Health Update

Thanks again for all your prayers. The Cook house continues to be in survival mode. I have been up at the church almost every day the last 2 weeks getting ready for VBS. This is why no update. I have had lots of swelling but only a few hive outbreaks the last few weeks and THANKFULLY they are coming and going rather than lingering. I haven't been back to my Immunologist yet but I did see my OBGYYN yesterday for my yearly. He is the sweet doc that diagnosed my hypothyroidism a little over a year ago. So he spent about 1 hour in my room with me yesterday talking to me about all of this stuff. I of course left a tad overwhelmed. I want to share with you the rundown because I would love for you to pray for me specifically. If you get to much info well I am sorry. I am a married women and it should be a given that I have sex so there you go :):)

My doctor told me not to get pregnant in at least the next 6 months. He said that with my body so out of whack that a pregnancy would only decrease my immune system even more and potentially exacerbate the problem. (this is ok because we want to wait about 1 year anyway) BUT....
Because of all the "stuff" going on with me I can't be on a hormone of any kind - no pill. He wants to make sure that I don't have a latex allergy (apparently people can have a slight allergy to latex and it be ok - except for me right now - any slight allergy is making my body go berserk) so he did blood work and we will know in a week. If I don't have the latex allergy then we will just have to use condoms as our BC of choice but if I do have the latex allergy my sweet doc said "well we will just talk about what to do with this situation next week: :)
Don't get pregnant - Don't use the pill - Don't use a condom - Family Planning????? Does it really work???
Because I have antibodies to my thyroid I am at a great risk of miscarrying when I do get pregnant again. He said that if I were to get pregnant in the next 6 months to call him as soon as the stick changes colors and get in to see him. It appears that with autoimmune disorders your body may recognize the baby as a foreign object and attack it. He said that many women carry babies full term as long as my antibody levels are monitored very closely. He ideally wants me to see him after all of my crazy other stuff levels off and talk with him before we start trying to get pregnant so that he is monitoring it before hand.

For those of you that are praying please pray:
1. I don't have a latex allergy
2. God would not allow me to get pregnant right now - I firmly believe that His plan is perfect but he says to ask and you shall receive. I soooo want more children but I pray that His timing is not now.
3. Pray that if I do get pregnant God would please protect the baby
4. Pray that God would give me strength and endurance to deal with all the craziness that is going on with my body.

I am trying really hard to live life. Most days are ok. Yesterday I had several joints that were swollen bad and so I had to take my goofy pills. I was out at 7:30 last night. Those things knock me off my rocker but some days they are necessary.

I really long to write about something other than my health really soon!!!