Friday, September 17, 2010
Today's notes, possibly TMI
My allergies and my PMS seem to make each other worse. I have to deal with PMS for about a week leading up to my period. Often my allergies seem worse during that time. Maybe I just notice more/it annoys me more though. I will spare you the details, but all my sneezing also makes things hurt more and be more ouchy. I hate it! :(
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Discovering my horse allergy
This happened when I was about 14. I didn't know yet I was allergic to horses. Maybe I was tested for it, but back then I was really in denial about my allergies so I didn't pay attention to alot of stuff.
Some friends wanted to go horseback riding, and I had never done it before so I thought it would be cool to try. Being spring, pollen was bothering me some, but I was just mainly sniffling and had some sneezing. I hated using tissues back then and I usually could just sniffle and be ok, so I just kept a few tissues in my pocket.
We got there and everything was ok for a while. A few minutes after we got on the horses, I noticed that my nose was getting very stuffy and it was tingling pretty badly. My nose started to run more and I was trying not to sneeze. Eventually I couldn't keep from sneezing because of this constant tingle all inside my nose. I kept having sneezing fits while we were going around on the trail. People kept asking me if I was ok, and I would just nod yes because I didn't want them to hear me sounding all stuffy. My nose was too runny and I went through the few tissues I had pretty quickly. I kept on wiping my nose on the inside of my shirt and I was trying really hard not to let anyone see my nose being snotty. My friends kept looking at me when I kept sneezing and I could tell that they felt kinda bad for me and I just felt more and more embarrassed because I couldn't go run off anywhere.
By the end of the trip I was feeling miserable and I probably looked it too. As soon as we got off the horses, I told my friends that I would be in the car. My nose and sinuses were all stuffed up and my eyes were all itchy and puffy and watery. I got in the car and I just kept sneezing and sneezing. I couldn't find any tissues so I kept sneezing inside my shirt and kept trying to wipe my nose as much as I could.
I was bad like that the whole trip home. My friends kept asking how I was and they were acting all concerned and I was really wishing I could be away from everyone. I wanted to die from embarrassment. They were going to hang out but I asked them to drop me off at home 1st. They did and I just went into my room and felt pretty miserable for the rest of the day.
Since then, I haven't ridden on a horse and I haven't been around any that much. Out of curiosity I have been around one for a bit every year or so just to see if I am still allergic (I do that with most things I am allergic to that I usually can avoid), and I am.
Some friends wanted to go horseback riding, and I had never done it before so I thought it would be cool to try. Being spring, pollen was bothering me some, but I was just mainly sniffling and had some sneezing. I hated using tissues back then and I usually could just sniffle and be ok, so I just kept a few tissues in my pocket.
We got there and everything was ok for a while. A few minutes after we got on the horses, I noticed that my nose was getting very stuffy and it was tingling pretty badly. My nose started to run more and I was trying not to sneeze. Eventually I couldn't keep from sneezing because of this constant tingle all inside my nose. I kept having sneezing fits while we were going around on the trail. People kept asking me if I was ok, and I would just nod yes because I didn't want them to hear me sounding all stuffy. My nose was too runny and I went through the few tissues I had pretty quickly. I kept on wiping my nose on the inside of my shirt and I was trying really hard not to let anyone see my nose being snotty. My friends kept looking at me when I kept sneezing and I could tell that they felt kinda bad for me and I just felt more and more embarrassed because I couldn't go run off anywhere.
By the end of the trip I was feeling miserable and I probably looked it too. As soon as we got off the horses, I told my friends that I would be in the car. My nose and sinuses were all stuffed up and my eyes were all itchy and puffy and watery. I got in the car and I just kept sneezing and sneezing. I couldn't find any tissues so I kept sneezing inside my shirt and kept trying to wipe my nose as much as I could.
I was bad like that the whole trip home. My friends kept asking how I was and they were acting all concerned and I was really wishing I could be away from everyone. I wanted to die from embarrassment. They were going to hang out but I asked them to drop me off at home 1st. They did and I just went into my room and felt pretty miserable for the rest of the day.
