Because I have started to break out again with my hives, we have rescheduled my allergist appoint (originally scheduled for Jan. 5th) to today.  I have been taking the Prednisone like the doctor prescribed (10mg everyday) along with 2 claritin, and the 2 Hydroxyzine at night.   Unfortunately, I have been broken out each morning when I wake up.  It isn't all over my body but is on my arms, shoulders and sometimes my feet.  I'm really sick of all this.  I'm ready to get on with my senior year and with my basketball and training.
The doctor said that we should continue to take 10mg. of Prednisone everyday for a week, continue the 2 Claritin everyday, add the 2 Zyrtec back in at lunch time and then use the Hydroxyzine as  needed (up to 6 per day) to help control the outbreaks.  He said that we are going to have to inidate the body with the antihistamines to try to get whatever this is under control.  After a week, we are going to alternate the Prednisone 10 mg one day, then 5mg the next. We will do that for another week along with all the above listed meds, then the following week we will go to 10 mg one day and then one day off still with all the other meds.  Then if  there are no break outs the next week we will go to 5mg one day and the next day off with all other meds.  The Hydroxyzine is the medicine that we can play with in regards to dosage when I'm breaking out (up to a certain amount)   If at anytime I begin to break out and can't control it with the Hydroxyzine I'm suppose to go back up in dosage of the prednisone that I was previously good at.

After my mom emailed Ms. Earle to talk about Rick's thoughts on whether I could actually get in the proper training and finish three marathons in the  amount of time we have left. Rick, my trainer, had stated that based on the doctors recommendation of not over doing the running, and the fact that I'm on so much medication perhaps we should consider trying to complete 4 or 5   5-K's instead of 3 half marathons.  Ms. Earle does not think the committee will agree to that and she but she has forwarded them the emails from Rick.  We wanted to find out for sure whether I would be at serious health risk if I begin my  running training again.  We explained to the doctor that this was a senior project and we really needed to train but of course did not want to put me as risk health wise.  He said I should be fine as long as  I felt okay.  The steroids shouldn't harm me as an athlete, they will and have increased my appetite a lot. ( As a matter of fact, I weighted 237lbs today).  This added weight over the last 2 months has made me a little more sluggish and less limber. It makes me hold water weight as well.  The doctor recommended trying to eat less even though my appetite is greater.  I have been trying to eat healthier like Rick has recommended in his book too.  So, I guess that means I've been given the doctors clearance to go ahead and train, I just need to talk to Rick again to see if he thinks I can safely train and run three half marathons by the end of March.  I doubt the committee will allow me to change the project now.  We'll see.

In the meantime while we work out the details of what I'm actually going to be training for, I started working out again today. I did not want to kill myself by over doing it, so I simply walked at a brisk pace 1.25 miles. It felt good to do a little more cardio.