Valeria Out Loud

Hey everyone!

I just returned from the allergy appointment that I had mentioned in my last post. There wasn’t much time to write anything during my visit, however. I was kinda busy with swelling and needles, so. 😂

It was fun.

Sarcasm.

I honestly wasn’t sure what was going to happen during this visit because I’ve never had a scratch test done on myself before. I figured I’d have time to do stuff but nope. Not at all. For those who have never had a panel done, it was interesting. Really interesting. They ask a ton of questions, regarding symptoms*. Which helps them narrow down what to look for, in choosing what allergen to prick you with.

*Like a person with allergies can usually hone in on what’s the issue. For example, I have symptoms of sinus pressure and congestion, lethargy, sneezing, etc, during certain months of the year. But, in recent years, I also have that feeling when it rains. Though I can pretty much figure out what is going on- I have allergies to pollen- I never knew what exactly was the culprit.

So back to the appointment. The first part is this initial scratch, that they performed on my forearms. The nurse grabbed a refrigerated crate that had small compartmentalized solutions. She then grabbed these contraptions to dip into the solution. The best way for me to describe it is as a multi-pronged plastic wand that had scratchers on the tips- so it scratches the very top layer on the skin as it makes a grid. It didn’t hurt at all. Once those scratched my skin, I had to sit still for ten minutes to see which would start to flare up.

Right off the bat I could see (and feel) some of the samples reacting. So she wiped down my arm and went to touch each scratch one by one, rating them with what looked like a measurement score. She was happy to see reactions. It was kinda funny. The scratches that swelled, even a little, were the ones she actually tested for again in a bigger -wider variety- sample.

Which means needles. Eh, this didn’t hurt much at all. There were about 25 injections in total. They were all very superficial injections, so it was mildly annoying. Once she labeled my arm and injected me with the allergen solutions, we waited and we chitchatted the whole time. Because I am chatty. The injection sites turned itchy pretty quickly and then welts appeared, but I held back itching. I had to!

After the timer went off for this round, she went through and rated the welts again. It was interesting to see the welts from the first round that were small, turned out to be huge! It was great to learn, definitively, what I am allergic to. Right after the tests, she talked to me about solutions to treat my symptoms and to help stop the spread or contain the allergens. Such interesting stuff! But now I feel armed with ways to help me feel better.

I know what I am allergic to, guys!

So in short, I am highly allergic to mold (7 varieties), three types of trees, two types of grass, and what I was dreading to hear ..dog and cat. But these were the most minor ones in the lot. I can take steps to make my symptoms less severe and will. But still, I am not stopping Jack 🐈‍⬛ from sleeping with me every night. Nope. No way.

Oddly, I am feeling really good right now even though I just left an appointment where I was scratched then injected for an hour 😆. I feel a weight off my back. To have an answer and solutions is a relief!

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Oh and on the vaccination front, this girl is fully vaccinated and ready to get her life back!!

Woo!!

Well, I should be getting my focus back to work. Blah. Work. 😆 anywayzzz. Tty all when I get back from our trip in two weeks. We leave this week and I just can’t wait!

Thank you guys for reading my update today! I hope you know how much I appreciate you reading along. Please let me know in the comments if you are also allergy sufferers too and if you have any tips.

Till my next post! xoxo