Dust mites are the devil...

I hate dust mites. They are the devil.

I learned this year that I am highly allergic to dust mites. I had never really thought about dust mites before. I knew they were disgusting little vermin but beyond that, I didn't really consider them...until my sister and a friend convinced me to get allergy tested.

When I was a little kid, my allergies weren't that bad; at least, I don't remember them being bad. I played outside all the time and my sister was the queen of the allergies but not me.

However, since college, my allergies have worsened. My college roommate used to tease me that I was allergic to the air. I should have went in for allergy testing then but as a poor college student, I had no health insurance. Plus I hate needles. The thought of being stuck for the scratch test was bad enough but the thought of getting allergy shots...paralyzing.

Even after I became a teacher and had decent health insurance, I was still too chicken to face the shots. Then I just kept getting sick--round after round of bronchitis. A friend who is a nurse practitioner suggested that I be tested for asthma because that would make me more prone to bronchitis. I must admit that I had wondered about.

Yet my seasonal allergies seemed to be the root of most of my problems. If I went off the Clarinex, then I quickly went from feeling yucky to sinus infection to bronchitis. Eventually, I surrendered to the allergy testing.

The stick test made me understand why dogs roll around on their backs on the ground. That's what I wanted to do. I just itched so much that rolling on the carpet really sounded like a good idea. Don't worry; I refrained...barely.

After what seemed like forever, the door opened and I heard, "Wow, you're really allergic to dust mites." Not what you want to hear from your allergy doctor.

So began the rounds of allergy shots and so far I've been a brave little girl. I must admit it's not as bad as I thought it would be.

Unfortunately the dust mite and ragweed serums are reacting a bit too much. At first those two serums were in one injection...then I had a particularly ugly reaction and they decided to split it into two injections. Still having ugly reactions...it sucks. I think the injection site that is a ugly red whelp is the dust mite one. I'll have to call the shot nurse tomorrow to tell her what this one looks like this time. Dr. B will have to come up with another plan.

Sigh, dust mites are the devil.