Medical Science Doesn't Scare Me

I'm generally an upbeat and positive person.  I always believe that if there is something wrong, then a doctor can fix me.  I say, "better living through chemistry" every time I get a prescription filled.  I do physical therapy and rehab just like the doctor orders.  I follow all the rules and do all the things--thinking that it will get me better.

Lately, I've had some allergy issues.  By 'lately' I mean that for the past 18 months, I've had post nasal drip.  That's it.  That's the only symptom.  No scratchy eyes.  Very little sneezing.  No rashes or skin outbreaks.  Just the constant liquid running down the back of my throat.  At the point where my general practitioner realized I was taking four Benadryl a day, every day for over a year, he decided to try the big guns.  I've had a couple of rounds of steroids and several of antibiotics.  When the GP hit the bottom of his bag of tricks, he referred me to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist.

This guy checked my mechanics.  He scanned my sinuses and really looked me over, then he refered me to an allergist for testing.  At this point, I disclosed that I'm almost 50 and I've never had any allergies.  He informed me that Yes, you can get allergies late in life.  So off to the allergist for another look up my nose and some scratch and poke testing.

Yesterday, the allergist informed me that I'm not allergic to any of the usual suspects.  He's very concerned that what's happening in my sinuses is such a longterm issue (not like a seasonal allergy) so he's leaning toward some of the more glamorous molds and dusts that are cropping up in homes today.  Some of the more arcane are not available in an extract commercially to use in scratch testing.  So, we're at an impasse. 

The allergist decides that first, we have to get my sinuses healthy.  With this in mind, I'm to flush my sinuses twice a day for a week and use a new nasal spray.  No more Benadryl.  Okay.  The allergist even showed me a video of a small girl doing the sinus flush.  Made it look easy.

I took my prescription to the pharmacist and purchased the necessary kit for the flush.  I laid off the Benadryl.  By bedtime last night, my head was filling.  This morning, I read all the detailed instructions on the kit, filled up with warm water and shook it carefully.  I was prepared.  After watching the video of the little girl, I understood the position to assume and the splashing that was to occur.  I decided on the shower.  I know, gross.  But what the heck, if its gonna make a mess, why not do it someplace that's easy to hose down?

Thank goodness I made that decision.

I can only assume that either I did it wrong or that something is VERY wrong with my sinuses.  As I gently (per package instructions) squeezed the bottle, after having achieved a good seal with my left nostril, the flood that rushed out my right nostril scared me.  Both my ears popped and felt like they were filled with liquid.  This is NOT how it looked on the video.  The doctor had very carefully pointed out how they started squeezing gently and then, when a few drops leaked out the other side, they stopped.

I checked my seal and tried again.  Same thing.  The full amount of liquid shot up one side immediately pours out the other side.  This was not in the film.  Maybe if I stood on my head, this might actually do some good, but with my current technique, I think I'm just wasting solution.  I gave myself time to drain, then blew my nose as directed.  I felt a little clearer.  Then I tried the new nasal spray.

Now, I've used nasal sprays off and on for the past year.  I've tried all the steroidal and non steroidal mixes.  I know that some burn, some don't and most can leave a gakky taste in your mouth.  But I was NOT prepared for this stuff.  Half an hour later, I was still fighting my gag reflex and horking into tissues.

This is how I'm supposed to get better?  I've spent the better part of the morning wondering if I should call the doctor's office and throw myself on the mercy of the nurse to see if I did the rinse wrong.  Or ask about the nasal spray.  What kind of toxic waste am I shooting directly into my brain?  And how is this supposed to be better than post nasal drip?

I must be doing something wrong.  This cannot be normal.

--Sandee Wagner