December 3, 2006
This morning was a beautiful time for a walk: the air crisp and clear, lit with an orange sunrise; birds and squirrels out and about; all of which I noticed while walking to the Emergency Room with impressively swollen left eye lids, a pair of Fat Albert lips and a full body rash. My eye was really more bugged-out than swollen, as though I'd been in a fight, but without black and blue marks, nor the interesting story. Last night, I had a couple of itchy bumps on my elbow, which I discounted as bug bites. Early this morning, it was fairly obvious those "bites", which had multiplied over most of my body, were symptoms of an allergic reaction. Leah checked online (the great source of truthiness) and read that swollen lips can be associated with a swollen throat and requires emergency attention. At the hospital, I received a few drugs, including a steroid and the swelling dissipated. I was released after three hours.
Apparently, I'm allergic to a post-operative anti-platelet drug, Plavix, which I've been taking for about two week. The reason I haven't had a reaction before today is unclear. I plan to ask the cardiologist tomorrow, at my routine follow-up appointment. After that I will have several other doctor visits later this week. In the meantime, I have a new drug regiment, and aside from fatigue, possibly due to the loss of 6 more vials of my blood, I feel fine.
Today's complications should not diminish a small victory in my recovery: with the doctor's consent, I ran yesterday afternoon. Leah and I loped along our regular route for 40 minutes, granted, in 5 minute stretches spaced with 2 minute walks. I felt fine (no chest pains!), and plan to go again tomorrow...maybe.
