Allergies

Anyone that has known me for any length of time knows that I have allergies and that they're pretty bad. Since having Michael, they seem to be worse than they've ever been. I'd been thinking for awhile that I would get tested again, but the thought of getting stuck weekly with shots and the whole testing process kept me from doing it...until now.

Yesterday I went to see an allergist here that came highly recommended. I could understand why after my visit. He came in to visit with me and gave me a good looking over. He asked how many sinus infections I thought I'd had over the last two years. I couldn't remember over the last two years but have had two since Christmas. He looked astonished. He said that was way too many for someone living in a non-smoking home. He also said that the way I exhaled is indicative of someone with asthma and ordered extra tests to check that. That test came back showing that my lower lungs work at 100% and my upper lungs are at 97%. So no asthma.

Then the allergy testing began. To this day, I can remember how bad the testing was when I was a kid. All the sticks and the waiting...it was horrible. If they had tested me years ago like they did yesterday, I would've done the testing over years ago. They rolled these plastic things over my back. Almost instantly I started having a reaction. I don't remember my back ever itching so badly and not being able to scratch it. It took every bit of self-control that I have to keep from it. The worst part was that I had to lay there for 15 minutes while the reaction could get to its best/worst. The nurse asked me through the curtain about half-way through how I was feeling. When I told her I was ready to claw the skin off my back, she came in and said "Whoa." She fanned my back and did what she could to make me comfortable. Finally my time was up and the doctor came in to check my back. His exact words "WOW!" I had reacted to everything they tested me for and not just a little. They use a scale of 1-4. Most of mine were 4's with a few 3's thrown in too. I even had a few fours with pluses out beside them.

I found out that my allergies are about as bad as they come. I knew they were bad but not this bad. I am to take a Singulair in the morning, a Zyrtec at night, Benadryl if I feel that I am really bad, a nose spray twice a day, AND go in for allergy shots twice a week. My allergies are also so bad that he told me that I am anaphylaxis waiting to happen. So now I get to carry an epi pen around with me at all times in case I have a severe reaction to anything. They also wouldn't let me leave the office yesterday without getting a steroid shot to help with the reaction I was having.

Hopefully all this will have me feeling good as new. I really haven't felt good in a long time and I really believe that a lot of it goes back to my allergies and sinuses. Here's hoping!!