Of Course This Would Happen

While on our trip to Oceanside I came down with the craziest symptoms. 

After two days at the beach my fingers and toes turned beet red and felt very much like they were being burnt with a curling iron. 

I finally took myself to an urgent care. The doctor there thought I was having an allergic reaction to something. She prescribed me some cortisone cream and told me to take Benadryl. 

I tried that for a day. But didn't find much relief at all. By Wednesday night the pain was so intense I was in tears. I really tried to be strong and tolerate it. But I was just hurting too bad. So Tif took me to the Emergency Room. 

Considering the last time the kids and I were in California and our experience with Silvio ended so dramatically you can imagine how scared my kids were. Logan was a mess when I told him I needed to go to the hospital. He started bawling and I reassured him I would be okay. I just needed some painkillers. 

We left Kiersten and Kaely in charge of all the little kids. It was about 8:00 in the evening, so I was hoping they would all go to bed. 

The first hospital we tried said it was a 6 hour wait. And honestly the waiting room looked like you'd probably leave sicker then you went in just by having to wait in the same room as those people. It was bad. So we found another hospital not far away. They got me right in. After blood work was done. The doctor diagnosed me with Raynards Syndrome. The OxyContin they gave me for the pain did nothing!  I was worried I might have to live with this constant fire burning pain. Finally they gave me Valium and I was able to get relief!!

Oh man that was a painful experience!!  I'd rather break my foot any day that have to go through that burning pain again. 

While at the ER they had me soak my hands and feet in room temperature water. It felt like they were making me put my hands and feet in scolding hot water. It was crazy to thing it was just room temperature. I couldn't believe them. It was painfully hot, or at least a that's what it felt like. 

The ER Doctor wanted me to see  a rheumatologist the following day. But I couldn't get into the specialist until Friday, which was the day we were scheduled to leave California. I decided to wait until I got home to find a rheumatologist to see. We didn't get released from the hospital till about 3:30 in the morning. I am so grateful for Tif and her kind hearted personality. She was so sweet to me and even cried when I couldn't hold back the tears. 

What an experience!