I suffer every day with small break outs of my rash and sometimes swelling but I haven’t had a bad attack. I am still under the dermatologist sorting out a treatment that works for me but it is something that I still have to deal with. I have to be careful with sports and the gym to make sure I don’t push myself too much. I’m not trying to make anyone feel sorry for me or anything like that but just to bring awareness to something. I hope to post a few more personal posts just so that you guys can get to me a little better.