Back to Almost Normal

It was a hard going back to work today.  It was raining and icy out.  I'm still recovering of course from this infection.  I felt better today than yesterday.  I am recovering faster from these infections.  I get help from the elephant sized antibiotics the doctor gives to me too! 

The problem is I think I feel a lot  better and as soon as I get a little too active, I start to feel icky.  Icky is a good word.  It doesn't describe feeling very bad and it doesn't say I'm not so bad off either.  I'm just icky.  Ick, ick, ick, icky.  I think I'm doing well and then all of sudden WHAM!  I'm feeling good one moment and the next, I feel like I need to sit down and rest for a long time.

I've had so much more energy in the last 3 years.  I have to keep reminding myself that I need to take things carefully, so I can fully recover and not get the infection back.  The infection affects my immune system and even though I am well controlled with my diabetes, I still have to be careful.  I have to rebuild my immunity.  I think stopping shots for 3 weeks to be tested didn't help.  It was the wrong time to be tested.  It was too close to the end of the year.  The holiday season is very stressful, my job is stressful; and was more stressful than usual this year.    But like I said before , I usually get sick right after Christmas.   One year I went to bed in the middle of our family Christmas party, with everyone's coats piled over me.   Good thing it was at our house that year.  

I have scar tissue on my heart from a serious infection I had about 15 years ago.   That was when I was first diagnosed with alleries and sinus problems.   We drove through the entire state of Arizona once and stopped at different towns to visit, as we traveled to Momument Vally Utah.  I got sick within hours of getting to Flagstaff.   I went right to bed at the hotel and was groggy the next morning.  As we drove out of the area, I was fine again.  I was doing really well everywhere, but Flagstaff.  On the way back I got sick after we got there again!  It turns out there are a lot of things I was allergic to in the area.  You know I just don't think about the scar tissue, until I get an infection.  So you can understand why I work so hard to avoid them.  I had sinus surgery 12 years ago.  I was much worse before that surgery. 

Well this year when I started getting allergy shots again after my testing was complete, the shots were at half strength.  You can't get them at full strength or you will have a major reaction.  It takes months to rebuild that immunity with a new mixture of injections.  Even though I have worked hard to be and stay healthy, I can't control everything.  That's just not possible and I won't stop living the way I do, or be afraid to do what I've been doing.   If that makes any sense.  

It sucks to be allergic to things that you can't possibly avoid, like dust mites and mold.  They are everywhere.  The only time mold is not a problem is July.  July!  One single month!  If I could only pack everything I do outside into that one month.  I could spend all of my spare time playing in the dirt in July!  I thought frost killed the mold in the winter.  Well, apparently not.  You learn something new every day.   I'll have to make some special plans for July.   I do my major gardening in April, May, June and September,  Not July.  You can't plant too many things in the hottest part of the year you  know.

Guess that may explain why I was one of the only people who wasn't sick on our trip to the Smokey Mountains a couple of years ago.  No wonder, we went in JULY.   I brought everything I might need and then some!  I ate mostly separate meals from everyone else.   I practiced yoga and meditation every morning.   I ate organic and natural.   I was an earth mother that trip.   Well it worked didn't it!   I stayed healthy and didn't get sick!   In fact I felt fantastic!   I hiked in the mountains every day.  Half the group had headaches and sore throats and the one person with all of the allergies had none!  Ha! HA! 

I have been doing really well for so long, but it's still a little frustrating, when I start to feel icky.  Then I have to remind myself, I have defeated so much and will continue.  I may be down for the moment, but don't count me out!