I am getting close to graduating, and I have been trying to find good jobs. I got offered a pretty good opportunity (its the best one I have bene able to find), but there is an issue. Its doing research, but before I can have the job, I need to be an intern (paid) with them for 6 to 9 months. Its a rules thing, and also to make sure I am a good match and I like working there. Intern stuff is mainly being a lab tech. The issue I have is that even though I wont be working directly with animals, I will be near them a lot. I told them about my allergies, and that's why I don't have to actually work with them. So I am wondering what to do - I am worried that my allergies might be so bad that I can't work well, and then they aren't going to want me anymore. Of course I am also worried about being exposed to allergens constantly for so long. The thing is, its a really good opportunity, and once the internship is over I won't have to be around the animals.
I got to thinking about mean things people have said to me about my allergies. Some I wasn't meant to hear, and some I think were misguided attempts to be nice. It got to bugging me lately, so I wanted to list some of the things that have been said within the last week or so:
You'd be very attractive if it wasn't for your allergies
Does she do anything else besides sneeze?
Are you sure its allergies? You might be sick, and I don't want to catch anything
Maybe its all in your head?
Your allergies are being very disruptive
If you would blow your nose your allergies wouldn't be so bad
I also hate when I get 'advice' like the last one, but they don't seem to understand if I tell them I tried/it doesn't work, they should believe me and not argue with me. Ugh!
I haven't gotten any new questions. I am wondering if my last post wasn't very interesting? please feel free to comment and to contact me!
Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
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.
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!
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.
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!
Monday, October 26, 2015
Q+A for end of Oct
Sorry, no ideas that fit into a Halloween theme.
Ragweed season is finally slowing down, so my allergies are starting to lighten up a bit. Still will take a while for them to settle down though.
Sorry its been a while since my last post. As usual, its hard for me to think of what to write.
Since I don't have much else to say, lets go to the Q+A:
Q: What kind of mean comments? People are so rude.
A: Yup, they can be. I think I have answered this before in the past, but a few examples: "Can't you control that?", "You are being disruptive", "That sounds pretty gross", "can't you stop sneezing?", etc.
Q: Could you please upload a few seconds of you so we know what you sound like? Will help to relate better to you and what you are writing. You could do an entry by video (without pics if youd prefer), just what you say, instead of typing out the entry and it would be more personal and interesting.
A: Nope, I'm not going to do that, sorry. the benefit of being online is that People can't hear/see me when my allergies are acting up.
Q: You often say that you get mean comments- can you be more specific and tell us specifically people say and have said? Do they say it directly to you and how have you responded?
A: Like I said in the first question, I have talked about it before. I usually don't respond - because my allergies are too bad, or I'm too embarrassed.
Q: High school sounds like it was tough with some mean people- did teachers ever notice and stand up for you or say something?
A: Not usually. Most weren't that understanding. A really good thing about college was that I could leave the rom anytime I wanted instead of sometimes having to stay in the room as I was sneezing like crazy.
Q: When things are getting heated with your SO, do you ever have to stop because of sneezing or dripping or something? Does it happen often and what exactly happens and how does she deal with it?
A: Yes, my allergies make us have to stop often. Allison is very understanding about it. She is very patient and caring. Definitely the best GF I have ever had :)
Q: Are you able to stifle your sneezes? And if yes, do you do it, e.g. when you're among others?
A: I seem to be starting to get questions I already answered :) I usually can't. I have figured out a way to, but it makes me constantly have to stifle, so its pretty obvious and it won't let up til I let myself have a regular fit. Because of that, and because it tends to hurt my sinuses, I don't do it.
Q: When your eyes are watery, do you always wipe the tears away or does it happen that you let them run down your face?
A: Depends on how bad my allergies are. I usually will wipe them away, but if its bad and I'm really worn out, I wont as it becomes too much hassle or I'm too wiped out to keep up.
Q: You wrote that sometimes you get dizzy when your allergies are bad. How bad can this dizziness get? Does it happen that it's difficult for you to walk or ride a bike because of the dizziness?
A: It can be pretty bad when my allergies are bad. Luckily the dizziness doesn't happen much if my allergies aren't really bad. When it does happen, I try to keep my head as still as possible. Turning my head or my body will make it worse at those times, so walking can get a bit difficult, and riding a bike is too hard when my allergies are bad, or a number of reasons.
Q: You wrote that your hearing can be affected when your allergies are bad. Does it happen that you don't understand what others say or have to turn the TV louder because of affected hearing?
A: It feels like my ears are stuffed with cotton so everything sounds muted. I can usually still make out what people are saying, but sometimes I do have to ask again and I probably make the TV a bit louder.
Q: Which allergy-related websites do you visit or look for?
A: I used to look for allergy support groups, but everything online is for food-related allergies. I don't really look around anymore. I do sometimes look at sites for pollen or mold levels. Some allergy-site and weather sites. They all tend to be a bit different so I will try to look at more than one.
Ragweed season is finally slowing down, so my allergies are starting to lighten up a bit. Still will take a while for them to settle down though.
Sorry its been a while since my last post. As usual, its hard for me to think of what to write.
Since I don't have much else to say, lets go to the Q+A:
Q: What kind of mean comments? People are so rude.
A: Yup, they can be. I think I have answered this before in the past, but a few examples: "Can't you control that?", "You are being disruptive", "That sounds pretty gross", "can't you stop sneezing?", etc.
Q: Could you please upload a few seconds of you so we know what you sound like? Will help to relate better to you and what you are writing. You could do an entry by video (without pics if youd prefer), just what you say, instead of typing out the entry and it would be more personal and interesting.
A: Nope, I'm not going to do that, sorry. the benefit of being online is that People can't hear/see me when my allergies are acting up.
Q: You often say that you get mean comments- can you be more specific and tell us specifically people say and have said? Do they say it directly to you and how have you responded?
A: Like I said in the first question, I have talked about it before. I usually don't respond - because my allergies are too bad, or I'm too embarrassed.
Q: High school sounds like it was tough with some mean people- did teachers ever notice and stand up for you or say something?
A: Not usually. Most weren't that understanding. A really good thing about college was that I could leave the rom anytime I wanted instead of sometimes having to stay in the room as I was sneezing like crazy.
Q: When things are getting heated with your SO, do you ever have to stop because of sneezing or dripping or something? Does it happen often and what exactly happens and how does she deal with it?
A: Yes, my allergies make us have to stop often. Allison is very understanding about it. She is very patient and caring. Definitely the best GF I have ever had :)
Q: Are you able to stifle your sneezes? And if yes, do you do it, e.g. when you're among others?
A: I seem to be starting to get questions I already answered :) I usually can't. I have figured out a way to, but it makes me constantly have to stifle, so its pretty obvious and it won't let up til I let myself have a regular fit. Because of that, and because it tends to hurt my sinuses, I don't do it.
Q: When your eyes are watery, do you always wipe the tears away or does it happen that you let them run down your face?
A: Depends on how bad my allergies are. I usually will wipe them away, but if its bad and I'm really worn out, I wont as it becomes too much hassle or I'm too wiped out to keep up.
Q: You wrote that sometimes you get dizzy when your allergies are bad. How bad can this dizziness get? Does it happen that it's difficult for you to walk or ride a bike because of the dizziness?
A: It can be pretty bad when my allergies are bad. Luckily the dizziness doesn't happen much if my allergies aren't really bad. When it does happen, I try to keep my head as still as possible. Turning my head or my body will make it worse at those times, so walking can get a bit difficult, and riding a bike is too hard when my allergies are bad, or a number of reasons.
Q: You wrote that your hearing can be affected when your allergies are bad. Does it happen that you don't understand what others say or have to turn the TV louder because of affected hearing?
A: It feels like my ears are stuffed with cotton so everything sounds muted. I can usually still make out what people are saying, but sometimes I do have to ask again and I probably make the TV a bit louder.
Q: Which allergy-related websites do you visit or look for?
