My Own Personal Rollercoaster :: A Timeline

So! I know it’s been a little while since I last updated. And last I posted, my circumstances were pretty dire.

Since then, I’d describe my life pretty much as a roller coaster, with plenty of ups and downs to make it interesting. Here’s the official breakdown:

1. I started itching. August 22nd, 2011.
2. I had an allergic reaction to a medication, which made my situation much worse. November 11th.
3. The allergic reaction died down (but my hands felt like they took forever to heal). 
4. Annoyingly enough, the itching didn’t go away (though it may have diminished, I can’t remember). 
5. A few hellish weeks ensue. These were some of the worst moments of my life because of all the uncontrollable itching and burning.
6. Throughout all of this, we thought I had a yeast overgrowth. 
7. Since I wasn’t improving, we decided to do a test. Early December.
8. Surprise! It isn’t a yeast overgrowth. I also discover that I have low progesterone and possibly high cortisol. December 12th.
9. My chiropractor puts me on a supplement to help my liver. Around Christmastime.
10. The itching stops for about a week. A MIRACLE, I TELL YOU!
11. I accidentally run out of the supplement and the itching starts back up again. 
12. I get back on the supplement, but still itch. Sometime in January.
13. My hands get extremely red and chapped. Mid-January.
14. I go see my chiropractor, who notices my hands and thinks I’m having an allergic reaction. (Yes, again.) January 21st.
15. I am given allergy drops. We suspect that the perpetrator is corn.
16. Therefore, I go off corn. 
17. I am still itching. It’s gone down, but still is there.

And that, my friends, is where we are right now. There’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been said. I’m hanging in there, but it’s hard.

A couple of weeks ago, I looked up substitutes for corn... and let me tell you... it’s in everything. I’ve discovered that I will have to go off many of the things I eat now, such as my chicken and wild rice soup. And my protein shakes, which I use to keep my blood sugar from crashing. And xylitol, which I use as a sugar substitute since I have high insulin levels. We’re torn on whether to go off some, all, or none of these things, so that’s still in flux at the moment. My diet is already so limited because of jaw pain and my dislike for certain foods, so this has been a pretty hard blow.

So, I’m not going to pretend it’s not hard, because it is, and I’m not happy with any of this at all. I’m hoping that someday, somehow, all of this will get better. Please keep me in your prayers, and if you guys have any corn allergies, I’d love any suggestions you have to offer!