Since then, I haven't ridden on a horse and I haven't been around any that much. Out of curiosity I have been around one for a bit every year or so just to see if I am still allergic (I do that with most things I am allergic to that I usually can avoid), and I am.
Quick notes
To help me keep posting, I am starting to post quick notes about things that are allergy-related in some way.
Today I have 2 quick notes:
1. I have noticed over the last few months my nose either feels very warm or very cold much of the time. I have no idea why. It never happened before. Does anyone know why this might happen?
2. Trying to eat a meal when you keep having sneezing fits is very difficult to do!
I will make my next real blog post a bit later tonight. I think I worry over my posts sounding too stupid, being too long or too short, or getting too embarassing.
Today I have 2 quick notes:
1. I have noticed over the last few months my nose either feels very warm or very cold much of the time. I have no idea why. It never happened before. Does anyone know why this might happen?
2. Trying to eat a meal when you keep having sneezing fits is very difficult to do!
I will make my next real blog post a bit later tonight. I think I worry over my posts sounding too stupid, being too long or too short, or getting too embarassing.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
My Symptoms
Since I posted about what I am allergic to, I am also posting about what symptoms I get from my allergies.
I am a bit stuck with what to write next so this is a good tangent. Forgive me if it is a while before I post again, I just don't know why I am a bit stuck with what to write.
Major Symptoms. These are the main symptoms I have pretty much all the time, and they tend to be the ones that affect my life the most.
Sneezing: I sneeze LOTS. I have very long fits, and I have many fits all through the day. Sometimes it feels like I will never stop sneezing. My sneezes aren't overly loud, but because I sneeze so much, its easy for everyone to tell. This is one of the main parts of my allergies that makes me very embarrassed. I will try to run off or duck into a bathroom when I am having a sneezing fit because of the embarrassment I feel. I hate when my sneezing interrupts me trying to have a conversation or when I am trying to do things. Most of the time I feel the need to sneeze to at least some degree. It can either feel like a tickle, thousands of tiny needles, or a tingling. It can be mild or intense and I usually feel it back deep in my nose and sinuses. I know I am going to start sneezing when the feeling starts to spread. Sometimes it doesn't do that though and a fit can hit me by surprise. The one good thing about so much sneezing is that it helps keep my abs in good shape :)
Sinus Congestion: I always have sinus congestion. It can range from not too bad to lots of sinus pressure and pain. It can sometimes hurt to move my head too fast, and often I feel it when I bend forward. On occasion I wish I could drill a hole into my sinuses! Luckily I only get an actual sinus infection one or two times a year.
Nasal Congestion: I am always very congested through most of the year. I am so congested that I usually can't smell anything and I can't really blow my nose or sniffle. It can get extremely annoying. I sound very nasally and that embarrasses me too. Sometimes my noses feels throbby inside because of all the congestion.
Runny Nose: I don't understand how I can have such a runny nose when I am also so congested! Ugh! My nose runs alot. Not being able to sniffle or really blow my nose means I have to wipe my nose all day, sometimes almost constantly. I am REALLY embarrassed about anyone seeing my nose being snotty. Its hard to tell when my sneezing is going to be messy, so I always use tissues or something if there is any chance anyone will see me. I also am always wiping my nose just to make sure no one will be able to see anything being drippy. I just don't understand how my nose can make so much snot!
Other Symptoms. These can bother me to lesser or greater extents, but they tend not to be as big a deal unless my allergies are getting bad.
Itchy/Watery Eyes: When my allergies get bad my eyes can water so much that it looks like I am constantly crying. They also can get very itchy. Sometimes, if they are very watery, itchy and swollen, it makes it harder to see details well, like in reading. I try not to rub them because I know it can make them worse, but sometimes I just have to. I have to be careful when I do rub them because if something I am allergic to is on my hand, it can make my eyes really puff up and swell up and look very bad.
Itchy/Red Nose: I HATE when my nose is all red! Its another thing that embarrasses me a ton. My nose is red very often though, just from all the sneezing and wiping and everything else. Sometimes my nose gets very itchy but I usually am able to not rub it because rubbing my nose will be sure to throw me into a long sneezing fit. It can get very distracting though.