A: I used to look for allergy support groups, but everything online is for food-related allergies. I don't really look around anymore. I do sometimes look at sites for pollen or mold levels. Some allergy-site and weather sites. They all tend to be a bit different so I will try to look at more than one.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Allergy update and Q+A
Ok everyone, I am back to posting. As a summary: This spring my allergies didn't start to get worse until about a week into March, usually I feel them start to get worse in late Feb. They have gotten pretty bad now as there has been lots of tree pollen around since then.
Now I have some questions to catch up on.
Q: You're talking about two kinds of congestion: nasal and sinus congestion. Which of them annoys you more, and why? And are they dependent on each other in a way that when one of them is bad, the other one is bad too?
A: They both annoy me in different ways. I'd say the nasal congestion mainly because it is worse more often. The sinus congestion can be worse though cause when it is bad it can be painful. They are kind of dependent in that if my nasal congestion is bad, chances are my sinus congestion will get bad too. I can have nasal congestion without much sinus congestion, but I never have a lot of sinus congestion without a lot of nasal congestion.
Q: How exactly can you tell from your symptoms which allergen(s) you're exposed to? Does it feel different to be exposed to dust / animal dander / pollen / etc.?
A: I often can't, but there are a few hints. When its dust, my nose and throat tends to feel more scratchy than with other things. Pollen I can mainly tell by the pollen count. I am not sure, but I think pollen might make me more snotty than other things too. For animal dander the need to sneeze between sneezes is more intense, but that can also happen when my allergies are really bad in general. When its from scents, the sneezes take a little longer to come, and the congestion feels a bit more throbby. For all the other stuff its too hard to tell.
Q: In an older post you wrote that you almost always have a need to sneeze, in shape of a tingling or tickle in your nose. I imagine that being very annoying, as your nose seemingly hardly gets some real relief – either you're actually sneezing, or you feel like needing to sneeze. How do you feel about that? Is it possible to get used to that?
A: It feels pretty annoying, lol. I never seem to get totally used to it. How much it bothers me can come and go, like sometimes I will notice it more than other times. Sometimes I can pretty much ignore it and sometimes its so distracting that I can't focus. I am not really sure what influences that though, other than how bad my allergies are.
Q: You've been asked about your worst allergy day ever. I'd like to ask for the opposite: Do you remember a day during the last years when the level of your allergies was extremely low? If yes, how did you feel that day, which symptoms did bother you to which degree?
A: It happens usually in the winter. Of course t me a very low allergy day is probably still pretty intense for many people. On my best days, my eyes don't bother me at all, there isn't any itchiness or tingling or anything. There is sneezing, but less than usual and shorter fits. No sinus congestion, my nasal congestion is there but low enough that I can sniffle/breathe through my nose a bit, and my nose is a little runny.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you, allergy-wise? Like how often do attacks occur- can you explain a typical day for you and when you are affected? How does your partner help or comfort you during those times, as well?
A: On a typical day, I get sneezing fits at least a few times an hour, sometimes more. I'm too congested to blow my nose so I am always wiping my nose with a tissue, and my allergies distract me to certain amounts, and my eyes might be bothering me being itchy wand watery and stuff. I am usually pretty self-conscious about it and worry that people might see me snotty and think I look gross being allergic or that all my sneezing is disruptive, etc.
Allison is great with helping me out. She looks out for things I am allergic to, she is good at comforting me and helping me out. She knows pretty well what I need, she has given me some ideas that help a little bit with dealing with my allergies in certain situations, and she helps me out with getting things done. She is also very patient in many ways with me and my allergies. She is very allergic to ragweed herself, so during ragweed season she is a bit pre-occupied with dealing with here allergies, so then she is a bit less helpful, but that's understandable.
Q: You mentioned a year ago being stuck outside can be really bad for you and make it hard to communicate. Can you tell us about a time/times when this has happened? What was it like for you and what did you do?
A: One of the worst times was a number of years ago I was hanging out with a few friends and my allergies started getting really bad and I had to stop and sit down and they got even worse and my friends were trying to help out and trying to figure out what might be bothering me so much, but my allergies were so bad I wasn't able to tell them that it was probably the tree we were right next to. I also was unable to really get up and walk away and between the constant sneezing and total congestion I couldn't talk. I felt very helpless and frustrated that I couldn't even let them know I had to get away and get inside.
Q: Kate, when you got your job did you have to tell them upfront about accommodations you would need due to your allergies? How was this discussed between staff and worked out?
A: Depending on how you look at it, I don't really have a 'job' I do grad work and teaching assisting and research assisting. I am bad at talking about accommodations. I usually try my best to suffer through things, and then only ask for help when I am really stuck. I have to say in general I have been pretty lucky that my professors and supervisors have all been pretty helpful and willing to modify my workload. I only have had problems with a few other grad students, one who didn't like me, and another just trying to get ahead of everyone else.
Q: You mentioned that past relationships haven't been very understanding....can you go into more detail about that?
A: Oh that can be a very long conversation! If you want more detail we can chat online sometime about it, but some relationships certainly have not been that understanding. A few just didn't care much one way or another, I have had some relationships where they thought I was making things out to be worse than they were/looking for attention, and some got really annoyed/fed up with my allergies interfering so much in the relationship. One was really bad but that one was unhealthy in general anyway. She really didn't care at all about how bad my allergies made me suffer and she was totally uninterested in being helpful, and she would guilt or force me into doing things/going places where she knew my allergies would be problematic, and then get annoyed at me for my allergies being bad.
As usual, let me know if you have more questions, and feel free to drop a line on e-mail or yahoo (or Skype or MSN messenger) to say hi and chat.
Now I have some questions to catch up on.
Q: You're talking about two kinds of congestion: nasal and sinus congestion. Which of them annoys you more, and why? And are they dependent on each other in a way that when one of them is bad, the other one is bad too?
A: They both annoy me in different ways. I'd say the nasal congestion mainly because it is worse more often. The sinus congestion can be worse though cause when it is bad it can be painful. They are kind of dependent in that if my nasal congestion is bad, chances are my sinus congestion will get bad too. I can have nasal congestion without much sinus congestion, but I never have a lot of sinus congestion without a lot of nasal congestion.
Q: How exactly can you tell from your symptoms which allergen(s) you're exposed to? Does it feel different to be exposed to dust / animal dander / pollen / etc.?
A: I often can't, but there are a few hints. When its dust, my nose and throat tends to feel more scratchy than with other things. Pollen I can mainly tell by the pollen count. I am not sure, but I think pollen might make me more snotty than other things too. For animal dander the need to sneeze between sneezes is more intense, but that can also happen when my allergies are really bad in general. When its from scents, the sneezes take a little longer to come, and the congestion feels a bit more throbby. For all the other stuff its too hard to tell.
Q: In an older post you wrote that you almost always have a need to sneeze, in shape of a tingling or tickle in your nose. I imagine that being very annoying, as your nose seemingly hardly gets some real relief – either you're actually sneezing, or you feel like needing to sneeze. How do you feel about that? Is it possible to get used to that?
A: It feels pretty annoying, lol. I never seem to get totally used to it. How much it bothers me can come and go, like sometimes I will notice it more than other times. Sometimes I can pretty much ignore it and sometimes its so distracting that I can't focus. I am not really sure what influences that though, other than how bad my allergies are.
Q: You've been asked about your worst allergy day ever. I'd like to ask for the opposite: Do you remember a day during the last years when the level of your allergies was extremely low? If yes, how did you feel that day, which symptoms did bother you to which degree?
A: It happens usually in the winter. Of course t me a very low allergy day is probably still pretty intense for many people. On my best days, my eyes don't bother me at all, there isn't any itchiness or tingling or anything. There is sneezing, but less than usual and shorter fits. No sinus congestion, my nasal congestion is there but low enough that I can sniffle/breathe through my nose a bit, and my nose is a little runny.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you, allergy-wise? Like how often do attacks occur- can you explain a typical day for you and when you are affected? How does your partner help or comfort you during those times, as well?
