Today has been by far the hardest day for Chris (and us). His swelling increased quite a bit this morning, to the point where even the skin under his eyes is swollen. The pressure is so intense that his ears are hurting. His nasal congestion also blocked his ability to breathe through his nose so he had no choice but to breathe through his mouth. I came home from church around 11:30 and he was having an anxiety attack because he literally couldn't breathe. His heart was racing, his body was somewhat shaking, and he was very, very upset. We were debating whether to take him to the ER because it was so bad. We reached out to his doctor/nurse for advice on what to do and there was a time where each minute felt like an eternity as we tried to figure out what to do. His lips are so swollen that it made breathing through his mouth very difficult, if not impossible. Eventually we were able to cut a syringe in half so that we could put it through his swollen lips and he could breathe, as if through a snorkel. That was a game changer. He also was prescribed some anti-anxiety medicine because anxiety constricts the throat and makes breathing even harder. It has helped Chris relax and get through today. I am so relieved that it's the end of the day and we got through it. Chris is currently in the recliner with his eyes closed, successfully breathing. To say he's comfortable is inaccurate, but he's coping. This is progress from earlier today.
We're nervous about what tomorrow has in store (please oh please don't let the swelling increase any more). I knew to anticipate up-and-downs, so I have to remind myself that this is temporary and that even though today was really rough, it will get better.
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