Clogged Ears: When my allergies get really bad, my ears will feel all clogged. Its like having cotton stuffed in my ears, and it makes things I hear sound like it too. I think its this (or maybe sinus congestion too) that sometimes makes me feel a bit dizzy when my allergies are bad.
Different symptoms
I don't think these are direct symptoms of my allergies, but they happen because of my allergies. I feel tired a good deal of the time, it interferes with my sleeping, and I do sometimes get sad or angry about my allergies. I know it affects my moods. Sometimes that can really suck. I think I get overly sensitive emotionally at times because of my allergies.
There are a few other random things, but I will bring them up in other posts if/when I remember them.
I am a bit stuck with what to write next so this is a good tangent. Forgive me if it is a while before I post again, I just don't know why I am a bit stuck with what to write.
Major Symptoms. These are the main symptoms I have pretty much all the time, and they tend to be the ones that affect my life the most.
Sneezing: I sneeze LOTS. I have very long fits, and I have many fits all through the day. Sometimes it feels like I will never stop sneezing. My sneezes aren't overly loud, but because I sneeze so much, its easy for everyone to tell. This is one of the main parts of my allergies that makes me very embarrassed. I will try to run off or duck into a bathroom when I am having a sneezing fit because of the embarrassment I feel. I hate when my sneezing interrupts me trying to have a conversation or when I am trying to do things. Most of the time I feel the need to sneeze to at least some degree. It can either feel like a tickle, thousands of tiny needles, or a tingling. It can be mild or intense and I usually feel it back deep in my nose and sinuses. I know I am going to start sneezing when the feeling starts to spread. Sometimes it doesn't do that though and a fit can hit me by surprise. The one good thing about so much sneezing is that it helps keep my abs in good shape :)
Sinus Congestion: I always have sinus congestion. It can range from not too bad to lots of sinus pressure and pain. It can sometimes hurt to move my head too fast, and often I feel it when I bend forward. On occasion I wish I could drill a hole into my sinuses! Luckily I only get an actual sinus infection one or two times a year.
Nasal Congestion: I am always very congested through most of the year. I am so congested that I usually can't smell anything and I can't really blow my nose or sniffle. It can get extremely annoying. I sound very nasally and that embarrasses me too. Sometimes my noses feels throbby inside because of all the congestion.
Runny Nose: I don't understand how I can have such a runny nose when I am also so congested! Ugh! My nose runs alot. Not being able to sniffle or really blow my nose means I have to wipe my nose all day, sometimes almost constantly. I am REALLY embarrassed about anyone seeing my nose being snotty. Its hard to tell when my sneezing is going to be messy, so I always use tissues or something if there is any chance anyone will see me. I also am always wiping my nose just to make sure no one will be able to see anything being drippy. I just don't understand how my nose can make so much snot!
Other Symptoms. These can bother me to lesser or greater extents, but they tend not to be as big a deal unless my allergies are getting bad.
Itchy/Watery Eyes: When my allergies get bad my eyes can water so much that it looks like I am constantly crying. They also can get very itchy. Sometimes, if they are very watery, itchy and swollen, it makes it harder to see details well, like in reading. I try not to rub them because I know it can make them worse, but sometimes I just have to. I have to be careful when I do rub them because if something I am allergic to is on my hand, it can make my eyes really puff up and swell up and look very bad.
Itchy/Red Nose: I HATE when my nose is all red! Its another thing that embarrasses me a ton. My nose is red very often though, just from all the sneezing and wiping and everything else. Sometimes my nose gets very itchy but I usually am able to not rub it because rubbing my nose will be sure to throw me into a long sneezing fit. It can get very distracting though.
Clogged Ears: When my allergies get really bad, my ears will feel all clogged. Its like having cotton stuffed in my ears, and it makes things I hear sound like it too. I think its this (or maybe sinus congestion too) that sometimes makes me feel a bit dizzy when my allergies are bad.
Different symptoms
I don't think these are direct symptoms of my allergies, but they happen because of my allergies. I feel tired a good deal of the time, it interferes with my sleeping, and I do sometimes get sad or angry about my allergies. I know it affects my moods. Sometimes that can really suck. I think I get overly sensitive emotionally at times because of my allergies.
