Tag Archives: allergies

Family matters

Interview with an allergist

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My appointment with the allergy specialist was today. They poked me in the back with 73 tiny needles and then in the arm with 23 small needles. The 23 needles were worse than the 73. They were both less painful than, say, stubbing your toe or stepping barefooted on a Lego, though, so it wasn’t so bad.

The places where they stuck me would, the nurse said, become itchy if there was an allergy to whatever allergen she’d stuck in that spot. I had to wait 15 minutes, and during that 15 minutes there was one little spot on my left side that got really itchy and a large patch in the middle of my back that oh gracious what I wouldn’t have done for a corn cob back scratcher.

The nurse came back and basically said, “Holy guacamole! You’re more allergic to dust mites than anyone else in the entire world. Oh, and hickory trees, too! You’re off the charts!” Which is nice, I guess, unless the charts are the Allergy Charts, in which case: Not so much.

So, yeah. I’m allergic to dust mites and hickory trees. And, to a lesser extent, grass and red maples. While they didn’t suggest that bubble helmet, they did say the next step would be to get a series of allergy shots lasting roughly forever.*

I know forever is a rather long while, but if it makes it so I can breathe? Worth it.

*Also: Change the bedsheets and vacuum more often. And get a special mite-proof cover for the mattress and pillows.

Family matters

“Breathing is the greatest pleasure in life”

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We had a really lovely weekend; I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow. Yesterday evening, though, Spring’s first allergy attack hit me hard. I know today is Monday, which means I should be sharing a menu plan with you. But for now, I’m concentrating more on breathing. It’s hard to think about what you’ll be eating for the week when you can’t taste anything.

I’ve always had bad seasonal allergies. I’ve never been to an allergy specialist before, but a GP once told me I had the worst nasal inflammation he’d ever seen. So, yay for me? He prescribed Zyrtec and Flonase, which worked really well until the Flonase started making me crazy dizzy. Turns out, other medications also make me dizzy, and you know what I don’t need? More dizziness.* I can’t remember whether the Zyrtec had bad mojo or not, but I’ve been taking Claritin for the last several years.

And every Spring, I’ve thought, “I should go to an allergy specialist.” And then I don’t, because procrastination! It’s what I do best.

But! This morning, I called an allergy specialist and croaked out, “I’d like to make an appointment.” On Thursday, I’ll go to their office and get poked with needles. (Or something. I don’t know.) And guess what? I can take exactly zero antihistamines between now and then!

I’m guessing they’ll say something like, “You’re allergic to trees and grass and dust and dust mites and pollen and everything else in the whole wide world. We suggest you take three allergy shots a day. And wear this bubble on your head.” And you know what? I might sign on for that.

*I get really dizzy for two or three days roughly every month and a half. If you clicked on that link and are wondering, the CrazyFeelings are mostly gone. But now there’s the dizziness. Why haven’t I gotten the darn thing removed already? I don’t know. Laziness, I guess.

Also: “Breathing in the greatest pleasure in life.” Giovanni Papini said that, and right now I certainly can see what he meant.