A: On a typical day, I get sneezing fits at least a few times an hour, sometimes more. I'm too congested to blow my nose so I am always wiping my nose with a tissue, and my allergies distract me to certain amounts, and my eyes might be bothering me being itchy wand watery and stuff. I am usually pretty self-conscious about it and worry that people might see me snotty and think I look gross being allergic or that all my sneezing is disruptive, etc.
Allison is great with helping me out. She looks out for things I am allergic to, she is good at comforting me and helping me out. She knows pretty well what I need, she has given me some ideas that help a little bit with dealing with my allergies in certain situations, and she helps me out with getting things done. She is also very patient in many ways with me and my allergies. She is very allergic to ragweed herself, so during ragweed season she is a bit pre-occupied with dealing with here allergies, so then she is a bit less helpful, but that's understandable.
Q: You mentioned a year ago being stuck outside can be really bad for you and make it hard to communicate. Can you tell us about a time/times when this has happened? What was it like for you and what did you do?
A: One of the worst times was a number of years ago I was hanging out with a few friends and my allergies started getting really bad and I had to stop and sit down and they got even worse and my friends were trying to help out and trying to figure out what might be bothering me so much, but my allergies were so bad I wasn't able to tell them that it was probably the tree we were right next to. I also was unable to really get up and walk away and between the constant sneezing and total congestion I couldn't talk. I felt very helpless and frustrated that I couldn't even let them know I had to get away and get inside.
Q: Kate, when you got your job did you have to tell them upfront about accommodations you would need due to your allergies? How was this discussed between staff and worked out?
A: Depending on how you look at it, I don't really have a 'job' I do grad work and teaching assisting and research assisting. I am bad at talking about accommodations. I usually try my best to suffer through things, and then only ask for help when I am really stuck. I have to say in general I have been pretty lucky that my professors and supervisors have all been pretty helpful and willing to modify my workload. I only have had problems with a few other grad students, one who didn't like me, and another just trying to get ahead of everyone else.
Q: You mentioned that past relationships haven't been very understanding....can you go into more detail about that?
A: Oh that can be a very long conversation! If you want more detail we can chat online sometime about it, but some relationships certainly have not been that understanding. A few just didn't care much one way or another, I have had some relationships where they thought I was making things out to be worse than they were/looking for attention, and some got really annoyed/fed up with my allergies interfering so much in the relationship. One was really bad but that one was unhealthy in general anyway. She really didn't care at all about how bad my allergies made me suffer and she was totally uninterested in being helpful, and she would guilt or force me into doing things/going places where she knew my allergies would be problematic, and then get annoyed at me for my allergies being bad.
As usual, let me know if you have more questions, and feel free to drop a line on e-mail or yahoo (or Skype or MSN messenger) to say hi and chat.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Been Busy, Dream Bit, and Short Q+A
Things have been really busy with school and associated things. I am hoping in a few weeks things will settle down a bit. I like to get as much work don as I can when I am not feeling too bad.
I wanted to explain something that some people don't seem to get. Some people seem to not understand that I am allergic to other things besides pollen. I sometimes get asked 'Why do you still have allergies when there is no pollen?' That's because I am allergic to so much more! - dust, animals, smoke, feathers, molds, and many other things. The good thing is that many of those things I can avoid and/or get away from, so that I can recover from being exposed to it. I still have allergies this time of year, but they don't usually knock me out of commission like they often do at other times of year.
Two nights ago I had a dream where I had allergies. The only thing I can remember from it is that anytime I tried to talk I sneezed instead.
I have a few questions to answer, so here we go:
Q: When you do teach, does the sneezing make it difficult? And how do your students react? Can you go into more details about your response to the last question you answered about during class?
A: It certainly can. That's why I am lucky that I can do other things most of the time, like paperwork, making tests, grading tests, setting up labs, holding office hours, etc. I do have to do some teaching, and of course allergy attacks then can be embarrassing, but because of all the above, it doesn't happen too often. The students either giggle a bit or act bored or start looking at their phones or something til I am done. I am not sure what you mean by the last part of this question. Can you ask me a more specific question?
Q: I think it's great that you and Allison found each other and she helps you feel comfortable with her! Did you have some sort of discussion about how to work things out with your allergies, things to do or not do, expectations regarding them and intimacy, etc?
A: Yes, but it wasn't just one talk. We worked it out as time went on. It helps that she is a very understanding person, and that she also has allergies. She is very allergic to cats and ragweed, and somewhat allergic to dust, so she can understand the avoiding thing and the idea of being able to do some things and not others. She was very accommodating and very willing to work with what I needed, in general and in being intimate. Its really great because she is the first person I have dated that has really been like this. Some others made an attempt, but gave up and some others didn't even care.
That's it for now. As always, please leave comments and feel free to contact me.
I wanted to explain something that some people don't seem to get. Some people seem to not understand that I am allergic to other things besides pollen. I sometimes get asked 'Why do you still have allergies when there is no pollen?' That's because I am allergic to so much more! - dust, animals, smoke, feathers, molds, and many other things. The good thing is that many of those things I can avoid and/or get away from, so that I can recover from being exposed to it. I still have allergies this time of year, but they don't usually knock me out of commission like they often do at other times of year.
Two nights ago I had a dream where I had allergies. The only thing I can remember from it is that anytime I tried to talk I sneezed instead.
I have a few questions to answer, so here we go:
Q: When you do teach, does the sneezing make it difficult? And how do your students react? Can you go into more details about your response to the last question you answered about during class?
A: It certainly can. That's why I am lucky that I can do other things most of the time, like paperwork, making tests, grading tests, setting up labs, holding office hours, etc. I do have to do some teaching, and of course allergy attacks then can be embarrassing, but because of all the above, it doesn't happen too often. The students either giggle a bit or act bored or start looking at their phones or something til I am done. I am not sure what you mean by the last part of this question. Can you ask me a more specific question?
Q: I think it's great that you and Allison found each other and she helps you feel comfortable with her! Did you have some sort of discussion about how to work things out with your allergies, things to do or not do, expectations regarding them and intimacy, etc?
A: Yes, but it wasn't just one talk. We worked it out as time went on. It helps that she is a very understanding person, and that she also has allergies. She is very allergic to cats and ragweed, and somewhat allergic to dust, so she can understand the avoiding thing and the idea of being able to do some things and not others. She was very accommodating and very willing to work with what I needed, in general and in being intimate. Its really great because she is the first person I have dated that has really been like this. Some others made an attempt, but gave up and some others didn't even care.
That's it for now. As always, please leave comments and feel free to contact me.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Sneezing room and an allergy dream
When I was in high school I used to always wish something I called a 'sneezing room' existed. They are small rooms, sound-proof, with a small bench or chair, a few boxes of tissues and a sink. This way I could go in there, not be disturbed when I am having an allergy attack or sneezing fit, and noone would see or hear it.
Last week I had a weird dream about my allergies. My nose was really long, longer than my arm. My nose was being very drippy, but I couldn't do much about it because my nose was too long. Everyone was telling me that if I sneezed, it would stop. I told them I didn't want to sneeze, but they kept doing things to make me start sneezing, then right as I was about to start sneezing they all told me not to sneeze and someone would grab and squeeze closed the end of my nose. It was very uncomfortable for me, and then when the feeling of needing to sneeze went away, they person would let go of my nose. Then when it started dripping again, they started to tell me to sneeze again, etc. That cycle went on a few times before I woke up.
I had another allergy dream recently but I can't remember it.
Please be sure to send me questions to answer, and feel free to contact me to chat on e-mail or yahoo messenger, or possibly skype.
