Diphenhydramine is my Friend

I have had seasonal and environmental allergies all my life, but they have worsened in my middle age, rather than improved. My doctor has recommended that I remove all carpet from my apartment, get rid of the animals, and keep my home free of mold and dust at all times. To this advice, I say, "PSHAW!". Each of these recommendations carries with it its own set of challenges. But last night I had an experience that made me realize that THIS NEEDS TO BE a bigger priority than I have made it.

I've been generally stuffy, sneezy and sniffly, eye-watery, etc. for about one month. I'm getting by with the help of two kinds of eye drops, a nose spray, an inhaler, several allergy meds, and plenty of tissues. But last night, just out of the blue, one of my eyes began to hurt and swell up. I could feel it happening, and it was scary! The sclera around my eye was swelling around and over my iris. In the mirror, it looked like a big blister on my eyeball! Totally freaky! It was most discomforting. Blinking was painful and difficult. Felt like I had something big stuck in my eye. My experience was probably minor compared to some people's experiences with allergy responses (uh, hem, Lynlee--). But still- I FELT LIKE this guy:



So I hurried to the drugstore and got some Benadryl (diphenhydramine) -which amazingly I had NONE of- then placed a cold compress on the eye and settled in for a long night's sleep. It was much better this morning when I woke up. Thank you, Lord!!

So today I have spent my first day of spring break doing some much-needed SPRING CLEANING. Not my favorite use of time, but I can say without exaggeration that it has become medically necessary for me to clean my house. All this dusting and vacuuming will probably make me sicker for a day or two (it always does), but I am on a MISSION to de-allergize this place! It WILL be accomplished, even if it means regular doses of Benadryl around the clock!

I wonder... if I could prove it was medically necessary for me to have a maid, would insurance pay for it? Ha....keep dreaming, Davida... Maybe with Obama's new health plan?!?!? Hahaha...