Allergy Shots

Allergy shots. I don't like shots. I don't like allergies. So, to combat the one, I accept the other in order to eliminate the one. Now, honestly, as shots go, allergy shots are nothing. For the most part, they don't normally hurt (more on that in a second) and only itch a little. Who knows, by the time this is all over, an estimated 3-5 years, I may even not be bothered at all by shots.

I get two shots per session, two sessions per week. So far, only two of the shots have hurt. The first one was one that I felt the needle going in and I tightened up a little. The second one was an unusual experience as it seemed that the serum was pooling at the injection site rather than dispersing into the surrounding tissue. When the shot was finished, it felt like there was a marble in there and it was pressing on a nerve! Just as I broke into a sweat and said 'whoa' it dissipated and went away! Then, I spent a minute explaining to the nurse why I didn't think that I needed the 'antidote'.

So, this morning, I go to the doctor's office to get my shot. I sign in and take a seat. There are about 20 other people the office, there for their shots as well. Then, it is my turn and I get my shots. The nurse put some anti-itch cream on my right arm, and it is the one that always gives me the worse reaction of the two. Then, I go and sit down for 30 minutes to see if I am going to have a reaction to the serum. Today I started a new concentration on my left arm.

There is a new guy there today who asked someone who was sitting next to him if they had ever had or seen someone who had 'a reaction' to their shots. About six people all spoke up at once, three had experienced reactions themselves and the others had seen other people having reactions, all of varying degrees. I suddenly felt more like it was worth while to sit there after that. I had been wondering if I wasn't just wasting 30 minutes of my day just sitting in that office. Of course, the doctor and the nurses had all lectured me on what possible reactions were, but you figure that they have the opportunity to see those over the course of many years in their profession. Having so many other witnesses made it more legitimate somehow that you do need to take precautions, because something just might happen.

This is the idea behind allergy shots. Inject your body with what you are allergic to and let your immune system build up its resistance to the allergens. Needless to say, it can cause some mild reactions and it is expected to. My right arm always has a bump, itches and is mildly feverish at the injection site. All of this is within normal operating parameters. It is still a nuisance though. Also, you can be a little sensitive to those chucks on the shoulder that guys like to give when girls would normally hug.

I am always tired at the end of a shot day. I figure it is just because of my immune system fighting against all of the allergens. Especially these days, with the high pollen counts that would normally have my allergies going crazy anyway.

Speaking of which, my doctor prescribed Nasonex. Our Father who art in heaven, thank you for your wondrous creation...Nasonex. If you don't think that is a sincere prayer, you have not suffered from allergies. Since it has taken effect, I have been able to breathe through my nose, every day! I don't honestly remember going through the whole month of June and being able to do that before, except in Guam, because they didn't have that much pollen. The wind blew it all off of the island.

I have sneezed a handful of times. I do get some congestion in the back of my sinuses. I do get the minor sniffles sometimes. However, I haven't been so stopped up that I couldn't breathe or talk clearly since I have been on it. I can only say, thank God that I live in the age that I do, where we can do something about all of this.

God bless you all.

A Media Cart to the Groin!

OK, today was embarrassing. I was looking back over my shoulder at work as I was going to take a break. Then, as I started to go around the corner that I knew was there, WHAM! I fell to the floor, curled up and holding myself. On the way down, I half caught my weight on the cart and the bucket of water that was on top of it splashed up on my shirt.

The pain from this gave me an upset stomach! Owchie! Besides which, it was just embarrassing to be on the ground like that.

After a few minutes, I was back up and at my cubicle. I was cold. The office where I work is most often cool to begin with, but being wet and in there, I was very cold. My supervisor Dan let me take a long lunch and I went home, changed shirts and got to have lunch with my wonderful wife! A nice bonus for the day.

I then went back to work. After about 3:00 pm, I started to feel considerably better.

Now, it is 11:25 pm as I write this and there is still some minor discomfort, but I am generally feeling almost like my normal self now.

A Sad Introduction to Blogging

Greetings to the Blogosphere!

I am diving in now and we will see where this leads. I have had several ideas about what I want to do with this blog, so as I try them out, please bear with me and tolerate the seeming lack of direction that it may display for a while as I figure it out.

This past weekend was a blur of activity. My very good friend Kathryn took off for China on Thursday. YEA! We were all so excited for her! She had worked so hard for this for so long and it was finally happening.

Then, Friday night at 12:10 am, Saturday morning, we received a call... Kathryn's father had passed away from a heart attack, earlier that evening. They rushed him to the hospital but he didn't make it.

We tried to contact Kathryn, added international calling to our cell plan and wound up emailing her telling her to call her family, that 'it was an emergency'. Let's Start Talking, the organization that helped to arrange her trip, made quick arrangements for her to be able to come back home. We picked her up at the airport at about 5:00 pm on Sunday.

Lara and I are both sad for her and disappointed on her behalf because she had worked so hard for this trip and then to not get to go, it is just so very disappointing.

The funeral was yesterday. I thought there was going to be a limo for the family. I learned that Kathryn, on only a couple of hours sleep in the last couple of days, had driven several members of her family to the funeral!

It was a very nice service. I don't even know how many family members were there, I would guess better than 40, counting the kids, and there were lots of friends as well. There was congregational singing in the good ole CoC tradition and it was really quite nice.

Afterwards, we came up with a plan and Lara drove Kathryn home in her car and another good friend of ours, also named Kathryn, drove Lara home afterwards. I drove Kathryn's grandmother, mother and sister home to Wills Point after the service and picked up Kathryn's luggage and took it back to Dallas, to our apartment.

Today, Kathryn decided to pick up her stuff from our apartment and went back to stay with her family for a few days. Lara drove her out there. You can read her blog about her day.

Now, yesterday, I started my day by going to the doctor's office. I go every Monday to get my alergy shots. This, in and of itself is not a bad thing. However, consider this. When you are shaking hands at a funeral, everyone (well, guys in particular) want to give you that reassuring pat on the arm while they shake your hand. The shots I received yesterday were about half of a syringe in volume, so they hurt just from the pressure of all of the stuff that was in my arm. Then, everyone started hitting me on the arm.

First, it was the family, at the family lunch before the funeral. Then, during the time after the lunch and before the funeral, it was the good friends of the family that showed up early. Then, after the funeral, it was just simply anyone. Ouch!

My prayers are with this family in particular lately. May the Lord comfort them in their grief. Bring them happiness and smiles in rememberance. Watch over them and protect them during this time when they are down. May they find the peace that only He can provide. May they find his love in the friends that He has placed around them. May we all learn and marvel at his incredible work in their lives.

May you all have a blessed week.

Superhero

Today I saw Superhero Movie. It was well worth the 75 cents.