Last week I had a weird dream about my allergies. My nose was really long, longer than my arm. My nose was being very drippy, but I couldn't do much about it because my nose was too long. Everyone was telling me that if I sneezed, it would stop. I told them I didn't want to sneeze, but they kept doing things to make me start sneezing, then right as I was about to start sneezing they all told me not to sneeze and someone would grab and squeeze closed the end of my nose. It was very uncomfortable for me, and then when the feeling of needing to sneeze went away, they person would let go of my nose. Then when it started dripping again, they started to tell me to sneeze again, etc. That cycle went on a few times before I woke up.
I had another allergy dream recently but I can't remember it.
Please be sure to send me questions to answer, and feel free to contact me to chat on e-mail or yahoo messenger, or possibly skype.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Eating and drinking with allergies and Q+A
Someone was asking me about difficulties with eating when my allergies are bad so I though I would mention a quick bit about it.
Eating can be difficult when my allergies are bad. I'm too congested to breathe through my nose so I have to keep opening my mouth to breathe. I have also had a number of times where a sneezing fit started when I had a mouthful of food. I end up sneezing out the food :( Luckily that has only happened when I was alone or with my family. I learned to take really small bites. makes it easier for breathing and for avoiding sneezing fits during chewing. Avoiding sneezing or dripping all over food takes a bit of effort too.
Drinking is a bit easier by just taking small sips often. I will tend to have a good amount of water throughout the day just by sipping little bits often.
When my allergies are bad, I am often not hungry anyway so I stick with mostly water. Soup is sometimes good too.
Two for Q+A:
Q:You're learning about others who have awful full-time allergies. What are some questions you would ask them, to learn how they are managing to cope?
A: I never though much about that. I can give general answers at least. I would ask what exactly they are allergic to, what symptoms do they get, what things work for them with avoiding what they are allergic to, and if they found anything that works for them with dealing with symptoms and other issues.
Q:You say that your allergies cause you problems with your sleeping patterns. How do you deal with that? Are you able to catnap and get enough sleep that way or do you find that you are always tired during allergy season?
A: I am often tired during allergy season, from lack of sleep and from the allergies wearing me out. I will sometimes just doze off randomly if I am sitting around, and that helps a bit. During allergy season, I will often try to take naps and see if I can sleep. Many times I will doze off randomly and get wakened by a sneezing fit.
Thanks or reading everyone! Keep questions coming and feel free to say hi to me.
Eating can be difficult when my allergies are bad. I'm too congested to breathe through my nose so I have to keep opening my mouth to breathe. I have also had a number of times where a sneezing fit started when I had a mouthful of food. I end up sneezing out the food :( Luckily that has only happened when I was alone or with my family. I learned to take really small bites. makes it easier for breathing and for avoiding sneezing fits during chewing. Avoiding sneezing or dripping all over food takes a bit of effort too.
Drinking is a bit easier by just taking small sips often. I will tend to have a good amount of water throughout the day just by sipping little bits often.
When my allergies are bad, I am often not hungry anyway so I stick with mostly water. Soup is sometimes good too.
Two for Q+A:
Q:You're learning about others who have awful full-time allergies. What are some questions you would ask them, to learn how they are managing to cope?
A: I never though much about that. I can give general answers at least. I would ask what exactly they are allergic to, what symptoms do they get, what things work for them with avoiding what they are allergic to, and if they found anything that works for them with dealing with symptoms and other issues.
Q:You say that your allergies cause you problems with your sleeping patterns. How do you deal with that? Are you able to catnap and get enough sleep that way or do you find that you are always tired during allergy season?
A: I am often tired during allergy season, from lack of sleep and from the allergies wearing me out. I will sometimes just doze off randomly if I am sitting around, and that helps a bit. During allergy season, I will often try to take naps and see if I can sleep. Many times I will doze off randomly and get wakened by a sneezing fit.
Thanks or reading everyone! Keep questions coming and feel free to say hi to me.
Never buy cheap Q-tips!
I am sorry I haven't posted in a while, so I will even have 2 posts today! This one is the explanation of why I haven't posted in a while
Since I am usually unable to blow my nose, I try to clean out the front of my nostrils a bit so I am not constantly dripping all over the place. If I stick a tissue up there it makes me sneeze like crazy so I use a q-tip just in the front area of my nostrils to gently get as much as I can. Now this last time we got q-tips we were trying to be cheap so we bought dollar-store q-tips instead of the real ones. When I used one, the cotton tip slipped off and I couldn't get it out of my nostril. Allison also tried but it got more stuck, and of course it was irritating my nose like crazy and got kinda messy. We ended up having to go to the hospital to get it taken out, and when they were taking it out they told me some small blood vessels were broken and they wanted to fix them (and that explained all the nosebleeds I had been getting recently).
The problem was they wanted to do some tests, and then that ended up creating days of problems. With all the problems doing the tests and the weird results that show up for me, they all wanted everyone to come and see me, doctors, residents, med students, etc. I always hate that, and there was always new people coming in, asking me all the same stuff as the others, looking in my nose, seeing me all allergic, etc. Most of them weren't very nice either. They also didn't believe me when I told them things and then after all kinds of tests and stuff, they tell me what I told them before like it was their discovery! And of course people wanted to do surgeries, and one doctor swore up and down I had a huge infection. After a few days, he finally realized I didn't have one.
From all that, at least they fixed the blood vessels. I haven't had any more nosebleeds at least. I also found out I have more things I am allergic to than I thought: wood pulp, saw dust, some things used in making some fabrics and rugs, and all kinds of food. The food thing is weird. I have known for a long time I am allergic to dairy because it gives me asthma attacks. They also told me I am allergic to most fruits, nuts, wheat, some veggies and I think a few kinds of beans. That is weird to me because I have never noticed any allergic reactions to any foods other than dairy. One research doctor that saw me asked me to be in 2 studies, one testing out a drug, but I declined that because I usually don't have good reactions, and I don't want to be the first to test one. The other has to do with testing nasal secretions that I might do, since it pays a bit of $.
Ok, well that is my crazy adventure from last week...ugh! My nose is still sore (and maybe swollen a bit) from all the exams! I am going to make a regular post soon today to make up for the missing time and because I might be busy trying to catch up on things this week.
Since I am usually unable to blow my nose, I try to clean out the front of my nostrils a bit so I am not constantly dripping all over the place. If I stick a tissue up there it makes me sneeze like crazy so I use a q-tip just in the front area of my nostrils to gently get as much as I can. Now this last time we got q-tips we were trying to be cheap so we bought dollar-store q-tips instead of the real ones. When I used one, the cotton tip slipped off and I couldn't get it out of my nostril. Allison also tried but it got more stuck, and of course it was irritating my nose like crazy and got kinda messy. We ended up having to go to the hospital to get it taken out, and when they were taking it out they told me some small blood vessels were broken and they wanted to fix them (and that explained all the nosebleeds I had been getting recently).
The problem was they wanted to do some tests, and then that ended up creating days of problems. With all the problems doing the tests and the weird results that show up for me, they all wanted everyone to come and see me, doctors, residents, med students, etc. I always hate that, and there was always new people coming in, asking me all the same stuff as the others, looking in my nose, seeing me all allergic, etc. Most of them weren't very nice either. They also didn't believe me when I told them things and then after all kinds of tests and stuff, they tell me what I told them before like it was their discovery! And of course people wanted to do surgeries, and one doctor swore up and down I had a huge infection. After a few days, he finally realized I didn't have one.
From all that, at least they fixed the blood vessels. I haven't had any more nosebleeds at least. I also found out I have more things I am allergic to than I thought: wood pulp, saw dust, some things used in making some fabrics and rugs, and all kinds of food. The food thing is weird. I have known for a long time I am allergic to dairy because it gives me asthma attacks. They also told me I am allergic to most fruits, nuts, wheat, some veggies and I think a few kinds of beans. That is weird to me because I have never noticed any allergic reactions to any foods other than dairy. One research doctor that saw me asked me to be in 2 studies, one testing out a drug, but I declined that because I usually don't have good reactions, and I don't want to be the first to test one. The other has to do with testing nasal secretions that I might do, since it pays a bit of $.
