So as it turns out, I am allergic to a lot of things! I went to an allergy clinic near our home here a few months ago during hayfever season hoping for a quick fix. When I got there, I was disappointed to find out that they don't give these great Kenalog steroid injections anymore. Instead, they told me about immunotherapy, which is a series of allergy shots over months and even years, where each injection consists of the allergens to which my body reacts badly. But before I could start the shots, I had to be tested. Once the allergy testing session was over, I found out that I am allergic to cats, dogs, dust mites, and every type of tree, grass, and weed they test for! In all, I was allergic to 26 of the 40 allergens they tested!
This week on Monday, I went for an all day rush treatment, where they administered the allergens beginning at a very light dose and periodically increasing the dose throughout the day. At the end of the day, I had received six doses of each allergen. Because I'm allergic to so many things, they had to split the allergens up over three vials. That means that each time I go in for shots, I get three at a time. Ouch!
I went back today for my first post-rush shots. I'll continue to go one or two times per week as they increase the dose to the maintenance level. Here are some pictures from Monday.
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| Location of the allergy clinic, a place I will spend a lot of time in the coming months |
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| Exhibit A: right arm with sites marked for injections |
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| Exhibit B: left arm and six more injection sites |
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| Ready for the next injections |
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| I got a little company at lunch time! Suzanna brought these guys by to visit for a little while. |
msh
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