There are a few other random things, but I will bring them up in other posts if/when I remember them.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
What I am Allergic To
I realized I never talked about all the things that I am allergic to. This is a list of what I am currently allergic to, with a few notes on each.
Pollens: This is a major one. Trees, grasses, weeds, flowers. I am very allergic to every pollen I have been tested for and every one I have run across in my life. Some of the worst ones are sage, ragweed, juniper, elm, birch, oak, lilacs, lilies, daises, timothy grass, and Kentucky grass. Pretty much any pollen is really bad for me though.
Animal Dander: This is another major one. Especially cats, dogs, horses, and ferrets. If I am anywhere near them or where they used to be, my allergies start getting worse. Other animals I can be around for at least a little bit before things act up too badly.
Dust: I am very allergic to dust. It makes cleaning my room take a very long time. I can usually tell when its dust that is bothering me because it starts by making my eyes all itchy and most other things I am allergic to do not start by affecting my eyes.
Molds: Anything musty, moldy, mildewy, etc. I find unlike pollen counts, mold counts are pretty useless in helping me figure out how bad of a day it might be.
Feathers: On or off a bird, they seem to bother me. Worst seems to be pillows and comforters filled with feathers.
Smoke: Most kinds of smoke irritate my nose and eyes. Mainly it makes my nose and eyes very very itchy and watery/runny. Makes me sneeze some too.
Perfumes and Scents: Not all do, but many do and its hard to keep track of what does and what doesn't. This makes it hard sometimes to be in the mall or in some stores. The main thing these do to me is make me sneeze alot and my nose to be stuffy yet runny. The worst part is, if I am all stuffed up, I can't tell if its a scent that is bothering me.
Detergents: Some laundry detergents, and all fabric softeners, bother my allergies. The biggest problem is that they give me an allergic rash that gets red and puffy and itchy. Some detergents do this to me all the time, and others I can use for a while until they start to bother me. What I do is cycle between a few detergents that take a few weeks to start to bother me.
Paper Products: Yea, this is a weird one. I bet its what gets added into them, or what is used to process them, that bothers me. I get get affected by older books, newspapers, and magazines. They mainly kick up my allergies a bit with sneezing, runny nose, etc. I also can't use any scented or lotion tissues. They can give me a rash on my nose and WOW that can be annoying!
Dairy: More than just a little bothers me. It ends up either making my stomach feel icky, or makes me very wheezy and short of breath.
I think these are all the things I am allergic to. I might have forgotten some, but they would be things I usually don't come across much.
Pollens: This is a major one. Trees, grasses, weeds, flowers. I am very allergic to every pollen I have been tested for and every one I have run across in my life. Some of the worst ones are sage, ragweed, juniper, elm, birch, oak, lilacs, lilies, daises, timothy grass, and Kentucky grass. Pretty much any pollen is really bad for me though.
Animal Dander: This is another major one. Especially cats, dogs, horses, and ferrets. If I am anywhere near them or where they used to be, my allergies start getting worse. Other animals I can be around for at least a little bit before things act up too badly.
Dust: I am very allergic to dust. It makes cleaning my room take a very long time. I can usually tell when its dust that is bothering me because it starts by making my eyes all itchy and most other things I am allergic to do not start by affecting my eyes.
Molds: Anything musty, moldy, mildewy, etc. I find unlike pollen counts, mold counts are pretty useless in helping me figure out how bad of a day it might be.
Feathers: On or off a bird, they seem to bother me. Worst seems to be pillows and comforters filled with feathers.
Smoke: Most kinds of smoke irritate my nose and eyes. Mainly it makes my nose and eyes very very itchy and watery/runny. Makes me sneeze some too.
Perfumes and Scents: Not all do, but many do and its hard to keep track of what does and what doesn't. This makes it hard sometimes to be in the mall or in some stores. The main thing these do to me is make me sneeze alot and my nose to be stuffy yet runny. The worst part is, if I am all stuffed up, I can't tell if its a scent that is bothering me.
Detergents: Some laundry detergents, and all fabric softeners, bother my allergies. The biggest problem is that they give me an allergic rash that gets red and puffy and itchy. Some detergents do this to me all the time, and others I can use for a while until they start to bother me. What I do is cycle between a few detergents that take a few weeks to start to bother me.
