Choosing life over allergies

 It all began in my youth.  The post nasal drip.  The coughing up of sputum each morning.  The itchy eyes.  When the seasons changed, so did my body; for the worst.

I chalked it up through the years to seasonal allergies and prescribed to the over the counter remedies which knocked me out or made me so drowsy, that one thought I was under the influence.

About 5 years ago, I ventured into the allergist's office and underwent the painful process of identifying all of the substances that made my life miserable.  Sad to say, I am allergic to everything in the world but food; a sick joke of God's, since I am terribly overweight.

The things I have always loved the most are pets, plants, trees, working outside, cleaning my house (yes, I know... sick) and refinishing old things.  No wonder I've been so sick my whole life.  Virtually everything I love with a passion causes my body to react adversely.

I refused to stop living.  I began a series of weekly allergy shots and found that I had no more problems doing the things that I enjoyed. I continued this treatment for 3 years and then began to intermittently visit the allergist as I felt I had built up an immunity to my nemeses.  Now, two years later, after stopping my weekly visits, I am alas, finding myself engaging in the daily "yack" at the sink again, crying from the eyes for no reason except that I can't stop itching them and running at the nose constantly.  I have scheduled another series of tests for next week to discover whether or not more pests have invaded my system and have caused my allergies to begin to take over my life again.

It will be an unbearable 1/2 an hour for me; with swelling, pin pricks and pain.  However, I will begin another series of shots (I hate them, to be honest) and I will begin to regain my life again.  Who knows...perhaps high fat, heart clogging foods will appear on my list this time?  One needs to look at the bright side of allergy testing!