My Allergies are in Bloom!
I am about as granola bar as it gets when it comes to health. I was raised on lots of vegetables, vitamins, chiropractic, and rarely went to a doctor growing up.
When I moved back to Canada from The Bahamas, I had no idea that I'd be suffering from seasonal or spring allergies. I was fine for the first few years as I was living in a high rise. Then, when I moved into a house, it happened to be March and I was hit by the running nose, sneezing, swollen head, and itchy eyes. I was miserable!
I researched and tried anything alternative at first, but when I couldn't take the pain I went to the drugstore. However, even taking an allergy relief tablet daily was not helping me much. My eyes were even streaming as I slept, and I'd wake up to crusty irritable eyes. It felt like I had a bad case of the flu.
It wasn't until the middle of my attendance at Vancouver Fashion Week that I realized I could not take it any longer, and I went into a walk-in clinic on a Saturday morning to seek help.
The Trinity for Allergies
Dr. Milne in Coquitlam came to my rescue. He told me I needed three things to get my hay fever or spring allergies down, and get them down good. I've since called his prescription, "The Trinity." Orally I take one Ran-Montelukast; then for my eyes, one drop of Pataday; and for my nasal passage, a shot in each nostril of Omnaris.
Although the bill is around $150 for a month's supply, I'd pay twice that, or more, to be out of the misery. Within two days of starting on the regime (dosages are once per day) I was feeling normal again. And, it does not even make me drowsy.
The following year when I felt it coming on, I wasted little time to get my fix. This year, I felt like I was almost going to get through it, then boom... (6 days later than last year's date), I could not take the growing symptoms, and went in for the Trinity. Interestingly, the clinic receptionist was red-eyed and stuffy when I got there. You could tell she was suffering from allergies. I am not sure why she'd not talk to the doctors she works for, but I shared my story with her.
I can't imagine how many people live with this every year, when they don't have to. I am certainly grateful for modern science on this one, as I am usually out-of-doors, paddling, hiking, or doing watershed and salmon related work. Canada's west coast is one of the most beautiful places to be in the spring, and I am glad I can get out and enjoy it!
Crocuses-Whachell-Robbin