Paper Products: Yea, this is a weird one. I bet its what gets added into them, or what is used to process them, that bothers me. I get get affected by older books, newspapers, and magazines. They mainly kick up my allergies a bit with sneezing, runny nose, etc. I also can't use any scented or lotion tissues. They can give me a rash on my nose and WOW that can be annoying!
Dairy: More than just a little bothers me. It ends up either making my stomach feel icky, or makes me very wheezy and short of breath.
I think these are all the things I am allergic to. I might have forgotten some, but they would be things I usually don't come across much.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Making a New Friend
I spent the next couple of years feeling pretty sorry for myself. My allergies were making me miserable most of the time. I was on a bunch of different meds that didn't really seem to help too much. I felt isolated because there were many things I wanted to do but couldn't anymore, and because of that I wasn't spending as much time with friends and being social like I would have liked to. Like I mentioned before, people can really be mean and rude and non-understanding about allergies. Maybe I will make a post about all the crazy things people have said/done to me because of my allergies.
Anyway, I tried to have a good attitude, and often I did, but sometimes things would just really get to me and I didn't feel very close to anyone anymore. I was also just more and more embarrassed over time about my allergies. I hated people seeing me sneezing or seeing my face when I looked all allergic, and I didn't like people hearing my voice being all stuffy. I didn't even like going to see the doctors, especially the ENT because he did these treatments for my sinuses that I guess was helpful a bit but I would be really snotty in the process and I hated him (or anyone) seeing that. Looking back, I think a big problem I was having is that I didn't feel like I could confide in anyone about what I was feeling. Most people thought I was over-reacting, or that allergies just can't be that bad.
The one big good thing from having allergies is that I met my best friend Jessie because of them. During my junior year in high school, one day I was in the bathroom alone recovering from a really bad sneezing fit and she came in having a sneezing fit. We kind of looked at each other and we just started talking. We had never met before, and she was a year behind me in school. For me, it just felt like I could talk to her, even though I usually don't talk about my allergies to anyone.
She has what most people would think of as 'bad' allergies to a bunch of different pollens. We just seemed to click really well, and it turned out we had some similar experiences, and we like alot of the same stuff. She is the person I feel most comfortable with. She is also very kind. Once we became friends, we would hang out very often. She also knew that if her allergies were bad, mine must be even worse so she would sometimes come over to keep me company if she figured I was suffering pretty bad. We are still best friends to this day. She is the one person who has been a big help for me.
Anyway, I tried to have a good attitude, and often I did, but sometimes things would just really get to me and I didn't feel very close to anyone anymore. I was also just more and more embarrassed over time about my allergies. I hated people seeing me sneezing or seeing my face when I looked all allergic, and I didn't like people hearing my voice being all stuffy. I didn't even like going to see the doctors, especially the ENT because he did these treatments for my sinuses that I guess was helpful a bit but I would be really snotty in the process and I hated him (or anyone) seeing that. Looking back, I think a big problem I was having is that I didn't feel like I could confide in anyone about what I was feeling. Most people thought I was over-reacting, or that allergies just can't be that bad.
The one big good thing from having allergies is that I met my best friend Jessie because of them. During my junior year in high school, one day I was in the bathroom alone recovering from a really bad sneezing fit and she came in having a sneezing fit. We kind of looked at each other and we just started talking. We had never met before, and she was a year behind me in school. For me, it just felt like I could talk to her, even though I usually don't talk about my allergies to anyone.
She has what most people would think of as 'bad' allergies to a bunch of different pollens. We just seemed to click really well, and it turned out we had some similar experiences, and we like alot of the same stuff. She is the person I feel most comfortable with. She is also very kind. Once we became friends, we would hang out very often. She also knew that if her allergies were bad, mine must be even worse so she would sometimes come over to keep me company if she figured I was suffering pretty bad. We are still best friends to this day. She is the one person who has been a big help for me.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Getting Worse
By the end of the summer when I was 14, my allergies were getting really bad. I'd wake up sneezing many mornings, my eyes were itchy, and I'd need alot of tissues for my nose. There would be a few nights where I couldn't really sleep because my allergies would bother me so much. My allergist game me more meds, suggested I also use over-the-counter meds, and wanted to start me on allergy shots. Some days I would feel really worn out all day long and not having the energy to go out sometimes. I was starting to feel pretty down and I was discovering most of my friends really didn't care to come and visit me/hang out at my place instead of going to the mall or the lake or whatever. I was getting told that I was making a big deal out of nothing, and that it really couldn't be that bad.
