In the fall I started my new job, THE dream job. It’s everything I look for in a school and position. After everything else going on in life, this is a little piece God has given me to help me smile a little. Two months into work, I start getting allergies, very severe allergies. I don’t really suffer from allergies, but in the past few years, they’ve increased in severity. No matter what I take, they won’d quite go away. Now we are in later November and I am still suffering from allergies. The pharmacist tells me it’s a combination of severe allergies and a cold. So here I go with more medicine. I’m sleeping under a humidifier with essential oils in it. I notice some difference but not much. It goes away, but then comes back a few days later. Do I have to get back onto medication?
One week before Christmas break. I wake to dizziness and not being able to breathe. I am tired and feel warm. I grab my asthma pump and realize it’s expired. I literally never use it. My husband wants to wake our 4 year old son. My independent self says, “no I can uber there. Don’t wake him” Deep down I was worried, I didn’t know what was happening, but I didn’t want to worry my family. So off I go, messaging my husband through every step of the emergency room experience. They check my vitals and do x-rays. By this time I am tired and weak. The doctor worries I am losing oxygen to the brain so he does further testing. Test results comes back, this is not the case, and I am put on a machine to clear my lungs. I am diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection. I am prescribed a 5-day steriod. For anyone who knows me, I don’t like taking meds unless absolutely necessary. I am relieved that I have found the problem and now I will get better. So I thought!
One week later, we fly to California. I’m still tired and my chest is tight throughout our vacation. It was a rough trip health wise and emotionally. I’m just not feeling myself and it’s the first holiday without my mom. Now, living in New York, I’m used to many holidays where I celebrated with my mom over the phone. But Christmas 2018, She is physically not here. She is gone. That is heart breaking. I push through the holidays and 2 weeks into January. I’m sick again, with fever, cough, asthma, sinus issues, you name it. I started to connect the dots and realize that this is not just a cold. The doctor isn’t even sure at this point. She wants to send me to an allergist. Of course the allergist can’t see me for 2 months.
I decide to take things into my own hands. I follow a few health blogs and learn that certain foods can upset your stomach and are also high histamine inducing foods. Who knew! In return these causes sinus issues, etc. I decide to reach out to my accupuncturist Stephanie. She is amazing! Stephanie starts asking me questions, “what’s changed, any big event happen?” Me…”hmmm no not really, I have a new job?” She keeps asking, then it clicks, in between tears I tell her my mom passed away. She starts explaining how the lungs and grief are connected and diet affects the amount of histamine in your body. She recommends regular accupuncture and cutting out all processed foods. At this point, I will stand on my head just to feel better.
And 4 months later, I am feeling much better! I no longer eat processed foods and only stick to fresh veggies, fruit, and protein. I have a pretty healthy diet in general, but I love my sweets and crispy snacks. It’s really made me think about what I eat and what I feed my family.
It also made me think about how emotional stress affects the body and shows itself in different ways. I hope my story will inspire others to focus on how grief impacts our daily life. Grief is a process and there is no time line for it. We all grieve in different ways.
I found a few blogs that really helped me focus on what can be triggering my allergies. If you are experiencing similar symptoms, check them out.
Amy Myers MD
https://www.amymyersmd.com/2017/10/histamine-intolerance/
With Love From Kat
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