Diagnosed With Chronic Hives…Now What?

I can remember the uncertainty I felt when I finally got my chronic hives diagnosis. Part of me felt relieved that there was a name for what I was dealing with. The other part of me went on a free fall of research looking for a ‘cause’ for chronic hives. This included hours of googling, reading up on medical blogs, and honestly looking up side effects of medications, some that I had been taking for more than ten years. The honest fact of the matter was that I felt I needed a cause to explain what chronic hives really were to my family and friends.

Explaining chronic hives to others

The explanation of chronic hives to others that don’t suffer from them is really a hard concept for most. You see, most chronic diseases come from a starting point. Whether it be something you were born with, poor diet, an illness, etc. But, with these hives there was no real cause. It was idiopathic.

So the normal questions at the dinner table were continuous and repetitive. “What is causing this?” “What do the doctors say?” “Should you get a second opinion?” …the list could go on.

Avoiding comparison

The fact of the matter is that your journey with chronic hives is your journey. If you trust your doctors and the treatment plan you have been put on then it isn’t for others to discuss. Also, having a chronic disease doesn’t give anyone the right to know more than you about your body. Get comfortable with being okay with feeling not okay. You don’t have to explain your diagnosis or compare one chronic immune disease to another.

I found myself early on in this journey comparing myself to others that had autoimmune disorders like my Hashimotos. But, everyone is different. And it took me a long time to accept that idea.

Hives don't define me

I come from a family with multiple health disorders. So it is natural to them to want to ‘solve’ the problem before it gets worse. But the reality of chronic hives is that even with biologics and treatment plans, you may always have lingering questions. Because idiopathics doesn’t give much reasoning to the big “Why?” you have lingering in your mind.

I’ve been to multiple health hospitals and doctors and done my research. All the answers come back the same. That’s why this community of health bloggers and fellow hive-ers is so important. Finding that support when you are suffering from something others can’t understand is essential to your mental health as well. It gives you a platform to share your feelings and symptoms without the guilt or feeling like chronic hives has consumed who you are as a person.

Hives are not my personality. Having hives doesn’t define me. But, it can sure feel that way sometimes. I encourage anyone reading this to take the time to really get to know others on this platform who have been dealing with this autoimmune disorder for a long time. As I come up on my two year anniversary, I can say that it really makes a difference.