This has been my last 2 to 3 years of health. Hoping to improve even more!

Allergy shots. WARNING: TERRIBLY LONG POST.

The past 2 to 3 years have been tough health wise. It's nothing life threatening but definitely frustrating in its own respects.

I have had a terrible cough and nasal congestion to the point where I wake up and cannot breathe except through my mouth. My throat continuously feels like someone is choking me or applying pressure and occasionally tender on the outside of my neck.

In the last 3 years I have had 2 thyroid blood tests, an ultrasound of my thyroid, 3 tb tests, 3 chest x-rays for pneumonia and bronchitis, allergy testing, 6 rounds of antibiotics, 1 round of prescription strength cough medicine, 2 CT head scans.

The CT head scans showed that I had a chronic sinus infection. My first round of antibiotics, penicillin, I ended up being allergic to. Hives, itching and burning skin with slight throat closure I was terrified to go to sleep. I have been on so many rounds of antibiotics in 1 year that it messed with my menstrual cycle and birth control. I had multiple periods a month that were terrible.

I have done sinus surgery to clear out mucus, reduce my septum and reduce my inflamed nasal passages. Luckily they caught the sinus infection that I had for 2 whole years! It could have led to meningitis. After 6 months I was able to breathe so much better!

However the doctor said that my allergies will not simply go away. I wanted to see how well I could breathe now that I had rid myself of a chronic sinus infection and while it helped tremendously my allergies are still terrible.

I have year round allergies, including hay fever which means not only am I allergic to things but my immune system tries extra hard to fight off these substances which makes it harder to breathe. Trust me when I say I have tried EVERYTHING! netti pots, otc pills, nasal sprays, decongestants, prescription pills and nasal sprays and decongestants. The only thing that works is the nasal decongestants and then on ly up to 80% of the time and you can only use them 3 days in a row. The congestion is worse after it stops being effective due to the rebound effect.

Anyways after this almost 3 year long journey which has also put me into a bit of a depression, after being poked and proded, having scopes shoved down my throat and up my nose I have given in to allergy shots. This is my last hope!

I get 3 shots a week containing my allergens which will help desensitize my immune system to them so that it stops attacking them. Therefore hopefully getting rid of my allergy symptoms. The doctor said that 95% of people start to feel relief after 6 months but it takes about 3 to 4 years to complete the entire process. There are different stages, stage 1 to 6 then concentration. Stage 1 is the most dilute solution of my allergens. It takes a few months to go through each stage then you reach concentration. Which is the pure allergens without any dilution. After you have gone through the entire vile of concentration you go cold turkey off the shots to see if your symptoms improve. He said some people are "lifers" and come back for shots because their symptoms still come back. These people continue to get shots at the concentration level but only about once a month.

Even if I have to do 1 shot a month for the rest of my life it will be worth it to breathe!