In the fall, with school starting, I was very embarrassed for people to see me with red eyes and nose and sneezing so much. I stayed home on days I looked really bad. I kept trying to get away from people or run off to the bathroom when my fits of sneezing would start up. I also started having huge amounts of congestion almost all the time. My nose would be all stuffed up and I couldn't smell very well and I couldn't sniffle or blow my nose very well most of the time. I was feeling sinus pressure when I would bend over or move my head down. My allergist sent me to start seeing an ENT too. I ended up having to quit soccer because being out on the grass for so long was making my allergies too bad for me to play.
This kept up into the winter, which seemed to me to only be mildly better than the fall. In spring things got even worse. My allergist did allergy tests again and I was testing positive to almost everything! I was asking why it was getting worse since I was taking allergy shots and he told me they can take a while to start working so I stayed taking them. During this time, the ENT was really unsure why I kept getting worse so he did all kinds of tests and had the allergist do some too. The things they found were that my blood levels of certain things having to do with allergies were very high (eosinophils, basophils and IgE) but they didn't know why. Also, my ENT told me that my nasal and sinus passages are smaller than they should be, and also that my sneezes aren't very forceful. He said that maybe because of that, I was getting congested easily and once allergens get up there the congestion and the lack of force in my sneezes makes them stay up there longer, making my allergies worse. He said that was just a guess though.
Because I was very congested all the time, my singing voice just wasn't sounding good, so I quit singing. I also wasn't swimming as much because being under water was bothering my sinuses, and I think I was starting to react to chlorine. At the same time, my allergist was pestering me about my cats (my cat allergy was getting much worse by that time). Because I was giving up so much, I really didn't want to give up my cats too, so I told him it wasn't that bad and I was keeping my cats for now. In school I was getting really shy because of my allergies and because I was giving up so much stuff in my life that i liked. I was feeling pretty sad some of the time. Some of my friends were being pretty supportive, but alot of people wouldn't take my allergies into consideration when they went out or planned things. Many times I ended up having to go home early because something was bothering my allergies so much I couldn't really do anything. I was also starting to get comments like "hey aren't really that bad", "You should be able to control that better", "your sneezing is getting annoying", etc. I really didn't know what to do, and I totally didn't want to talk to anyone about my allergies. I was trying to hide them as much as I could.
During the spring and summer, I kept wondering what I could do to make them go away. I even though maybe I just needed to get used to them, so I spent time trying to be around things I was very allergic to, but that obviously didn't work. My nose was also starting to be very runny pretty often. I still don't understand how I could be so congested yet so runny all the time. I was getting really worried over people seeing my nose being drippy or people seeing my sneezes being really messy. I started using my tissues even more to wipe my nose very often and using tissues all the time when I sneezed if people might be around.
Fall that year I ended up admitting that I had to get rid of my cats. I couldn't be anywhere near them without my allergies going crazy for a long time. I was very sad about having to do that. We gave them to a friend and for the next few years, I would still visit them when I could, even though I could barely function around them from my allergic reactions.
By that fall, my allergies were about as bad as they are now. My nose and sinuses seemed to react to everything possible. I was completely congested all the time, I had to carry lots of tissues with me and have some everywhere I went. My nose felt itchy inside all the time and my eyes always felt at least a little weird. I would have lots of these really long sneezing fits many times each day. I felt sinus congestion and pressure most of the time too. I wasn't going out or doing nearly as much as I used to and I was discovering that many people could be really mean to me.
