As I have been going to see specialists to figure out why I have been fainting they have come across another problem I have. I went to see an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor) and he was concerned over the number of allergies I have. We had wondered if that could cause me to faint. The ENT was pretty sure that allergies were not the cause of my fainting since I have always felt a tightening in the chest which sometimes turned into an Asthma attack when I was around something I was allergic to. This has never happened before I fainted.

He did quickly find that the antibiotic I was on for a sinus infection wasn’t going to make me feel much different since my airways in my nose are almost completely blocked by polyps. They also found when the MRI came in that they did on my brain (to see if they could see anything that would lead to me fainting) that I have Polyps in my sinus cavities.

This means I have to go have surgery to have the polyps removed. This isn’t the first time I have had this surgery, but this time there are more and they have spread. I had the surgery about six years ago and have used a nasal spray that was supposed to keep them from coming back and bring my ability to smell back, but I have too many allergies. Along with the surgery I will be starting allergy treatments. I’ve chosen to do immunotherapy with drops instead of the shots.

Before I could start the drops I needed to have allergy testing done.

Yesterday, I had the “Skin Prick Test” done. They wrote A,B,C,D on my arms and then next to each letter they pricked me in 8 different spots all at once. (Yikes!) Each spot appeared to have four needles(!) that had the solution that contained a possible allergen(!). I was then told to watch and wait for 15 minutes to see which spots reacted. I had one area that was very itchy immediately and then as time passed I felt itchy in other areas.

Finally, the doctor came and looked at my arms and checked each prick to see if it had turned red and formed a bump. He had a card he used to measure the bumps to determine how allergic I was. The bigger the bump the more allergic I was. Well, he said he didn’t get to see a lot of people like me. Apparently, I am allergic to almost everything! It is easier to name the things that I am not allergic to (like cats and dogs) than all the stuff that I am allergic to. The doctor will mix some drops made especially for me that I will start next week.

I should start to see results in 3-6 months and will take them for the next 3-5 years to build immunity to these allergies.

I am battling with insurance companies at the moment, but as soon as it is all figured out I will go get a CT scan and have the polyp surgery. Hopefully with the allergy treatments this will be the last surgery. I really don’t want to do this every few years.

I’m pretty excited at the moment that my life could get better. I already know how to control the fainting and to take care of my sinuses would be incredible. I will be able to breath easier. I will be able to smell again which would bring back my ability to taste. Not being allergic to everything around me would give me so much more energy. I hate feeling like I’ve got a cold all the time. I feel so blessed to live in a time when medical advances can improve our lives dramatically. I’ll keep you posted on my adventures through surgery and allergy drops.

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