Ok, well that is my crazy adventure from last week...ugh! My nose is still sore (and maybe swollen a bit) from all the exams! I am going to make a regular post soon today to make up for the missing time and because I might be busy trying to catch up on things this week.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Allergies are Bad, and Menstrual Cycle Connections
I get PMS the week before my period and I have found that my PMS and my allergies play off each other. Each one makes the other one worse. All the sneezing seems to make my cramps feel worse and my breasts feel more ouchy. And just for that week before my period, my allergy symptoms just seem worse than other times. And they both tire me out!
I also wanted to note that my allergies have been horrible over this last week! I feel like my nose and sinuses are full of pollen! Been really hard to get anything done lately. So much sneezing that its interrupting everything, and people have a hard time understanding me through my stuffiness.
No questions to answer, and I can't think of much else to say right now so thats it today. Please comment and give me feedback and more topics to talk about!
I also wanted to note that my allergies have been horrible over this last week! I feel like my nose and sinuses are full of pollen! Been really hard to get anything done lately. So much sneezing that its interrupting everything, and people have a hard time understanding me through my stuffiness.
No questions to answer, and I can't think of much else to say right now so thats it today. Please comment and give me feedback and more topics to talk about!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Allergies Today and More Q+A
Tree pollen has been getting high lately and its been driving my allergies nuts the last few days. Been pretty miserable with my nose and sinuses and eyes going nuts. I have found that the pollen season starts a few weeks later than in Seattle but it ramps up much faster. I used to go through this worsening of my allergies over a few weeks, but here it seems to happen over a few days.
Today is one of those days where I probably won't be able to get much done. I do have a good number of questions to answer, so that is easier than having to think up my own post in this condition.
Q: Have you ever considered any kind of sinus surgery? I would think there'd have to be some thing out there that could help you in some way...??
A: I have been asked that many times over the years. The short answer is that it wont help. I had looked into it before and I was told that it MIGHT be helpful for a short time, maybe a year or 2 even, but with my allergies being so bad, and my nose and sinuses being so sensitive, any benefit would eventually go away. Earlier in this blog I also wrote about how narrow the inside my passages are, etc, and there just isn't the space in there to do anything about it.
Q:Given how bad things can get, I'd imagine that you prefer to just use a tissue then get rid of it?! If you are going out in full season, how do you deal with it. Would you just carry a lot of tissues with you?
A: Yes, I always carry alot of tissues with me. If I have a bag or backpack big enough, I'll actually carry around a whole box, and I like to have some in every room where I live. If I have any pockets, I keep some in most pockets. And yes, I like to use a tissue as much as I can, then just get rid of it. makes things easier that way.
Q:Who, besides your girlfriend, are you most comfortable having a sneezing attack around? And why?
A: My best friend Jessie. I made a post about how we met and became friends early on in this blog. The why is because her allergies are also very bad (though not as bad as mine). I haven't seen her as often since I moved to the east coast, but we still stay in touch and I visit her when I can.
Q:How do you decide, on a bad allergy day, to stop fighting it and give up trying to have a normal, productive day?
A: Its hard to say exactly, other than just how crappy I am feeling. How worn down and how bad my allergies are being really determines it. Some days like that I wake up and know I just can't function that day, sometimes I have to stop part-way through the day.
Q:With everything you've written about snotty sneezes and runny noses, do you enjoy sneezing in the shower, because tissues are redundant?
A: 'Enjoy' is way too strong a word. I feel like I am very messy when I am in the shower so I don't like that. The sneezes and the snot can come much more in the shower so that makes me feel more messy and kind of overwhelmed. On the good side, its easy to clean up and there is no one else around.
Thanks everyone for all the questions. It makes it easier to post. My next post topic might not be as interesting to some people, so if you ask me more questions, I can answer them too. As usual, feel free to comment, e-mail, or chat with me if you'd like!.
Today is one of those days where I probably won't be able to get much done. I do have a good number of questions to answer, so that is easier than having to think up my own post in this condition.
Q: Have you ever considered any kind of sinus surgery? I would think there'd have to be some thing out there that could help you in some way...??
A: I have been asked that many times over the years. The short answer is that it wont help. I had looked into it before and I was told that it MIGHT be helpful for a short time, maybe a year or 2 even, but with my allergies being so bad, and my nose and sinuses being so sensitive, any benefit would eventually go away. Earlier in this blog I also wrote about how narrow the inside my passages are, etc, and there just isn't the space in there to do anything about it.
Q:Given how bad things can get, I'd imagine that you prefer to just use a tissue then get rid of it?! If you are going out in full season, how do you deal with it. Would you just carry a lot of tissues with you?
A: Yes, I always carry alot of tissues with me. If I have a bag or backpack big enough, I'll actually carry around a whole box, and I like to have some in every room where I live. If I have any pockets, I keep some in most pockets. And yes, I like to use a tissue as much as I can, then just get rid of it. makes things easier that way.
Q:Who, besides your girlfriend, are you most comfortable having a sneezing attack around? And why?
A: My best friend Jessie. I made a post about how we met and became friends early on in this blog. The why is because her allergies are also very bad (though not as bad as mine). I haven't seen her as often since I moved to the east coast, but we still stay in touch and I visit her when I can.
Q:How do you decide, on a bad allergy day, to stop fighting it and give up trying to have a normal, productive day?
A: Its hard to say exactly, other than just how crappy I am feeling. How worn down and how bad my allergies are being really determines it. Some days like that I wake up and know I just can't function that day, sometimes I have to stop part-way through the day.
Q:With everything you've written about snotty sneezes and runny noses, do you enjoy sneezing in the shower, because tissues are redundant?
A: 'Enjoy' is way too strong a word. I feel like I am very messy when I am in the shower so I don't like that. The sneezes and the snot can come much more in the shower so that makes me feel more messy and kind of overwhelmed. On the good side, its easy to clean up and there is no one else around.
Thanks everyone for all the questions. It makes it easier to post. My next post topic might not be as interesting to some people, so if you ask me more questions, I can answer them too. As usual, feel free to comment, e-mail, or chat with me if you'd like!.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Quick post and one Q+A
Sorry its been a bit since I posted. I was planning on posting about once/week, but I got really sick with pneumonia and I just am getting over it now.
My allergies haven't been bothering me too much lately. Through Jan and usually most of Feb I usually do better since there isn't pollen to deal with, the heating systems no long have a bunch of dust sitting in them to get stirred up, and all the holiday scents and such are gone. As long as I can avoid the other allergens that randomly pop up, I do ok for this time of year compared to the rest.
I just have one question to answer today:
Q: What symptom of your allergies do you find most difficult to deal with?
A: Sneezing is usually the worst. Its the one that is the most obvious to people. If I didn't sneeze all the time, it would be easier to deal with my allergies, and to hide it from others. Its very interruptive and it can be really embarrassing at times, and it can get pretty tiring.
Thats it for today. Please leave me comments and/or questions, and feel free to say hi on yahoo chat if I am on.
My allergies haven't been bothering me too much lately. Through Jan and usually most of Feb I usually do better since there isn't pollen to deal with, the heating systems no long have a bunch of dust sitting in them to get stirred up, and all the holiday scents and such are gone. As long as I can avoid the other allergens that randomly pop up, I do ok for this time of year compared to the rest.
I just have one question to answer today:
Q: What symptom of your allergies do you find most difficult to deal with?
A: Sneezing is usually the worst. Its the one that is the most obvious to people. If I didn't sneeze all the time, it would be easier to deal with my allergies, and to hide it from others. Its very interruptive and it can be really embarrassing at times, and it can get pretty tiring.
Thats it for today. Please leave me comments and/or questions, and feel free to say hi on yahoo chat if I am on.
