Sorry it has been so long, and a Q+A

It has been a really long time, and I am sorry it took so long.  I was kinda busy with school, I was sick a few times, time got away from me, and I kept putting off posting. 

Over the winter I have had a few colds, 2 turned into sinus infections, and one was a sinus infection, strep throat, and pneumonia.  That then got my asthma a bit bothersome for a while.  I'm all recovered now though.

The weather has been fluctuating a lot between cold and warm and I bet that has something to do with it.  My allergies have also been more bothersome than usual for winters.  Someone said the temp fluctuations might be making mold more of an issue.  It hasn't been severe, but just more allergic than usual.

I have a number of questions, so I will get right to them:

Q: When you are talking to someone and you have to start sneezing, do you say anything to them? Like, "I have to sneeze.." or do you just start sneezing without saying anything? And do you just walk to the bathroom or do you tell them you are leaving? 
A:  I don't say anything when I am going to sneeze.  I'll often just walk off, especially if its people I know.  Otherwise I'll say something like "I'll be back in a bit"  or "I have to go to the bathroom"

Q: Do you have time to get out a tissue or do you just sneeze into your elbow and get a tissue later?
A:  Luckily I usually have time to get out tissues before I start sneezing.  Its not much time, but I have practice getting tissues quickly.  If its bad enough that I don't have time, I am often staying at home/away from people anyway.  My sneezes can be pretty snotty, so I put a lot of effort into making sure no one sees that.  Its very embarrassing the few times I am not able to get a tissue out in time.

Q:  You've mentioned doctor's visits before- do you still go regularly to an allergist? What kind of things specifically do they do to examine you, and you've mentioned they use you as a patients for students to learn from- can you give more detail?
A:  Yes I still do.  Now its mainly just checking in, seeing how things are going, trying out different meds, etc.  I am a pretty unique case I guess, so they sometimes bring in students or other docs to look at me, ask questions, do exams, etc.  Its kind of boring and embarrassing at the same time.  Its the same questions and the same stuff over and over again - they talk about my case, they ask me a lot of questions, and they observe and examine me.  Its embarrassing because I have all these people interested in my allergies and watching them in me, and I can't run off and hide.  Exam-wise, its a lot of looking up my nose (which gets problematic) and in my ear and in my throat, etc. 

Q:  Have you ever spoken to family or friends about how they feel about your allergies and how it affects them? How do they feel? 
A:  Not really.  I don't like talking about my allergies in real life.  I'm not really sure how they feel.  I guess kind of concerned, but it seems they are used to how I am.

Q:  What's your worst nightmare relating to your allergies?
A:  Two I guess - that they will keep getting worse and worse and I won't be able to do anything ever.  And having really long allergy attacks that won't ever stop in public and be unable to talk/tell people what is going on or get away from lots of people staring at me while it happens. 

Q:  Is there anything you're concerned or worried about relating to them in the future?
A: Mainly them getting worse, and just more of what is already been happening - being embarrassed by them, them interfering in things, making me miss stuff, etc. 

Q:  Have you ever tried that herbal, powdery stuff called Chhinkni to help clear your stuffy nose? It's supposed to help clear your sinuses but usually makes you sneeze a little first. Supposed to smell like eucalyptus or Vicks. 
A:  I have heard of he stuff, but I have no interest.  It apparently makes you sneeze a lot, and I already sneeze a lot.  Sneezing doesn't help clear my nose.  My nose isn't all stuffed up from snot, although I do get very snotty, its stuffed up because the nasal passages are smaller than they should be, and they get swollen shut easily.

Q:  Have you ever spoken to family or friends about how they feel about your allergies? Like have you talked to them about whether it bothers them, for example?
A:  Oh, this is a repeat of one above, just check out that answer :)  I will add that my family and my good friends don't seem bothered by my allergies.  Many people have been bothered by them, but not anyone who is a close friend.

