I Can't Catch a Break- PUPPS and Eye Infection

I haven't really mentioned my disgusting rash very much mostly because it's embarrassing and depressing, but after getting a diagnosis and finally researching the other night, I decided I wanted to mention it in case anyone who reads this ever gets it because reading about others' experiences made me feel a ton better.

Here is how the last 8 months have gone...

I have to do an FET to get pregnant again...lots of drugs, progesterone shots for 12 weeks, prednisone for 12 weeks, etc.  I once again pre-eclampsia.  Get placed on hospital bedrest.  Have another preemie.  Another NICU stay.

One or two days after Everett is born, I start get a rash along the tape line from my c-section, and on my arm where tape and bandaids had been repeatedly placed.  This rash is extremely itchy and spreads all across my entire stomach and my forearms.  Sadly, the photos don't even make it look as horrible as it was, and it got much worse than these photos show (I can't believe I'm posting these photos)...

These rashes eventually started to clear up (although the scars are still there).  My OB says I must go to the derm.  My derm does a biopsy, which shows that I have PUPPS (pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy)!  This is a rash that occurs during pregnancy (1 in 200 pregnancies), but I'm NOT pregnant!  My derm says it's very strange, but she has had one other patient that got it after pregnancy.  She gives me topical creams and steriods, but instead of getting better, the rash gets worse...MUCH worse.  It spread over my entire body (except face)...legs, butt, arms, feet, hands, back, neck, chest...even my breasts!  I start itching all day long...the itching is EXTREME.  My skin starts weeping and bleeding, and eventually it feels like my entire body is on fire 24 hours a day.  Like just existing is painful.  Having clothes on it excruciating, but I have to wear clothes!  I have talked about being exhausted, but in reality, it's not Everett's fault- I itch all.night.long.  My sheets are blood stained from all the open sores I've created.  I start crying at night because the itching and pain is so bad, and I feel helpless and don't know anyone else that this has happened to.  It got so bad and so painful one night that I told Gary if I had a gun, I'd probably start shooting my extremities just to make the itching stop!  The itching is much worse at night.

I finally go online a few nights ago and try to find other women that have gone through this and find some answers.  I found THIS website with story after story of other women who have suffered.  They talk about being *suicidal*, the intense pain, having had awful deliveries with 4th degree tears that don't compare to the pain of PUPPS...many of the women said they will NEVER have another child just to avoid getting PUPPS again.  This may sound bad, but it made me feel SO much better that there are all these other women that understand exactly what I'm going through...many of them also said that it WILL get better, it's just a matter of time.  I honestly felt like this would never go away.

Here is what I learned from this site...supposedly Dandelion Root, Milk Thistle and Flaxseed Oil all help make the symptoms diminish (they all come in capsule form at Sprouts or Whole Foods)...they are all things that cleanse your liver (the liver is linked to skin- think jaundice).  I started taking all three two days ago, and I also started a 3 week round of Prednisone (I called my derm and told her I couldn't bear another day without oral medication).  I'm not sure what is working, but I *FINALLY* feel like the rash is slowly getting better!  I'm still itchy, but it's getting less, and I don't feel like my skin is burning off anymore.  Here are a few more photos from today, which look MUCH better than it looks in person and MUCH better than it did a few days ago...

But the story doesn't end there. 

First, Gary leaves at 5:30 in the morning for a business trip this morning.  My dad comes to pick up Ella, who proceeds to wail as I force her in my dad's carseat.  I go inside and feed Everett, who projectile vomits EVERYWHERE (oh yeah, did I mention he is now vomiting at least twice a day?  yup, reflux city, part deux).  So I have to give him a bath...alone.  I then have to go to the doctor because...

For the past 3 days, I've been waking up with discharge in my right eye and my eyelashes stuck together.  I don't think much of it until this morning when my left eye has the same issue.  I get in with my opthamologist today, who tells me that I have a bacterial infection in my eyes!!  I mean, really?!  What am I, five?  Who gets eye infections?  He says it's not a big deal, I just need to take drops, and it could be from all my itching and then touching my eyes. However, I can't pick up the prescription today because I have to pick up Ella, and I can't do it with both of them since Ella will bolt.

After making dinner for Ella, I feed Everett, who once again projectile vomits all over me (which goes through my pants and my underwear!), the couch and himself.

I get him settled and get ready to bathe Ella, who pees in her potty.  Good, right?  Sure.  Except that in trying to be a good little helper, she brings the plastic thing with pee in it to the sink to dump out and dumps half of it on the floor and IN MY RUNNING SHOES (ok so I'm not running yet, but I am trying to start!).  Um, how do you clean pee out of running shoes?

Where's the wine?