Friday, January 11, 2013
What my allergy attacks are like
I have been asked a number of times over the years what happens as a bad allergy attack comes on. I never really was able to give a good answer in the moment like that because I am not being too self-reflecting when an allergy attack comes on, and I never thought much about it except in the moment someone asks me that question and I have nothing ready to say. I figured here I can think about it and write it all out.
Often times I am experiencing allergies to one extent or another anyway but what I'm writing about is when I end up being around something that gives me bad allergy attacks, and my allergies haven't already bothering me that much.
First I start to get this tingle/tickle deep in my nose, then I start to get a tickle in the back of my throat and my nose starts getting stuffy. the tingling in my nose starts to spread and the stuffiness gets worse. My nose and my eyes start to feel not itchy exactly but like they are going to be itchy. The tingling/tickling and the stuffiness in my nose keeps getting worse and eventually I have my first sneezing fit. Once I have my first sneezing fit, its like the floodgates open. My nose starts to get runny, my sinuses start to get stuffy, my nose starts to get itchy, my eyes start to water and I have more sneezing fits. If it keeps going, it all gets more and more and my eyes will also get itchy and red and my ears might start to clog up.
Ok, I think that's a pretty good explanation of what happens. Let me know if that makes sense.
Weird Tangent: I have recently read the The Hunger Games books, and although they were really cool, I just want to mention one thing that struck me as slightly weird. In the 2nd book, at one point Katniss mentioned how she was crying and her nose was running and someone ripped some moss hanging off a tree to give her to blow her nose. I read that and thought 'ewww!' Can moss actually be used like that???
As usual, any questions for me to answer or if you want to chat, just message me.
Often times I am experiencing allergies to one extent or another anyway but what I'm writing about is when I end up being around something that gives me bad allergy attacks, and my allergies haven't already bothering me that much.
First I start to get this tingle/tickle deep in my nose, then I start to get a tickle in the back of my throat and my nose starts getting stuffy. the tingling in my nose starts to spread and the stuffiness gets worse. My nose and my eyes start to feel not itchy exactly but like they are going to be itchy. The tingling/tickling and the stuffiness in my nose keeps getting worse and eventually I have my first sneezing fit. Once I have my first sneezing fit, its like the floodgates open. My nose starts to get runny, my sinuses start to get stuffy, my nose starts to get itchy, my eyes start to water and I have more sneezing fits. If it keeps going, it all gets more and more and my eyes will also get itchy and red and my ears might start to clog up.
Ok, I think that's a pretty good explanation of what happens. Let me know if that makes sense.
Weird Tangent: I have recently read the The Hunger Games books, and although they were really cool, I just want to mention one thing that struck me as slightly weird. In the 2nd book, at one point Katniss mentioned how she was crying and her nose was running and someone ripped some moss hanging off a tree to give her to blow her nose. I read that and thought 'ewww!' Can moss actually be used like that???
As usual, any questions for me to answer or if you want to chat, just message me.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Looking for allergy suggestions and more Q+A
I hope everyone is ok from the storm. I was going to post this last week, but the storm happened, and we had no power or internet for some time. All is ok now and pretty much back to normal.
Allison has been so understanding and helpful with my allergies. Most other people I have dated ranged from tolerating it to getting annoyed or mad at me about them. Allison bends over backwards to do all she can to be helpful. I feel kinda bad that she is doing so much for me.
One of her favorite things in the world is flowers, and when we started dating she got rid of all of them and never got any more. All she has now is some pictures of flowers. I feel like I want to help her out a bit and have her able to have some flowers again. I always say that I am allergic to all flowers, but thats not exactly true. I have had allergic reactions to flowers I have come in contact to in the past, and I just assumed I am allergic to all types just to make things easy if people ask. I figure there must be a few flowers I am not allergic to, and I'd like to be able to let Allison enjoy something she really likes.
What I want to do is see if there are any kinds of flowers I am not allergic to. I want to wait til Jan or so to try it out, when I have the least number of things bothering my nose. The best idea I could come up with is to have a flower near me and have a fan making a slight breeze and seeing if I start to have a reaction. I think thats the closest to how I would be exposed to a flower that is in a place I am in. I would usually avoid sniffing a flower or brushing myself against one so I dont want to test it that way.
I want a few opinions on this. Is this a silly idea, or would it work ok? Would there be a better way to do it? Thank you for any ideas.
And here is a bit more of Q+A
Q: You said 'we' when you talked about precautions you take at home....does this mean you have roommates? Is it hard to get them to understand/help your allergies?
A: I mainly stay with Allison at her place so she is the one I was talking about. I have had roomies during my life that kind of run the whole range. Some understood pretty well, some didn't care much to understand, some were just clueless, and some would try to understand but just not get it. Luckily I usually had ones that were understanding to some level, or at least tried. The hardest one to deal with though was one who was trying to be nice and understanding but just really failing at it. Made it hard for me to say anything to her because she was trying so hard.
Like I always say, keep the questions coming. It gives me ideas on what to write about!
Allison has been so understanding and helpful with my allergies. Most other people I have dated ranged from tolerating it to getting annoyed or mad at me about them. Allison bends over backwards to do all she can to be helpful. I feel kinda bad that she is doing so much for me.
One of her favorite things in the world is flowers, and when we started dating she got rid of all of them and never got any more. All she has now is some pictures of flowers. I feel like I want to help her out a bit and have her able to have some flowers again. I always say that I am allergic to all flowers, but thats not exactly true. I have had allergic reactions to flowers I have come in contact to in the past, and I just assumed I am allergic to all types just to make things easy if people ask. I figure there must be a few flowers I am not allergic to, and I'd like to be able to let Allison enjoy something she really likes.
What I want to do is see if there are any kinds of flowers I am not allergic to. I want to wait til Jan or so to try it out, when I have the least number of things bothering my nose. The best idea I could come up with is to have a flower near me and have a fan making a slight breeze and seeing if I start to have a reaction. I think thats the closest to how I would be exposed to a flower that is in a place I am in. I would usually avoid sniffing a flower or brushing myself against one so I dont want to test it that way.
I want a few opinions on this. Is this a silly idea, or would it work ok? Would there be a better way to do it? Thank you for any ideas.
And here is a bit more of Q+A
Q: You said 'we' when you talked about precautions you take at home....does this mean you have roommates? Is it hard to get them to understand/help your allergies?
A: I mainly stay with Allison at her place so she is the one I was talking about. I have had roomies during my life that kind of run the whole range. Some understood pretty well, some didn't care much to understand, some were just clueless, and some would try to understand but just not get it. Luckily I usually had ones that were understanding to some level, or at least tried. The hardest one to deal with though was one who was trying to be nice and understanding but just really failing at it. Made it hard for me to say anything to her because she was trying so hard.
Like I always say, keep the questions coming. It gives me ideas on what to write about!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Something people don't get, and some Q+A
Whenever the pollen count starts to go low, I always get people saying to me 'Oh you must be fine now that the pollen count is down' or 'why are your allergies still so bad? The pollen count went down' It gets kind of annoying after a while. There are a number of reasons why my allergies don't go down the day the pollen count does.
1. I react very strongly to many kinds of pollen. So even if the count is low and most people don't react, I still do.
2. The more I am exposed to something I am allergic to, the more over-sensitive all my allergies get. Like right now since this ragweed season has been going on for a while, everything is setting me off really intensely. (since I started making this post a few weeks ago, now things have been low enough for long enough that things are starting to lessen for me)
3. As I talked about before in this blog, things bother me for longer than they usually should. So even after I am away from what is setting off my allergies, its still going to affect me for a longer time. Some people are fine after a few minutes of being away or maybe a few hours. for me its anywhere from hours to days unless I am exposed for just a moment.
4. I am allergic to many other things. People seem to think its only possible to be allergic to pollen! I have so many other allergies that at least one thing is going to be bothering me most of the time.
I have gotten two questions for the Q+A.
Q: What are some of the everyday tasks that are hard to do when your allergies are really bad?
