I can't really say it's a good morning. I've had a miserable week. Bill is somewhat better. He's still a little congested and is white count is still elevated, but is cough is easing. He's on another round of Prednisone and a new antibiotic and the really good cough medicine, that he hasn't needed, so maybe this time it will get knocked out. She also increased his Zyrtek from 1/2 a pill to a full pill. He doesn't have to go back to the dr. unless he relapses. She told Emily, although she didn't tell me, that because of his diminished lung capacity, he will take longer and longer to recover from things like this. Of course I know this and a time will come when he won't be able to recover. His lungs are only going to get worse, what we are doing is just buying time. I know that sounds morbid, but you don't recover from COPD and emphysema unless you have a lung transplant, and that's not going to happen.

So, while he is feeling better and can't wait to be able to get back to his treadmill, I'm totally falling apart. Sunday afternoon I noticed that my left side was itching and when I looked there were several huge welts. I had just been outside feeding the cat that lives under the house and noticed that there were several mosquitos hovering around her. So I thought I just got bit through my clothes. But, by the time we went to bed I had a good case of hives starting. Hives aren't a new thing for me but I haven't had any outbreaks since we've come home from the transplant and that will be 5 years in December. So I took some Benadryl thinking that it would be gone the next day. I was definitely wrong! I was covered when I got up. The only places that didn't have them was my face (although my neck looked terrible), my calves, and my hands. The dr. was more concerned with me than with Bill and offered me some Prednisone, but I get a rash if I take it so I'm was stuck.

By Tuesday I was so miserable I decided that I was going to take the Prednisone anyway. My reasoning was that I already had a rash so what could it hurt! The allergy to it doesn't affect my breathing, just the rash. I also remembered the concoction they give Bill when he has a heart cath. It's a mix of Benadryl, Zantac, and Prednisone. I'm not taking the megadose they give him, but I'm taking that every morning. Thursday all of the hives were gone, and I felt really good. Got some stuff done around here. But, at bedtime they were starting to come back. They were hit and miss yesterday, coming and going, and last night they were coming back. This morning they are everywhere again, including my face and hands and behind my knees.

The mystery to all of this is that I haven't changed detergents, soaps, shampoos, perfumes, no new foods...nothing! The only things I can think of that would have any effect is the cat's flea collar (we've since taken it off) and I finished my antibiotic on the Friday before they first appeared Sunday. So, all I can think of is stress, even though I don't feel any more stressed than usual. But it could be. Emily thinks that it's a mix of Bill not recovering from this infection and having McKenna here every day, even though she's no trouble. Plus Ryan lost his job the week before they started on Sunday, so maybe it is just a culmination of everything. Anyone want to come and live in my house so I can have a vacation alone? I would probably worry the whole time anyway!

Kenna finished all of her schoolwork for the week on Thursday, so she got a day off. We decided to go to Jonesboro to get me a new phone. We stopped at Olive Garden first for a late lunch/early dinner and as I was switching Bill's tanks, I had a blood vessel pop in my middle finger on my left hand. It swelled so much I though it would split open! I couldn't bend my finger at all! I held on to my drink glass to keep some cold on it and pressed it into the table to kind of move the blood around and by the time we got to the ATT store next door, I could somewhat bend it. I got a newer phone than I wanted and which cost $200 more, but I think I will like it when I finally get it all set up.

We were going to go see the baby today, but Amanda said that next week would be better. I don't know why, and it doesn't matter. Maybe he's not sleeping good and they're all exhausted, who knows. I hadn't said anything to any of the kids except McKenna, and she'll be OK. Kiyann can't wait to hold him and Mistie has said that all she talks about is being an aunt!

It doesn't seem possible that October is already here! It has gotten somewhat cooler, at least in the mornings. It is still in the mid 80s in the day but that is better than the 90s. Some of the cotton is almost ready to be picked. I didn't even realize they were defoliating this year. I guess when you don't go out much anymore you do miss things! I noticed they were cutting something yesterday. I think it was rice since the beans haven't dried enough, but it could have been an early planted field. Hope everyone has a good week ahead! Who knows what ours will bring!