Thursday, November 8, 2007

I finally did it.

I went to the allergist and got tested. I've suffered with allergies my entire life. But, growing up with limited financial resources meant that we didn't go to the doctor merely for running noses, sneezing, itchy eyes, and a stuffed up nose no matter how incessant they were. When I moved from my hometown in West Texas where it is arid to the humidity of East Texas for college, my allergies became much worse. The last twelve years have been tough, especially during pregnancy when my allergies just get ridiculous. So, since we had a baby this year and have already met our rather large deductible, I finally decided to go do something about it.

They tested me with 55 different allergens and it turns out that I am allergic to 27 of them. Is that a lot? It seems like a lot to me! One of the worst offenders was dust mites. Apparently, dust mites cannot survive in a climate with less than 40% humidity, which would explain why my allergies got so much worse when I moved from the almost desert of West Texas to the forests of East Texas.

So, in a couple of weeks I will begin taking allergy shots. It is a long 3 to 4 year process, but I am so thankful that it will finally begin. I know that my entire family will benefit from having a Mommy who is not constantly battling allergy symptoms and the fatigue and brain fog that they induce. There will soon be a new me! I truly feel that this opportunity is the answer to many, many prayers. God is so good!

3 comments:

Tracy said...

wow, we are considering having our four year old tested, he seems to have allergies, itching skin, eczema, sores in his scalp, etc. his doctor thinks we need to see an allergist, I can't imagine having shots though, he would not like that I'm afraid!

Lynne's Somewhat Invented Life said...

You are so brave to look forward to a bunch of shots. I hope they hlep and you find relief.

Colleen said...

I don't know if I'm brave. It's just that the shots don't sound so bad compared to feeling bad all the time. And, I'm just so thankful that there is something to be done to make it better. I'm so glad that I wasn't born 100 years ago when modern medicine wasn't available. I'm afraid "survival of the fittest" would have weeded me out a long time ago!