A: Eating, drinking, sleeping, shopping, reading, and really any other activity that needs focus or extended effort. My allergies do interfere all the time, but the above can become almost impossible when my allergies are really bad. Eating and drinking is hard to do when I am all stuffed up so can't breathe out of my nose because I can't chew for long without needing to breathe. Sneezing lots also makes it difficult because having a sneezing fit when you have a mouthful of food or liquid is not good! I have to take little nibbles and little sips, and I tend to lose my appetite anyway when my allergies are bad. Sleeping is hard cause all the sneezing makes it hard to fall asleep, and my nose and sinuses bother me when I'm all stuffed up and my head is lying down. Also, a very runny nose is annoying when trying to sleep. Reading gets hard because all my symptoms bother my ability to stay focused. A constant drippy/runny nose is hard when leaning over reading. Also, when my allergies are bad, my eyes are all watery and itchy and stuff so it makes it hard to actually read the words at times. Getting intimate is hard because of the congestion/breathing and needing to sneeze when kissing, etc issues. Shopping is hard more because of the potential of getting exposed to things I am allergic to without realizing it. All those scented things, detergent and laundry isles, flowers and such. Some stores I just can't go into. For some reason all Macy's and JC Penny's I have been to really sets off my allergies and I have no idea why. It makes no difference what part of the store I go into, or where the store is. Shopping with Allison is a help because she usually has a great sense of smell and can sometimes be able to let me know if something is starting to be around that i will react badly too before it gets too bad.
Q: What is the worst thing people have said to you about your allergies?
A: I don't think these are the worst, but 2 things have been on my mind lately. The first is some variation of: "You would be gorgeous if it wasn't for your allergies". I have been hearing that on and off for a number of years. Often times its not right to my face (occasionally someone has said it to me, either being clueless or thinking they were being complimentary, something like 'without your allergies you can be really hot'), but I overhear it, or someone tells me they heard someone say it. It can be upsetting because I do think that my allergies ruin how I look. Its been on my mind because recently a guy gave me his card and said something like 'Contact me if you can get your allergies under control. Then I think I can make you a model'. The other one that bothers me is people telling me to blow my nose. I get told these things so many times: "you sound like you need to blow your nose", "You should blow your nose", "If you blow your nose, it will make your allergies better", "you wouldn't sneeze so much if you blow your nose" Then most people just don't get the idea that I can't blow my nose. When I try to explain, I get "you must be doing it wrong", "you need to try more", or "you just don't want to blow your nose" Its like blowing my nose would be some magical thing and I just refuse to do it. Believe me, if I could blow my nose I would do it!
Thanks for listening to me rant again. Please feel free to post comments, or contact me if you want to chat. Please ask more questions so I have some Q+As to write!
1. I react very strongly to many kinds of pollen. So even if the count is low and most people don't react, I still do.
2. The more I am exposed to something I am allergic to, the more over-sensitive all my allergies get. Like right now since this ragweed season has been going on for a while, everything is setting me off really intensely. (since I started making this post a few weeks ago, now things have been low enough for long enough that things are starting to lessen for me)
3. As I talked about before in this blog, things bother me for longer than they usually should. So even after I am away from what is setting off my allergies, its still going to affect me for a longer time. Some people are fine after a few minutes of being away or maybe a few hours. for me its anywhere from hours to days unless I am exposed for just a moment.
4. I am allergic to many other things. People seem to think its only possible to be allergic to pollen! I have so many other allergies that at least one thing is going to be bothering me most of the time.
I have gotten two questions for the Q+A.
Q: What are some of the everyday tasks that are hard to do when your allergies are really bad?
A: Eating, drinking, sleeping, shopping, reading, and really any other activity that needs focus or extended effort. My allergies do interfere all the time, but the above can become almost impossible when my allergies are really bad. Eating and drinking is hard to do when I am all stuffed up so can't breathe out of my nose because I can't chew for long without needing to breathe. Sneezing lots also makes it difficult because having a sneezing fit when you have a mouthful of food or liquid is not good! I have to take little nibbles and little sips, and I tend to lose my appetite anyway when my allergies are bad. Sleeping is hard cause all the sneezing makes it hard to fall asleep, and my nose and sinuses bother me when I'm all stuffed up and my head is lying down. Also, a very runny nose is annoying when trying to sleep. Reading gets hard because all my symptoms bother my ability to stay focused. A constant drippy/runny nose is hard when leaning over reading. Also, when my allergies are bad, my eyes are all watery and itchy and stuff so it makes it hard to actually read the words at times. Getting intimate is hard because of the congestion/breathing and needing to sneeze when kissing, etc issues. Shopping is hard more because of the potential of getting exposed to things I am allergic to without realizing it. All those scented things, detergent and laundry isles, flowers and such. Some stores I just can't go into. For some reason all Macy's and JC Penny's I have been to really sets off my allergies and I have no idea why. It makes no difference what part of the store I go into, or where the store is. Shopping with Allison is a help because she usually has a great sense of smell and can sometimes be able to let me know if something is starting to be around that i will react badly too before it gets too bad.
Q: What is the worst thing people have said to you about your allergies?
A: I don't think these are the worst, but 2 things have been on my mind lately. The first is some variation of: "You would be gorgeous if it wasn't for your allergies". I have been hearing that on and off for a number of years. Often times its not right to my face (occasionally someone has said it to me, either being clueless or thinking they were being complimentary, something like 'without your allergies you can be really hot'), but I overhear it, or someone tells me they heard someone say it. It can be upsetting because I do think that my allergies ruin how I look. Its been on my mind because recently a guy gave me his card and said something like 'Contact me if you can get your allergies under control. Then I think I can make you a model'. The other one that bothers me is people telling me to blow my nose. I get told these things so many times: "you sound like you need to blow your nose", "You should blow your nose", "If you blow your nose, it will make your allergies better", "you wouldn't sneeze so much if you blow your nose" Then most people just don't get the idea that I can't blow my nose. When I try to explain, I get "you must be doing it wrong", "you need to try more", or "you just don't want to blow your nose" Its like blowing my nose would be some magical thing and I just refuse to do it. Believe me, if I could blow my nose I would do it!
Thanks for listening to me rant again. Please feel free to post comments, or contact me if you want to chat. Please ask more questions so I have some Q+As to write!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Ragweed is trying to kill me :(
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.
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.
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, 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.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Q+A with my ENT
I have been seeing doctors for a long time. I used to have a regular doc, an ENT, and allergist, a pulmonologist, and a gyn. I never saw the regular doc much. The allergist and ENT I would see often. I also used to see the pulmonologist often for asthma, until we discovered my dairy allergy. After I stopped dairy my asthma got much better and now as long as I avoid dairy my asthma isn't a problem. Now I just get kinda wheezy when my allergies are bad. The gyn I used to see more but nothing helped my cycle without messing me up in other ways so now I only see a gyn rarely for exams.
Now here in NY I am only seeing an ENT and an allergist. I tend not to ask many questions when I have appointments. I usually just want them to be over and I am a bit too shy and embarrassed to ask much. Also, most visits they have students or other docs in to look at me, poke and prod, etc since I seem to be such an interesting case they want to share and that also makes me not be in the mood to ask questions. This week however at my ENT visit this week, there was no other docs or students and I felt really at ease for some reason so i asked him questions and so I wanted to share a bit of how that went in a Q+A type format.
Q: Why is it that sometimes my allergies affect my nose more and other times my sinuses and how come unless my allergies are bad, my eyes aren't as bothered and same with my ears?
A: Your nose and sinuses are affected more because for you, once an allergen gets in there it has a hard time getting out, partly because of your excessive congestion and sneezes that aren't very forceful. Sometimes your sinuses are more sensitive/irritated and sometimes your nose is, and that is what leads to you feeling your allergies more in your nose or your sinuses at any given time. For your eyes, its easier for the allergens to leave, so its often not as much of a problem. Eyes and ears tend to get more affected when allergies are worse because nose, sinuses, ears, eyes, etc are all pretty much connected so when the mucus membranes in one area get very irritated, it tends to spread. One reason why your eyes can tear up so much is that when your allergies are bad the tube leading from your eyes to your nose swells shut and the tears have no where to go.
