Hives

Well, something new on our journey through sickness this year. Yesterday around 2pm Shepley broke out in hives. We were in the car, and she told me she was itchy and had "bites" on her arm. We stopped to get out, and I took a closer look. Hives everywhere!! Her cheeks were beet red and her arms and legs had huge red welts covering them. There was nothing on her trunk which I thought was unusual. I knew if I took her to the doctor, they'd just say give her benadryl so I headed over to my chiropractor's office. I know some of you reading think that sounds crazy, but they aren't just chiropractors. They are a holistic practice so they know all about homeopathics, herbs, etc. I knew I could do my own research as well, but I wanted a little reassurance that I shouldn't rush her to the hospital. I wracked my brain to think of something different that she had eaten or been exposed to. When I got there, while I was waiting for Dr. Lindsey to finish with the patient she was with, the receptionist told me that another little boy had come in very recently with the same thing--hives out of nowhere. Then Dr. Lindsey told me that the other chiropractor, Suzanne, had stayed home with her 10 year old a couple of weeks before with the same thing. She tested her, and it was viral. She gave her some sulfur (homeopathics) and gave me a couple of antronex (because we had some at home already) and this stuff called Viralgraphis which is a huge capsule that I was going to have to open up and put in "something" to get her to eat it.

So we were headed to my in-laws anyway. We went there, and I tried to give her the antronex. It is a pill but not very big so I was going to see how she would do with it. She swallowed one but couldn't do the other. So I opened up the Viralgraphis to put in some applesauce for her. She freaked out with the taste. I've given her plenty of stuff like this before so I tried it in yogurt. She still freaked out. So I tasted it. It was the most awful thing I've ever tasted in my life!!! I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth!! So there's no way she'll ever take that. Plus, she doesn't seem to be able to swallow the other well. So I decided to research it. I researched essential oils for it--seems like a normal thing for a skin issue. I found that chamomile and lavender (and peppermint too, I think, but I thought peppermint could burn) are good for hives.

They went away within an hour or so. By the time we got home and went to bed, I wasn't really thinking about them anymore. But she woke up around 4 am covered again and so itchy. I tried to get her to take the pills again but to no avail. I had some lavender essential oil so I thought I'd give it a try. I just put the lavender right on her skin--didn't mix it in olive oil (which is what I usually do.) It helped immediately. Once I got it all over, the itching had stopped and she went right back to sleep. Good to know!!

So no more outbreaks yet. We'll see. Hopefully the other kids won't start--especially Cedar!! Poor thing. His little immune system is getting a great workout this first year of his life!! It's going to be a pretty strong thing! :)