Wednesday, October 3, 2007

An Unbeatable(?) Battle with Allergies... Oh yeah, and SCHIP

So, I have been engaged in a little battle with allergies for about 4 years or so. This battle has progressively gotten worse with time. (I'm not winning). My symptoms range from merely itchy eyes (on good days) to itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, itchy ears, and a rash (on bad days). Bad days happen about 1-2 times a week.

Neat. I know.

This blog is for fellow allergy sufferers, future sufferers, and those who must deal with people with allergies on a semi-regular basis.

I also know what some of you are thinking. It's just allergies. Deal with it. Well, that's what I used to think anyway.

Anyway, here is everything I know about allergies. I'm not a medical professional, but I do have firsthand experience, and that counts for something, right?

1. On bad or average days, your nose will be itchy and runny. Note to other people: I don't want anything near my nose that doesn't have to be. This includes other people's hair, my hair, strong perfume/cologne, and animals. On bad days it already feels like an invisible feather is incessantly tickling my nose, I don't need anymore irritation.

2. Acupuncture may or may not work. I tried it a total of 3 times. My allergies improved for about a week but then came roaring back. My hunch is that acupuncture didn't do anything and the easing of my symptoms was just the natural cycle of my allergies.

3. I have segregated my allergy medications from least to most potent and take them accordingly on good to bad days. For instance, homeopathic medicine eases mild symptoms and seems to have the least side effects. Benadryl gets rid of more severe symptoms but makes me tired within an hour. My prescription medication gets rid of the most severe symptoms but completely wipes me out.

Anyway, I'm seeing an allergist in the near future. Yeah, it's "just" allergies and many people have much worse conditions. But allergies really do diminish a person's quality of life. On the worst days, I feel pretty miserable and crabby.

And that's today's non-political rant.

Oh yeah, and Bush vetoed a Congressionally-approved expansion of the children's health insurance program.

Leave no child behind, indeed!

Anyone else sick of people who claim to care about children yet whose actions and words show otherwise?

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