Mornings by this time were the worst. They still are. I stared having to set aside at least 20mins when I woke up. I wake up sneezing and I just have to let it keep going until I get a break to grab tissues to clean up my nose and any runniness that would happen in the night. I'd have to wipe my eyes too. After all that, with a few sneezing fits in the process, then I shower. During the shower I usually sneeze a ton and my nose runs like crazy the whole time. I tend to feel a little better after, so that is one good thing.
In the fall, with school starting, I was very embarrassed for people to see me with red eyes and nose and sneezing so much. I stayed home on days I looked really bad. I kept trying to get away from people or run off to the bathroom when my fits of sneezing would start up. I also started having huge amounts of congestion almost all the time. My nose would be all stuffed up and I couldn't smell very well and I couldn't sniffle or blow my nose very well most of the time. I was feeling sinus pressure when I would bend over or move my head down. My allergist sent me to start seeing an ENT too. I ended up having to quit soccer because being out on the grass for so long was making my allergies too bad for me to play.
This kept up into the winter, which seemed to me to only be mildly better than the fall. In spring things got even worse. My allergist did allergy tests again and I was testing positive to almost everything! I was asking why it was getting worse since I was taking allergy shots and he told me they can take a while to start working so I stayed taking them. During this time, the ENT was really unsure why I kept getting worse so he did all kinds of tests and had the allergist do some too. The things they found were that my blood levels of certain things having to do with allergies were very high (eosinophils, basophils and IgE) but they didn't know why. Also, my ENT told me that my nasal and sinus passages are smaller than they should be, and also that my sneezes aren't very forceful. He said that maybe because of that, I was getting congested easily and once allergens get up there the congestion and the lack of force in my sneezes makes them stay up there longer, making my allergies worse. He said that was just a guess though.
Because I was very congested all the time, my singing voice just wasn't sounding good, so I quit singing. I also wasn't swimming as much because being under water was bothering my sinuses, and I think I was starting to react to chlorine. At the same time, my allergist was pestering me about my cats (my cat allergy was getting much worse by that time). Because I was giving up so much, I really didn't want to give up my cats too, so I told him it wasn't that bad and I was keeping my cats for now. In school I was getting really shy because of my allergies and because I was giving up so much stuff in my life that i liked. I was feeling pretty sad some of the time. Some of my friends were being pretty supportive, but alot of people wouldn't take my allergies into consideration when they went out or planned things. Many times I ended up having to go home early because something was bothering my allergies so much I couldn't really do anything. I was also starting to get comments like "hey aren't really that bad", "You should be able to control that better", "your sneezing is getting annoying", etc. I really didn't know what to do, and I totally didn't want to talk to anyone about my allergies. I was trying to hide them as much as I could.
During the spring and summer, I kept wondering what I could do to make them go away. I even though maybe I just needed to get used to them, so I spent time trying to be around things I was very allergic to, but that obviously didn't work. My nose was also starting to be very runny pretty often. I still don't understand how I could be so congested yet so runny all the time. I was getting really worried over people seeing my nose being drippy or people seeing my sneezes being really messy. I started using my tissues even more to wipe my nose very often and using tissues all the time when I sneezed if people might be around.
Fall that year I ended up admitting that I had to get rid of my cats. I couldn't be anywhere near them without my allergies going crazy for a long time. I was very sad about having to do that. We gave them to a friend and for the next few years, I would still visit them when I could, even though I could barely function around them from my allergic reactions.
By that fall, my allergies were about as bad as they are now. My nose and sinuses seemed to react to everything possible. I was completely congested all the time, I had to carry lots of tissues with me and have some everywhere I went. My nose felt itchy inside all the time and my eyes always felt at least a little weird. I would have lots of these really long sneezing fits many times each day. I felt sinus congestion and pressure most of the time too. I wasn't going out or doing nearly as much as I used to and I was discovering that many people could be really mean to me.
Mornings by this time were the worst. They still are. I stared having to set aside at least 20mins when I woke up. I wake up sneezing and I just have to let it keep going until I get a break to grab tissues to clean up my nose and any runniness that would happen in the night. I'd have to wipe my eyes too. After all that, with a few sneezing fits in the process, then I shower. During the shower I usually sneeze a ton and my nose runs like crazy the whole time. I tend to feel a little better after, so that is one good thing.
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