Monday, June 9, 2008

The Forced Allergy Experiment: An Inflammation Theory Crash Course


So after much theorizing about how I believe my allergies are one of the root causes of many of my problems, I'm finally going to go to an allergist and get tested. I am going to be proactive and try to rid my life of the things that irritate my body. I believe I'm a good candidate for immunotherapy (allergy shots).

Sounds great, right?

It will be--once I get there. I get tested on Wednesday. In order to get tested and have a proper test, I must refrain from taking any allergy medications for the few days beforehand. This means, that on the hottest days of the year so far, when my allergies are at an all time high, I am without the aid of Zyrtec, Allegra or even Benadryl to help me. I am, in fact, winging it. If it weren't for cold water, saline nose spray and holistic eye drops I'd be dying right now.

Instead, I'm sitting it out. Very impatiently. Wednesday cannot come fast enough.

This should be interesting on many fronts, though. As those with IC and IBS and vulvodynia can attest to, allergies are often a signal that pain is to come. When The Body Chronic overproduces histimines, pain is often the result. Thus, chronic pain is often exacerbated by allergic reactions. A sneeze is one thing--this reaction is quite another.

What's even better is that I somehow timed this as the perfect storm. Being on Yasmin, my cycles are controlled and much more regulated, but guess what week it is? Coupled with an already inflamed pelvic region and no antihistimine relief in sight, I am bracing for the worst. I figured if I could just stay in the air conditioning and avoid anything strenuous, I could make it to Wednesday.

I didn't figure the weather would play a part in this. I was wrong.

Yesterday, in Michigan, there were severe storms in the afternoon, knocking out power to many. Guess who had a brownout with no AC and only one fan? That's right, me. And today's heat index promises to be about 95-100 degrees.

Surprisingly, though, I am not too bad off right now. My allergies are cracking, but not too bad.
I'm indoors (for now). But my back is hurting, which often stems from my pelvis and it's no small miracle that I'm going to the chiropractor this afternoon anyhow. If it weren't scheduled it will be.

I have an outdoor concert tonight to attend. That should prove interesting.

Ahhh...life in The Body Chronic. Always keeps you on your toes.

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