An Open Letter to Anyone Who’s an Expert on Allergies

If you make the effort each day to search out my posts to see what I've pecked out on the old keyboard for that day, I'll just tell you upfront that today all I'm doing here is whining. Whining about allergies. So, let me tell you my story.

The funny thing is that I never was allergic to anything when I was a kid. Then one day when I was 23 I got plugged up for three weeks. So, I went to a doctor who informed me that I had allergies. But in those days, you didn't get the skin tests (or scratch tests) done so, my doc prescribed a pill that cleared me up and all was right with the world again. For a while.

About 18 months later, my pill had been discontinued because some study in France showed that it made pregnant women grow horns or some odd malady, so I got put on a different pill. Which also got discontinued.

Fast forward to 1989 when I would go to the Billings Clinic and get the test where they poke 50 something holes in your back to find out what you're allergic to. Then they mix up a serum of everything that you're allergic to and you get your shot once a week. While not entirely ridding me of my congestion, it helped a lot for 25 years.

Until my new primary care doctor told me to try a steroid called Kenalog. OMG! It was the magic stuff! For 4 1/2 years, I was just like you regular people without one single sniffle. But, as doc told me, I built up an immunity and Kenalog was no longer magical.

So, it's back to the clinic for another scratch test. I was allergic to 52 out of the 56 things that they tested on me. But without the shots, I had been so congested that I couldn't sleep, so I guess it's back to the shots, while also having to use a mixture of Claritin D 12 hour, Sudafed, the green, red AND blue allergy pills from Costco along with a few others.

I've heard "have you tried local honey?" yep. Nothing. Aromatherapy. Another zero.

Is there an allergy clinic somewhere in America that specializes in allergies? You know. A Mayo Clinic, but for sniffles and watery eyes?

I would try just about anything. VooDoo, prayer, but if it's illegal, just message me.

Sincerely,

Sniffles