OMG the last few weeks have been the worst ever! Ragweed just seemed to explode here! I was already doing pretty badly and with my nose having become all over-sensitive to everything, its making it the worst its ever been.
I have been useless for even doing the most basic stuff and I have been having to call in sick so many days and I can barely get any work done from home. I haven't been able to do anything enjoyable, and I am not sleeping well at all. I am a total mess
Allison isn't doing that great either with ragweed.
Ugh, it took me forever just to write this up. Sorry the post is so short. As always, ask me anything you want and I'll try to reply in a new post. I'd be happy for chat company too, if I am able to reply.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
I can do it! (kinda)
I have never really been able to hold back my sneezes before. Yesterday I figured out how to! I can only do it for about 10 secs though, but it might be enough to help me get away from certain situations.
Its not totally unnoticeable however. I discovered that if I start to hitch before starting to sneeze if I close my mouth it stops for a sec, then the hitching starts again. I can do it again a few times before the sneeze overwhelms it. I can usually do it for 3 times, and I was able to do it 4 times once.
Its not totally unnoticeable however. I discovered that if I start to hitch before starting to sneeze if I close my mouth it stops for a sec, then the hitching starts again. I can do it again a few times before the sneeze overwhelms it. I can usually do it for 3 times, and I was able to do it 4 times once.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Feeling miserable today
My allergies are bothering me alot today and I'm feeling kinda down. Its annoying how my allergies make so many things more difficult, even just things like eating and drinking and sleeping. Making things I need to do take longer is really annoying too.
I was also lamenting today that I don't really have anyone to chat with/commiserate with who also has bad allergies. Not to say I don't love that people read and comment and stuff, but having someone to commiserate with would be nice sometimes.
I was also lamenting today that I don't really have anyone to chat with/commiserate with who also has bad allergies. Not to say I don't love that people read and comment and stuff, but having someone to commiserate with would be nice sometimes.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
long awaited update for June
Sorry its been so long. I just haven't been in the posting mood. I wanted to update 2 things.
I tried the nasal filters and they were much less impressive than I had hoped. They don't stay in the right place, I can feel them in there and they get gunked up with snot pretty quickly. They only helped mildly anyway. I used them for about 5 days then I gave up on them.
I have been in the drug trial and will be for at least a few more weeks. It is somewhat helpful. Its not totally getting rid of my symptoms but its helping in some areas. I am getting some side effects. Nothing horrible but they can be annoying.
I also had a wacky dream a few days ago. It only slightly had to do with my allergies though. I visited a friend I hadn't seen since I was a kid. When I got there I needed to change, and when I had all my clothes off except my panties for some reason I walked with my friend though the house having a conversation. I then realized I was mostly naked but every time I meant to go back to get clothes on, I would run into someone and start having a conversation and then partway through realize I was naked and then try to go get clothes, but then run into someone else: her family, her parents, other friends, random people, etc. I would talk to the person, then after a bit I would get a strange look from then and then I would realize I was mostly naked. At one point I was told I had to hold some flowers, and they started me sneezing and my nose running and I didn't have a sleeve so I kept switching between looking for tissues and getting my clothes but never doing either. For some reason I wasn't able to put the flowers down. After a bit of that, the dream ended.
Any ideas on what the dream might mean? Any more questions for me so I can do a new Q+A?
I tried the nasal filters and they were much less impressive than I had hoped. They don't stay in the right place, I can feel them in there and they get gunked up with snot pretty quickly. They only helped mildly anyway. I used them for about 5 days then I gave up on them.
I have been in the drug trial and will be for at least a few more weeks. It is somewhat helpful. Its not totally getting rid of my symptoms but its helping in some areas. I am getting some side effects. Nothing horrible but they can be annoying.
I also had a wacky dream a few days ago. It only slightly had to do with my allergies though. I visited a friend I hadn't seen since I was a kid. When I got there I needed to change, and when I had all my clothes off except my panties for some reason I walked with my friend though the house having a conversation. I then realized I was mostly naked but every time I meant to go back to get clothes on, I would run into someone and start having a conversation and then partway through realize I was naked and then try to go get clothes, but then run into someone else: her family, her parents, other friends, random people, etc. I would talk to the person, then after a bit I would get a strange look from then and then I would realize I was mostly naked. At one point I was told I had to hold some flowers, and they started me sneezing and my nose running and I didn't have a sleeve so I kept switching between looking for tissues and getting my clothes but never doing either. For some reason I wasn't able to put the flowers down. After a bit of that, the dream ended.