Q:  Would love to chat when you're homebound and bored! You mentioned yahoo and fb chats- what are your names for each?
A:  Absolutely!  I always would like that.  On skype and yahoo I am sneezykate (in skype you might need to use sneezykate@hotmail.com).  I am not on FB too much though.


I am sorry if some answers are short.  I like to fully answer the questions, but sometimes I can't think of much to say.  Let me know if you have any follow-ups.

As usual, please keep the feedback and questions and ideas coming!  And as I mentioned in the last answer, feel free to contact me!

Ragweed sucks and Q+A

Sorry it has been so long since I posted, its just hard to get myself to write sometimes. 

Its ragweed season now and I am extremely allergic to it.  Most years I at least have some good days, but this year my allergies have been really bad constantly since ragweed started.  I haven't been able to do much at all, and I'll be a bit delayed in getting all my stuff done for school.  I haven't been out much but I tried to go to a BBQ yesterday, and again today for the holiday, but it ending up being a bad idea.  My allergies were just so intense, and I really embarrassed myself, and got a few mean comments.

Because my allergies have been so bad and I haven't been able to do much, I even more than usual would like to chat with anyone to break up the boredom.  Yahoo, Skype, or e-mail is best.  I am also trying to use FB chat a bit.

Here is some Q+A:

Q: Have you ever noticed if your allergies have led you to develop any habits or certain movements, actions that other people wouldn't do? Like in order to prevent embarrassment or to help yourself deal with allergies. 
A:  The big ones are carrying around lots of tissues, and running off to the bathroom often.  A few others:  sitting in the back of class/movie/etc, or near a door.  Sit often with a hand casually over my nose and mouth.  That's all I can think of right now.  There probably are others I just don't realize.

Q: You said that if necessary friends/family will explain to others about your allergies if you can't at the moment. What do they say, how do the people respond, and do you add anything on when you are later able?
A:  Usually just something like 'she has bad allergies'.  People usually don't say too much in response other than 'oh, ok'  sometimes someone might act concerned or feel sorry for me, or sometimes people will say 'are you sure she isn't sick?'.  I don't say anything.  I find it embarrassing to talk about my allergies at all face to face so I try not to do it at all.

Q: How did your allergies affect your job choice? If you didn't have them would have gone to a different job? How will they affect things after you get your phD?
A:  I really am not sure.  I never thought about it.  I always had an interest and skill in biology, so I probably would be doing something in the field no matter what.  Maybe without allergies I might have thought about being a vet or doing outdoor research.  I am not sure how it will affect things after I graduate, but it has been affecting things so far, so I bet it will keep affecting me.  I know I wont be able to do any thing directly with working with animals.  I hate when I have to wear a mask when my allergies are bothering me, but I'll just have to keep dealing with that.  Otherwise, I guess it will depend on the specific situation of any job offer/job I try to get.

Q: How often do you get an attack in front of people? What do people unfamiliar with you say about your symptoms?
A:  It happens often, much more than I'd like.  Most are kind of surprised, some show some concern, a few act grossed out and a few can be kinda rude.

Q: Have you ever sneezed on someone and what happened?
A:  Yes.  Luckily its only ever been someone I was dating, and maybe a really close friend a few times.  Not much happened.  Some have found it funny, or not a big deal.  One girl I dated was pretty mean about it, but that was a bad relationship in general.

Q: You've said that people (and roomates) have been either mean or uncaring/ not understanding in the past- can you go into more detail? What do people say usually when they see your allergies? And how do you respond when people are not helpful or are rude?
A: That first one is a long response because there have been a few of them and there is probably many details to talk about.  I'd be able to answer that better in a chat, as a back-and-forth chat helps me recall more details and to organize my thoughts better.  I'd be happy to have a chat with you about it.  The second question I kind of answered above in two other questions.  I usually don't respond at all, as it will just make me more embarrassed.  I'll just try to leave/end the situation as fast as I can.

As usual, I'd love feedback on my post/answers.  Thanks!

A New Year and a New Q+A

Hi everyone.  I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. 

