you're gonna make it afterall!

i use to write at least once a week on my old blog (justfortherecord.blogspot.com).  now i'm lucky if i blog once a month! #facepalm

*for background, read the post below.  it has pretty pictures of my husband looking like a baboon.

as it turns out...the new mattress and bedding did not solve our problems.  but we sure do sleep well now :)  after that hurtle, we found some unsightly "mold" in our cute apartment -- we thought it was the end of the world and the answer to the allergic reactions... we were wrong. our wonderful and kind landlord took action quickly and sent samples to a lab where they determined that everything was exceptionally normal.     

we decided the first allergist was a bozo and got a second opinion from my trusty allergist and long-time doctor up in salt lake.  after taking one look at kortney he declared the reaction was internal and believed the angioedema and hives to be caused by his anti-seizure medication  (for proof of the correlation, click here).   he upped his anti-histamine regimen and instructed us to go to the neurologist to be placed on a different medication.

mr. k's neurologist changed his medication and mentioned she has seen patients who take lamictal for years and one day --*poof*-- they're allergic (kortney was on lamictal for 6 years). 

mr. k is now 10 days off his original anti-seizure medication.  he seems to take 2 steps forward and 1 step back every day BUT overall he is improving!

.....

for a while it seemed like we couldn't catch a break.   exhausted and bewildered, frustration set in and we both shook our heads each morning as the reactions persisted despite our determination to try everything we could conceive.  while we both felt powerless i felt destitute -- watching him itch and swell and hurt for nearly 6 months was unbearable.  as i popped giant blisters which had erupted on his ankles and knees i covered his skin in tears.  my heart broke, to a degree i have never, ever felt before in all my 24 years. 

even though this unforseen "experience" has shaken us financially and emotionally, mr. k has been my rock through it all.  despite living on benedryl for 6 months, mr. k has the best attitude of anyone i know.  his optimism every day and belief that it will all work out helped suppress my anxiety and spurred me on.  things are finally looking up in the allergic reaction department.

once the allergic reactions are extinct, we have knee surgery to look forward to.  my tough husband has been walking around (for months) with a completely torn ACL and a meniscus that has seen better days.  i tell you what, flag football is as dangerous as tackle these days.

        

p.s. football season is over until september! poor peyton, but 7 months without football games on 4 days a week!

and on that note, i bid you goodnight!

with love,

mrs. k