Any ideas on what the dream might mean? Any more questions for me so I can do a new Q+A?
Monday, May 7, 2012
Dream and nasal filters
Two posts in two days! Crazy huh? Anyway I had a dream last night and it got me looking for stuff online today and I wanted to see if anyone had any opinions on this too.
Last night I dreamed I was part of a superhero team. I had to wear a face mask when we went to do superhero stuff so allergens couldn't bother my nose and interfere with out missions. The cover story was that I was an alien and I exhale a toxin so the mask was to protect others. This way villains wouldn't try to take it off me. I could only ever have the mask off in one part of our base that had an airlock and was designed to be allergen-free.
The dream got me thinking about face masks. The problem is that unless I wear one 24/7 (like I guess I did in the dream) its not going to keep my allergies away and putting a mask over an already allergic nose is not helpful and is actually annoying. The only time I really ever use a mask is when I am doing the research assistant stuff so that I don't get anything on the experiments since I need both my hands for my work. I have to keep going off and clean out the mask or replace it if I can't clean it out anymore.
I decided to look over allergy masks again and I found this thing called a nasal filter. They seem really interesting but I don't know if they would work for me. There seems to be 2 major types:
http://www.breathecleanerair.org/
and
http://www.supermasknasalfilters.com/
I would think the first type would work better, but on the 2nd type they talk about how the first type inserts fall out often, how they are more irritating, and easier to see. I think the irritation part could be a real hassle for me and I like that the 2nd type is harder to see.
Does anyone have any experience with any kind of nasal filter or know enough about them to answer some questions that I have about them?
Last night I dreamed I was part of a superhero team. I had to wear a face mask when we went to do superhero stuff so allergens couldn't bother my nose and interfere with out missions. The cover story was that I was an alien and I exhale a toxin so the mask was to protect others. This way villains wouldn't try to take it off me. I could only ever have the mask off in one part of our base that had an airlock and was designed to be allergen-free.
The dream got me thinking about face masks. The problem is that unless I wear one 24/7 (like I guess I did in the dream) its not going to keep my allergies away and putting a mask over an already allergic nose is not helpful and is actually annoying. The only time I really ever use a mask is when I am doing the research assistant stuff so that I don't get anything on the experiments since I need both my hands for my work. I have to keep going off and clean out the mask or replace it if I can't clean it out anymore.
I decided to look over allergy masks again and I found this thing called a nasal filter. They seem really interesting but I don't know if they would work for me. There seems to be 2 major types:
http://www.breathecleanerair.org/
and
http://www.supermasknasalfilters.com/
I would think the first type would work better, but on the 2nd type they talk about how the first type inserts fall out often, how they are more irritating, and easier to see. I think the irritation part could be a real hassle for me and I like that the 2nd type is harder to see.
Does anyone have any experience with any kind of nasal filter or know enough about them to answer some questions that I have about them?
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Maybe a new drug, and one Q+A
My allergist recently told be about a study starting soon on a new allergy drug. He thought that I might be a good choice for it. I looked into it and it seems interesting but I am not sure if I should do it or not.
It supposedly might be extremely helpful to people who don't have good effects from most other allergy drugs (like myself). I would have to go in weekly for monitoring, but that's not too much of a hassle. The big thing I am worried about is that I might have to stop taking most of my allergy meds while I am in this study. They don't help too much, but it still makes a difference. Maybe I can just start and then drop if I have to, but I'd hate to do that.
Anyone have any opinions on if I should do it or not?
I also got one question I will answer:
Q:There's a theory (some scientific evidence, but not conclusive) that being infected with intestinal parasites can prevent allergies from developing, and perhaps cure them as well. Have you ever heard of this? Ever considered trying it?
A: I had heard something like that but I have no idea about any of the details. I don't think it would something I want to do...having a parasite infection would freak me out!
Be sure to ask more questions!
It supposedly might be extremely helpful to people who don't have good effects from most other allergy drugs (like myself). I would have to go in weekly for monitoring, but that's not too much of a hassle. The big thing I am worried about is that I might have to stop taking most of my allergy meds while I am in this study. They don't help too much, but it still makes a difference. Maybe I can just start and then drop if I have to, but I'd hate to do that.
