Medical Shenagians

My ridiculous skin rashes are still a mystery. My doctor said that my skin looks really irritated (it's actually not bad right now), she thinks it's contact dermatitis (ezcema), but that she really can't say why I have it. She did say it usually gets better and goes away. Except mine had progressively gotten worse since 2009, with just past Christmas this year being the worst when it went all the way up my arms. She reviewed my allergy panel, asked about detergents and cleaning things, said it may just be hormonal, and ran a little blood work. I had to get my TSH rechecked so I can get a refill on my thyroid medicine, but she also ran a B12 and- here's a laugh- FSH, LH, and estradiol. Oh, my old friends, we need to stop running into each other. She said she doesn't think it's autoimmune, but I keep wondering given my losses and other issues.

She urged me to hydrate more, and to keep doing everything I'm doing. I use Hydrocortisone cream when it's bad, lather up with coconut oil, take Benadryl as needed... sometimes that helps. If I'm lucky. I use lotion every day. Petroleum jelly, Aquafor, or A&D ointment before bed as needed. I changed my dish and hand soaps, I use hypoallergic stuff mostly, I stopped using commercial cleaners, use gloves for dish washing, I haven't changed my detergent but I have a known allergy to Tide and never had a reaction to this one that I've known... still, I may change that soon to see if it helps.

It gets worse when cleaning, even just dusting, but my allergy panel came back negative for dust or pets. I joke and say, "I'm allergic to cleaning!" but seriously... I have no idea what this is. Maybe it's this old house.

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My other recent issue was my brilliant idea to get an IUD. It seemed like a good choice, it had progesterone so I wouldn't have to worry about inducing a bleed every few months (because of the endometrial cancer risk, due to PCOS and anovulation), plus I wouldn't have to worry about an unplanned pregnancy which given my health (with recurrent loss issues), finances, and general sanity would be bad. It would have lasted 5 years and by then we could take permanent measures, or went for #4 (A has mentioned it, not joking. Crazy pants).

Well, that's when the trouble began. I got it put in and bled until the day I got it out... almost 4 months. It wasn't just that, I could still feel it. I was constantly aware of it's presence. They checked on ultrasound and it was fine, it was positioned correctly, but it was slowly driving me bat shit crazy. It hurt, I was cramping off/on, and bleeding. My OB urged me to give it 6 months for my body to adjust, but I was losing my mind. I was getting agitated, snapping more, yelling more, I wanted to scream. I wanted to rip the thing out. I had no patience with the children. My depression got INFINITELY worse. It was bad. I finally made the call to have it removed.

One of the strings had gotten up in my uterus and wrapped around the IUD, but it came out easily. I felt so much better right away. I wasn't nearly as agitated, the change in my mood was amazing. While still depressed, it has lightened and I feel more productive. I'm feeling a lot better, not quite as overwhelmed (although still very busy with the children and exhausted). I don't know what it was about the IUD that affected me like that: physically something about it, or me, or just a giant head game, but I'm glad that's over. I will never do that again.

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So that's what's been on my medical plate. My hair has changed, my body is changing, and I need to adjust to this new normal. I'm still nursing the twins. And mostly just trying to deal with these damned rashes.