As I mentioned in my quick note, I was planning on making a post, but I was sick with a bad cold all last week, so that really sucked.  This week I have been busy with the start of the semester.  Of course once I post that I probably won't have time to post, I find some time to post!

I did have a dream involving my allergies a few weeks ago, but I can't remember it now.  Something about my allergies being bad but people were all wanting to look closely at my nose.

I do have many questions now to answer.  Its only about 5 or 6 people, but one person had many questions.

Q: Have you ever considered moving to live somewhere where the winters are longer/the pollen season is shorter, or to somewhere with less allergenic plant life? Living by the sea is also supposed to be better for people with hayfever, I believe. I realize that moving isn't something that's easily done, but if it was a possibility for you, do you think it would be worth trying?
A:  I have thought about it and looked into it years ago, but it doesn't help.  It might help for a short time, but the allergies come back.  Also, moving from the northwest to the northeast didn't make any difference for me.

Q: How does your family do in terms of your allergies? Are they accommodating or do they inadvertently do things that set them off sometimes?
A:  They are good about it.  back when I first got allergies, they were better about it than I was.  Back then I never avoided anything because I hoped I would get over them or fight through them.  They are also pretty good now at ignoring my sneezing fits and other allergy stuff, which is good.

Q: At this time are you still seeing an allergist? If so how are they trying to treat or help you and is it working?
A: Yes.  Been seeing allergists since I got allergies.  They are always amazed at how bad my allergies are.  I am on a number of different things, but they don't help much.  We occasionally switch things to see if something will help more.

Q: So, how many sneezing fits did you have on the plane?
A:  I didn't keep count, but certainly more than one.  They are very annoying on the plane too.   All the pressure in my sinuses and ears makes the sneezes a bit painful at times.  It also makes it feel like I can't sneeze but will sneeze at the same time.

Q: You mentioned in some earlier posts that you can't blow your nose, and it got me to thinking (and this is merely a suggestion): I work at a preschool, and since babies/toddlers often can't blow their nose, we use a bulb syringe or some other suction device to literally suck the snot out. I was wondering, would suction work for you? 
A: There are versions of those thing adults can use and I have tried them.  I find them a bit of a hassle to use, and they don't seem to work that well.  I am not sure if its just me, or them in general.   

Q: You said that generally you cannot blow your nose because it's so congested. When there are days on which you can blow your nose, how often do you blow it? And are you sniffling then?
A: Days when I can blow my nose are pretty rare, but the days I can, my allergies aren't bad enough for me to need to blow constantly.  Maybe a few times a day, as I do find it kind of annoying to my nose even then.  If it didn't annoy my nose, I'd probably do it a lot more often.  I do try to sniffle a lot on those days, but I'd need to sniffle really hard to have much of an effect, and I don't want to be that loud so I will sniffle softly for a while, it won't do much, so I'll give up.

Q: When your allergies are bad, how much tissues do you spend a day for wiping your nose? You wrote that sometimes you carry a whole box with you, how many tissues are contained in such a box?
A:  I never kept track, but I can easily go through a big box on those days.  A bit over 200 in the big boxes that I get.

Q: You wrote that you sang in a choir before your allergies got worse. Do or did you play a musical instrument? Is it / would it be possible for you to play a musical instrument in a useful way concerning all your allergy hassles, especially the constant szeening and nose wiping?
A: I never had much of an interest in musical instruments.  I haven't tried any other.  If I did try, I'd think something that I didn't have to blow into would be easier for me to play.

Q: You wrote that sometimes you don't drive because of your allergies. What about riding a bicycle? Are there days on which biking is impossible for you too?
A:  Its the same kind of thing, although in some ways biking is better cause its easier to start and stop and its at much lower speeds.  It can be worse though in that I am more directly exposed to pollen and stuff on a bike.

