wasmi.net

After symptoms began appearing in 2008, they never went away. They just got worse over time. First, it was a constant cough. This began as a subtle "ahem, ahem" as if I were trying to get someone's attention. Then it escalated to "hack, hack" and coughing up some interesting substances. (Yuck!)Then, I began to have trouble breathing.
I wheezed. I gurgled. It got to the point where it was obviously in my lungs, so I went to the doctor. It was bronchitis. And a sinus infection. She gave me some antibiotics. It didn't fix the problem. So I got a steroid shot. That didn't fix the problem.
I moved down to Kentucky. I went to another doctor, got more antibiotics. That didn't work. Went back to the doctor, got more antibiotics and some steroids. That didn't work.
I took all of the medications exactly as prescribed. At best, the symptoms would temporarily disappear, only to reappear the instant the medications were gone.
This happened four different times. I was going to the doctor about once every two weeks, for the same problem, and not getting any better. (Co-pay every time.)
Then, I started to get worse! Now I have trouble breathing while lying down. I can't sleep at night because of this. I have to use an inhaler meant for asthmatics every time I wake up and can't breathe. So I get a few scattered hours of sleep at night.
The doctor decided it must be allergies, so she sent me to an allergy specialist. They tested me for 73 different allergies. I tested positive for dust, dust mites, mold and ragweed.
The doctor said with the shots, my symptoms should improve in four to six months. Great! And I have to dust-mite-proof my bedroom. Yeah, right!
Well, we'll give it a try. I would like to get a good night's sleep.
Oh, the literature I got with my diagnosis said that a big part of the cause of an allergy consists of the stress level in a person's life at the time the allergy appeared. They suggest alleviating the stress to ease the symptoms of the allergy. Maybe I'll ask my doctor if she wants to buy a house in Howell without indoor plumbing.