Anyone have any opinions on if I should do it or not?
I also got one question I will answer:
Q:There's a theory (some scientific evidence, but not conclusive) that being infected with intestinal parasites can prevent allergies from developing, and perhaps cure them as well. Have you ever heard of this? Ever considered trying it?
A: I had heard something like that but I have no idea about any of the details. I don't think it would something I want to do...having a parasite infection would freak me out!
Be sure to ask more questions!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Short allergy update and Q+A 4
This spring continues to be really horrible for my allergies. Its not letting up at all! They have really been messing with my sleep and my ability to get things done. I did want to make a quick update here and make a quick new Q+A:
Q: Have you had any positive experiences because of your allergies? People you've met or bad situations that were made better maybe? (I always try to look for the good in bad!)
A: The one big good thing thing that is that because of my allergies is getting to meet my best friend Jessie. I gave the story of how I met her in one of my early posts. Becoming friends with her is the one best thing that came from me having allergies. I can't think of any bad situatiosn that having allergies would help though. Do you have any examples? In jr HS and HS I did sometimes use my allergies to get out of going to school. When I woke up I would deliberatly expose myself to something I was alleric to without my parents knowing and then they saw my allergies being really bad and would let me stay home. I only did that a few times though.
Q: I know in the anatomy class I took, there was a long-term lab where we dissected cats (humanely acquired, obviously). Have you ever had to deal with a lab when you're working on a subject that you are allergic to?
A: The worst was a botany class with lab in undergrad that I had to take one semester. I tried to avoid it but it was the only class avaibale for a catagory I needed for my program. The prof. was very understanding and would let me leave when I needed to and let me do the lab practicals at a different time from the rest of the class (I think not just for me but to not disrupt the rest of the class when they tested too) and he did give me extra time for the practicals. I did have to make up any lab time I missed though. I tried using a mask but putting on a mask when already dealing with allergies isn't that helpful. Having a very runny nose and sneezing fits inside a mask is not good, believe me! Other than that, I don't think there were too many labs I had major issues with. Animal dissections in labs already had the skin removed so I guess that was't a problem. One good thing is that apparently animal dissection labs smell pretty bad and I couldn't smell anything. I think maybe in general bio we did a flower dissection and dealt with plants a few times but thats about it.
Please keep the questions (and other feedback) coming in the comments, I like doing this. The more people who ask stuff the more often I can post.
Q: Have you had any positive experiences because of your allergies? People you've met or bad situations that were made better maybe? (I always try to look for the good in bad!)
A: The one big good thing thing that is that because of my allergies is getting to meet my best friend Jessie. I gave the story of how I met her in one of my early posts. Becoming friends with her is the one best thing that came from me having allergies. I can't think of any bad situatiosn that having allergies would help though. Do you have any examples? In jr HS and HS I did sometimes use my allergies to get out of going to school. When I woke up I would deliberatly expose myself to something I was alleric to without my parents knowing and then they saw my allergies being really bad and would let me stay home. I only did that a few times though.
Q: I know in the anatomy class I took, there was a long-term lab where we dissected cats (humanely acquired, obviously). Have you ever had to deal with a lab when you're working on a subject that you are allergic to?
A: The worst was a botany class with lab in undergrad that I had to take one semester. I tried to avoid it but it was the only class avaibale for a catagory I needed for my program. The prof. was very understanding and would let me leave when I needed to and let me do the lab practicals at a different time from the rest of the class (I think not just for me but to not disrupt the rest of the class when they tested too) and he did give me extra time for the practicals. I did have to make up any lab time I missed though. I tried using a mask but putting on a mask when already dealing with allergies isn't that helpful. Having a very runny nose and sneezing fits inside a mask is not good, believe me! Other than that, I don't think there were too many labs I had major issues with. Animal dissections in labs already had the skin removed so I guess that was't a problem. One good thing is that apparently animal dissection labs smell pretty bad and I couldn't smell anything. I think maybe in general bio we did a flower dissection and dealt with plants a few times but thats about it.
Please keep the questions (and other feedback) coming in the comments, I like doing this. The more people who ask stuff the more often I can post.
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