Q: Do you do some sports, i.e. jogging or running? If yes, how easy or difficult is this concerning your allergies?
A: The ones I like the best are soccer, volleyball, and swimming.  I had to give up competing in them because my allergies got too bad, especially with soccer.  I still play volleyball for fun when I can, and I swim a bit, but at pools the chlorine bothers me, and when I am underwater I feel the pressure in my head.

Sorry if the answers are kinda short.  I guess with so many I might have made my answers quick.  Let me know if you want expansion or clarification on anything.
I do have a request: If you make replies to my blog posts, can you log-in (if you have an account)?  Almost everything is from 'anonymous', so I have no idea how many people are communicating.

As usual, please make comments and feel free to contact me and say hi.  I always need ideas!

End of April Q+A

This spring has really been miserable for me so far.  My allergies have been getting really bad.  Tried a new med, but its not making anything better.  I have 2 questions to answer.


Q: How do you deal with nose irritation from all the moisture of a runny nose? I imagine after a while your nose must become very raw and painful. Do you use things like Vaseline or those fancy aloe tissues?
A: My nose gets really red, like right now.  There isn't too much I can do about it, so it does get pretty irritated.  I have tried creams and such but it all gets wiped off too quickly to do anything.  I can only use plain tissues.  I have found I am allergic to something in the lotion tissues and extra-soft tissues.

 

Q: You've said before that on a bad allergy day you can easily use an entire box of tissues. What do you do when you're out? Do you carry multiple pocket packs in your purse? Keep a spare box in the car?
A: I try to never run out.  I keep tissues everywhere, like in different rooms, in my pockets and bag, and car, etc.  For the times I do run out, I have used napkins, paper towels, etc. and if I get really desperate I have used paper, a towel, a shirt.  My nose can get snotty really easily and I hate for anyone to see my nose so snotty.

I am really totally out of ideas on what to write about, so please keep questions coming.  Feel free to talk to me directly too if you want.  yahoo messenger or e-mailing my hotmail is best.

Quick Q+A again

I am happy I keep getting questions because I want to keep making posts, but its hard for me to think of what to write!

Q: Do you have a favorite product or trick that gives you any relief?
A: I can't really think of anything that helps like that.  If anyone has any ideas, please let me know, I'd love to find something!  The product I use a ton of is the basic Kleenex tissues.  Benadryl works for me, but I don't use it much because it knocks me out so bad, I am all groggy the next day, and I am afraid of my body getting used to it so I only use it when my allergies have been keeping me from being able to sleep for a while.

Q: Do you have a guilty pleasure that causes you allergies but you still indulge in once and a while and just deal with the consequences? (i.e. I know someone who has a not terribly but still real allergy to chocolate who will have a small piece every so often even though she'll end up itchy and uncomfortable for while after). 
A: Yes, that would be playing with cats.  I have always loved cats, and I miss being able to have any.  Every once in a while I'll go to my friend's house and play with her cat for a short time. Yea, I really suffer for it afterwards!

Please keep asking questions and giving me feedback. :)

Seeing snot

Since I don't have any questions to answer, and I have been kinda busy lately, I am just going to post something quickly.

I can get pretty paranoid about people seeing my nose being snotty.  I make a large effort effort when I am around others, or if others can possibly see me, in hiding any snottiness.  When I am alone, its not much of a big deal to me, but I hate for anyone else to see it.  I am usually not able to blow my nose so my sneezes can get pretty snotty and sometimes my nose can run really badly.

I always use tissues when I sneeze because of that and I often wipe my nose and I often check in a mirror to make sure nothing can be seen.  I have been told that using a hankie would be better, but i don't see how it would be.  I use a tissue and when its used, I can grab others.  With a hankie, I think I'd snot it up kinda quickly, then it wouldn't be of any more help.

Trees have started pollinating and I'm certainly feeling it.  Allergies have been starting to get bad.

Give me some stuff to answer or at least make some comments please!


PS.  Nothing to do with allergies, but its something I just thought about recently.  In cartoons, many female superheroes or with powers that can fly tend to wear skirts.  That makes no sense to me.  Its a pretty silly idea to wear a skirt when you can fly!