Chronic Hives and Motherhood

Have you ever considered the impact the side effects of medication can have on your parenting?

My little princess and I came from the supermarket, and I had to get my medicine. We were chatting when we finally got to the pharmacy, and she was very eager to settle my meds for me. Concerned, she came to me and said, “Mama! You should not drive if you drink these drugs, otherwise, you will fall asleep at the wheel!”

I explained to her that the drugs do indeed make you sleepy and that I only drink them when I go to sleep. One thing led to another, and she wanted to know why these drugs make me tired.

When I finished explaining she looked at me and said "Ohhhh so you're not lazy mama!!!!" I didn't understand her and asked "Lazy??". To which she reacted a bit shy and said, "Mommy I thought you were always tired because you are lazy, but now I understand that those medicines make you tired."

That was a big relief for a 10-year-old girl! All those months she thought she had a lazy mother! I walked around with it for a few days because I realized that my little innocent girl wondered why her mother is always tired, sometimes even grumpy, and has trouble getting up in the morning.

Uncomfortable side effects

That is the hardest part of the drugs: the side effects. One of the worst side effects for me is drowsiness. I really have trouble staying awake during the day, and if I must get up in the morning, it's an enormous agony. It feels 24/7 like I haven't slept. And then it has an impact on my mood during the day because I'm tired, don't feel like doing anything, feel irritated easily, and prefer to go to bed so I can sleep.

It has happened before that my daughter wanted to do something fun and I told her "Mommy is so tired!", "Give me 5 minutes to wake up."

Unfortunately, these 5 minutes became hours later (and sometimes never). The quality of life can go down just because you want to get rid of that nasty itching, burning sensation, and red eruptions.

Fortunately, after that one day, she understood that her mother was not lazy, and she could continue with her own activities. I must admit that this conversation had a big impact on me because I realized I had to do things differently. As a parent, you must find a way to find a healthy balance between your own health situation and taking care of your children in a healthy way.

We need to make it work

I haven't been able to completely solve the problem, but I have been able to make it livable. I stopped taking the meds that threw me off balance. No more drugs that make me sleep! Because I don't want to be a "lazy" mother.

When my child looks back on her childhood, I want her to have beautiful and fun memories. I don't want her thinking about her mother who was always tired, sick, itchy, cranky! She must think back to the fun things she was able to do with her happy big mother!

And yes, we are doing well.