Okay, so I am getting in gear. Everyone else I know has and actually posts to a blog. I was starting to feel a little left out. Kind of like this big "cellphone texting" thing. I've missed that boat as well. But, not one to be outdone, left behind or forgotten I am officially starting my own personal blog! I figure where better to vent my rantings and ravings that typically go in my journal. I'm much faster at typing, my hands don't get tired after a few sentences and this comes with spell checker! Blog away...
I've been thinking a lot about allergies and allergy medications lately. What is the deal? From spring to fall I am tormented by them, are they supposed to last that long? You know, you make it through another snow filled, stuck-in-the-house-kids-going-nuts winter just to be mowed over by the watery-can't-wear-mascara-for-6-months eyes, runny nose and roof of your mouth uncontrollably itching season. Someone decides to report that the pollen count is high or ragweed has sprouted (does ragweed sprout?) or sagebrush is knocking down your door and WHAM your body goes into fits. A week of having Kleenex stuffed into every crevice of your clothes gets old really fast.
Not a big pill popper, I inevitably start to entertain thoughts of chugging an entire bottle of Zyrtec just to feel some relief. Heading to the medicine cabinet, experiencing the internal conflict of struggling to control my willpower, I reach for last years bottle. Ignoring the expiration date (do these things really expire?) I swallow only one tiny, white pill and wait for the relief to surge through me. A few hours later later I'm feeling pretty good. Practically symptom free with only one Kleenex stuffed into one pocket - just in case.
But, these miracle pills only last for 24 hours. At about 18 hours I'm starting to feel the familiar tingly sensations in my nose and throat. At 20 hours I'm looking at the clock, trying to remember when I took that first pill so I can take another at exactly the 24 hour mark. By 24 hours I'm back to wanting to chug the bottle again.
After a couple weeks of this I start thinking, "Am I becoming addicted to this stuff?" My symptoms become so intensified when these pills start wearing off that I'm wondering if they are starting to actually contribute to my misery. Is this the whole plan? They take away your allergy pains for awhile only to enhance the symptoms at the end so you can hardly stand having to wait to take another pill. What a way to guarantee sales! Thinking I've discovered a new conspiracy theory I decide to quit, cold turkey. No switching to every-other-day or cutting the pills in half, oh no, I'm stronger than that. I'm stopping now...
Wow, talk about detoxing. Three days of shear...well, you know, about took me out. Allergy symptoms so intense that I wanted to scratch my eyes, throat and even lungs out! It took all I had not to succumb to the craving for yet another allergy pill - just one more and then I'll quit. But, what do you know. After the three torturous days my symptoms mysteriously eased up. I am now proud to say that I am operating Zyrtec free and feeling quite stable. Although not completely allergy free, it is livable and worlds better than what I was experiencing when "hooked". So, back to the shelf for my Zyrtec bottle (this one new and not yet expired) where I am sure I will repeat this whole process next spring...
