Well after countless years of suffering from allergies, I decided to go and see an allergist today, and it was quite an experience.
If you are unaware of the test they do, they take this thing that has 10 sets of needles with a small amount of a different allergen on each needle. The press it up against your arm with various sets of needles, until it makes an imprint, but doesnt penetrate.
Anywho, they said I would have to wait 20 minutes before I would see a reaction. What they were looking for was a small bump under the allergen, which would show I was allergic to it. That, however, was not the case tonight. I had one mark that swelled up to abnormal size in 4 minutes, which was some sort or record. They have a scale on the paper the nurse was watching, with 3 sizes of bumps, and a rating from +1 to +3 for them. My lump was so big that it was off the scale, and therefore given the rating of +5.
Two nurses came in, concerned that I would have troubles breathing, and the doctor came in and kept saying that it was an abnormal lump. The nurse then rushed in and gave me an epinephren (epipen) shot in my thigh. I'm no wuss, and Ive had my share of shots, but in the thigh is the last place I wanted it. It doesnt hurt at all while they do the injection, but later in the day it kills whenever you walk.
After 15 minutes the bump didn't go down at all, and they were still concerned. My nose was plugged, but that wasn't out of the ordinary, and I could breathe fine out of my mouth. Still, they were concerned, and decided to give me a second epinephren, this time it was a double dose, in my other thigh. They said I would start shaking, and that I would have to wait to leave because I drove. My hands twitched off and on periodically. They put a turnikit around my right arm, (the most swollen one) to slow down the inflamation. For 2 hours I had to sit there with a nurse closely watching me, and another nurse and the doctor rushing in and out. You would have thought they saved my life with the epinephren, but to me it was just a waste.
After, I had to wait even longer until they said I was fine to leave. I felt fine the entire time, and my heartrate did not jump a beat (which suprised the nurses) but for some reason they thought I was lying and that I was just hiding my congestion and lung problems. For the record, I did not have any problems whatsoever there, but the nurse kept saying that she will know if I am lying because another nurse didn't leave my side.
Well, at the end, I found out I was very allergic to grass, a little to trees and dustmites, and even less to dog dander. So at the end of the day, I didn't learn anything knew, and get 2 bruises on my legs for my troubles.
Comments »
Raven @ 2007-09-27 04:03:14
I used to have a really bad allergy to pollen.
I've found that contact lenses make a big difference and am now very rarely troubled even on extremely high pollen count days.
alpha69 @ 2007-09-27 06:44:09
Wow really rob?
The symptoms of hayfever would usually start at the nose, where allergens are inhaled, and then the eyes begin to itch, swell and water. A really bad allergy to pollen can be a living nightmare.
I am glad for you, it seems contact lenses have been the answer!
I have some serious allergies too. All animals with hair, fur, feathers (leaves me with snakes & lizards i think) lol. Dustmites, Bee Stings, some food ( tomatoes, strawberries, pineapple etc) and some have said that they think I am allergic to men too lol!!
Upon reading nate's experience with the allergy tests, I dont think i'll be going for one anytime soon!