Q: Why do my allergies last longer than other peoples'?
A: A few reasons. One is that your body creates an allergic response with histamines and other chemicals than other patients I have seen, to even a small amount of allergen, and that's also why your reactions are so intense. Another reason is again the extreme congestion and non-forceful sneezes keeping the allergens in place longer. Also, the simple physical irritation of the mucus membranes makes them more sensitive to repeated allergens and your gets irritated very easily.
Q: How come I don't cough much and my throat doesn't bother me that much?
A: Usually, a runny nose tends to run forward out the nose in kids and out the back of the nose in adults. That's why you see more snotty noses in kids, and in adults its more of a post nasal drip, which also irritates the throat more and causes coughing. Besides the insides of your nasal passages being smaller in diameter than they should be, they are also closer in shape to a child's structure so most of the mucus comes out the front and not the back.
Q: How can my nose sometimes make so much snot?
A: The main way all mucus membranes respond to an allergen is by swelling, leaking fluid, and irritation (and yea I (Kate) understand that...I have had allergic reaction on other mucus membranes too, which is a hassle!). A major reason you nose seems to make so much snot is just the fact that most of it comes out the front of your nose instead of going down the back. When I look in your nose, it is hard to make out much because everything inside is so swollen and when mucus membranes are swollen up against each other it tends to cause more mucus production. Your nose does build up some mucus, which is why when you bend forward it comes out faster. The front areas of your nostrils are often filled up with mucus, which is why we need to clean out that area before we can look into your nose. Your mucus membranes are often creating mucus at a very fast rate.
I also asked him why the front areas of my nostrils were always filled up with mucus and he told me since I am not able to blow my nose and I don't squeeze or pinch my nose (cause that would send me into sneezing fits), the mucus that builds up there tends to stay there more than it otherwise would.
Those were my main questions. I think I might have asked one or 2 more. If I remember then I will post them.
Now here in NY I am only seeing an ENT and an allergist. I tend not to ask many questions when I have appointments. I usually just want them to be over and I am a bit too shy and embarrassed to ask much. Also, most visits they have students or other docs in to look at me, poke and prod, etc since I seem to be such an interesting case they want to share and that also makes me not be in the mood to ask questions. This week however at my ENT visit this week, there was no other docs or students and I felt really at ease for some reason so i asked him questions and so I wanted to share a bit of how that went in a Q+A type format.
Q: Why is it that sometimes my allergies affect my nose more and other times my sinuses and how come unless my allergies are bad, my eyes aren't as bothered and same with my ears?
A: Your nose and sinuses are affected more because for you, once an allergen gets in there it has a hard time getting out, partly because of your excessive congestion and sneezes that aren't very forceful. Sometimes your sinuses are more sensitive/irritated and sometimes your nose is, and that is what leads to you feeling your allergies more in your nose or your sinuses at any given time. For your eyes, its easier for the allergens to leave, so its often not as much of a problem. Eyes and ears tend to get more affected when allergies are worse because nose, sinuses, ears, eyes, etc are all pretty much connected so when the mucus membranes in one area get very irritated, it tends to spread. One reason why your eyes can tear up so much is that when your allergies are bad the tube leading from your eyes to your nose swells shut and the tears have no where to go.
Q: Why do my allergies last longer than other peoples'?
A: A few reasons. One is that your body creates an allergic response with histamines and other chemicals than other patients I have seen, to even a small amount of allergen, and that's also why your reactions are so intense. Another reason is again the extreme congestion and non-forceful sneezes keeping the allergens in place longer. Also, the simple physical irritation of the mucus membranes makes them more sensitive to repeated allergens and your gets irritated very easily.
Q: How come I don't cough much and my throat doesn't bother me that much?
A: Usually, a runny nose tends to run forward out the nose in kids and out the back of the nose in adults. That's why you see more snotty noses in kids, and in adults its more of a post nasal drip, which also irritates the throat more and causes coughing. Besides the insides of your nasal passages being smaller in diameter than they should be, they are also closer in shape to a child's structure so most of the mucus comes out the front and not the back.
Q: How can my nose sometimes make so much snot?
A: The main way all mucus membranes respond to an allergen is by swelling, leaking fluid, and irritation (and yea I (Kate) understand that...I have had allergic reaction on other mucus membranes too, which is a hassle!). A major reason you nose seems to make so much snot is just the fact that most of it comes out the front of your nose instead of going down the back. When I look in your nose, it is hard to make out much because everything inside is so swollen and when mucus membranes are swollen up against each other it tends to cause more mucus production. Your nose does build up some mucus, which is why when you bend forward it comes out faster. The front areas of your nostrils are often filled up with mucus, which is why we need to clean out that area before we can look into your nose. Your mucus membranes are often creating mucus at a very fast rate.
I also asked him why the front areas of my nostrils were always filled up with mucus and he told me since I am not able to blow my nose and I don't squeeze or pinch my nose (cause that would send me into sneezing fits), the mucus that builds up there tends to stay there more than it otherwise would.
Those were my main questions. I think I might have asked one or 2 more. If I remember then I will post them.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Goings on and TG
Nothing too different lately. School and research and such are all coming along fine. No complaints, other than what I have mentioned before. Allergies are about typical right now, with some random fluctuations of worse and better.
For TG I was kinda thinking about flying back to WA, but I decided not to. Flying really wrecks my sinuses and nose and it takes me too long to recover. I would only be there for a few days, so I would be feeling miserable the whole time. I'll either spend TG with some friends or my cousin's family.
Nothing else for me to report that I can think of. Anyone have any comments, suggestions, questions, or anything?
For TG I was kinda thinking about flying back to WA, but I decided not to. Flying really wrecks my sinuses and nose and it takes me too long to recover. I would only be there for a few days, so I would be feeling miserable the whole time. I'll either spend TG with some friends or my cousin's family.
Nothing else for me to report that I can think of. Anyone have any comments, suggestions, questions, or anything?
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Gonna try posting again
Its been a long time since I posted, and I wanted to try again. I might be a bit different with it. It will be sporadic, probably not very long posts and a bit more general in the topics I post about. I met a few new people online who seem really cool, so hopefully they start reading this too :)
School is going well. I am enjoying the research I am helping out with. There is one other assistant who is a jerk to me and tries to get me in trouble, but the professor in charge is a really cool guy and there is really nothing to get me in trouble over so its just an annoyance.
This fall was probably the worst season ever for my allergies! I knew I was very allergic to ragweed, but there isn't much of it around Seattle, but OMG there are tons of it out here on the east coast! If I didn't know any better I would have thought I had ragweed plants stuck up my nose! Ugh. I hope next fall isn't as bad.
This weekend I have had a cold/flu/something so I have been feeling really icky and had to miss parties :( I was hoping I would be better by tomorrow but I think its going into my chest so I'll be sick for at least a few more days. bleah!
Please post comments, questions, discussions, etc!
School is going well. I am enjoying the research I am helping out with. There is one other assistant who is a jerk to me and tries to get me in trouble, but the professor in charge is a really cool guy and there is really nothing to get me in trouble over so its just an annoyance.
This fall was probably the worst season ever for my allergies! I knew I was very allergic to ragweed, but there isn't much of it around Seattle, but OMG there are tons of it out here on the east coast! If I didn't know any better I would have thought I had ragweed plants stuck up my nose! Ugh. I hope next fall isn't as bad.
This weekend I have had a cold/flu/something so I have been feeling really icky and had to miss parties :( I was hoping I would be better by tomorrow but I think its going into my chest so I'll be sick for at least a few more days. bleah!
Please post comments, questions, discussions, etc!
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