The allergist

I went to the allergist for the second time.

The first time, I was really sick. I went because my general practitioner had sent me away telling me, "I would be fine." That was six weeks before I broke down and called an allergist. It had to be something. I couldn't function. I was tired, my eyes, nose and mouth were sore and swollen. My gland had been swollen like a golf ball for weeks.

We talked about my medications. She immediately told me to get rid of the Afrin. No more. It is very dangerous and could created holes in my nose and worse. Eww. Then she adjusted my medications. I am now on Singular because I have a small amount of asthma in the recesses of my lungs. She also gave me new nasal sprays - Veramyst and Astepro - each of them are used at different times of the day.

I was always told pills in the morning and nasal sprays at night because it is a more controlled environment for the sprays. But that was over a decade ago.

Now after another two weeks, I am much better. I still have allergy symptoms, but they are few and far between.

I find it funny that she said I had severe allergies with an underlying viral infection, yet my general physician did nothing for me. Sad.

So, this day was my second appointment with her. Today was skin testing. Finding out what I am really allergic to and what to do.


I go in and they sit me in a chair, put three pillows on my lap. They ask me to put my arms on top of the pillows and lay them inside up. Then they proceed to take a six prong (what looks like) a stamp that is resting in liquid and puncture my skin with it. Four on each arm. Which means I was punctured 48 times, with 48 different things I could be allergic to. Then the nurse says, "don't move, I'll be back in twenty minutes."

Haha, that's funny.

No really, that's what they do.


There was a little boy, I guessing about five years old, in a room down the way that was sobbing uncontrollable. I felt so bad. I could hear the nurses trying to console him. He wouldn't have it. My favorite -
"We are going to make you feel better, don't you want to feel better?"
"Noooooooooooooooooo"


Honestly, it didn't itch very badly except for the natural positive that they do so they can tell the allergy test is working. Until, they wiped all the test spots down with antiseptic. Once that air hit the spots, I wanted to scratch like a crazy woman, but I refrained.

This picture is called a positive.


Then once they narrowed down what I was allergic to, they then do an under the skin test on another part of my arm. They take the top allergies and put them each in a needle and poke them under the skin, quite like a tuberculosis test. It pops up the skin and THAT HURTS!! YEOWZA!!


I love this photo here because I was getting ready to leave and my allergist comes in and says, "Oh honey, wait, they will come in and clean you up so you don't scare anyone."

Haha. Forgot about the green marker, the pen marks and the rest spots. I probably did look like a walking disease.


I would really like to go back to have testing done for food allergies and chemical allergies. I am fully aware of the major chemical allergies that I have to most cleaning supplies, perfumes and dyes in lotions and soaps. It'd be great to know more about how to live my life more healthy and happy.