Allergies
Okay, figured it was about time I get a new post on here.. Let's see..
Well, going back in time to when I was in school, my mom had both Marissa and I tested to see what we were allergic to. And so they mark your back in a big grid and prick you with various allergens (trees, grass, dust, cat dander, etc.) .. Every single square on my back was red except for dogs. So last summer, I decided I should get retested and sure enough, I was even allergic to dogs.. (and to cockroaches.. seriously, why would they test that one?)
So then I looked into the idea of getting allergy immunization shots. Even though my insurance will cover a majority of the cost, I'll still have to pay a substantial amount, so I was waiting until the new year before scheduling an appointment with an allergist here. That way, my insurance coverage would be a bit better.
So, every week for the past 5 weeks I've been going to get my 3 sets of shots. The first time I went, I guess I was more nervous than I thought.. especially because they have you signing forms indicating the potential risk of such a procedure (1 or 2 deaths in the US each year) But, the dosage they're starting me on is so small that there was not much concern from the nurse at all. Anyway, I have to get them once a week for.. well, a long time. Probably about 6-8 months. At that point, I reach "maintenance level" and the shots will only be needed once every two weeks, or once every month. This can last for a few years, so it's quite a commitment. Still, I figured it's better to do it now while I'm young to really receive the full benefit of years of allergy relief. I think the ultimate goal for me is to be able to really enjoy the outdoors.
So, we'll see how much improvement I see. It shouldn't do much until I get to the higher doses which won't be until probably August. Luckily, taking allergy medicine will not interfere with the process either, so I can still take meds when going to visit Kath and her family.
Speaking of, I got to spend a large amount of Kath's spring break with her at the beginning of March. We took her younger brother, Bryce, to see his first movie in a movie theatre. It was really funny to see his eyes light up at the video games, blinking lights, concession stands, etc. He seemed in such awe at the experience. That night, we got to play the penny game with everyone, and even got to play "Curses" this really crazy game I got for Christmas. Let's see.. at one point I was stuck with my wrists at my chest, anytime someone made the noise of an animal, I had to shout out the name of a deli meat, and whenever Kath's mom spoke I had to interrupt her saying "Really?", "Is that so?", etc. It was definitely goofy. Anyway, as always, the time spent with Kath was great. We got to ask her pastor about marrying us next summer, and we're going to schedule some pre-marital classes that will probably take place this summer. Should be interesting! Now we're just counting down the days before Easter break next week! Haha.. I'm driving her crazy because I also recently booked the hotel in Paris for our honeymoon, but I'm keeping everything a secret. :)
Let's see... what else? Oh, I got a promotion at work! My title changed from Programmer / Analyst II to Programmer / Analyst I. Oooh. :) Most everyone has been very congratulatory about it, and telling me it was very well deserved. There were actually three promotions in our group, that were announced to our team a week ago. The problem is, it comes at a bad time when people were just recently let go, due to budget cuts. So, there has been a little bit of hostility from other groups, but nothing actually personally directed at me. Still, for those who gave positive feedback, it felt nice to be acknowledged. Actually, I've noticed that I've been putting in a bit more effort since the promotion too, so I guess the incentive really did work. Oh, on the same day I found out about the promotion, I also won $70 in the lottery! Random, but cool.
Well, going back in time to when I was in school, my mom had both Marissa and I tested to see what we were allergic to. And so they mark your back in a big grid and prick you with various allergens (trees, grass, dust, cat dander, etc.) .. Every single square on my back was red except for dogs. So last summer, I decided I should get retested and sure enough, I was even allergic to dogs.. (and to cockroaches.. seriously, why would they test that one?)
So then I looked into the idea of getting allergy immunization shots. Even though my insurance will cover a majority of the cost, I'll still have to pay a substantial amount, so I was waiting until the new year before scheduling an appointment with an allergist here. That way, my insurance coverage would be a bit better.
So, every week for the past 5 weeks I've been going to get my 3 sets of shots. The first time I went, I guess I was more nervous than I thought.. especially because they have you signing forms indicating the potential risk of such a procedure (1 or 2 deaths in the US each year) But, the dosage they're starting me on is so small that there was not much concern from the nurse at all. Anyway, I have to get them once a week for.. well, a long time. Probably about 6-8 months. At that point, I reach "maintenance level" and the shots will only be needed once every two weeks, or once every month. This can last for a few years, so it's quite a commitment. Still, I figured it's better to do it now while I'm young to really receive the full benefit of years of allergy relief. I think the ultimate goal for me is to be able to really enjoy the outdoors.
So, we'll see how much improvement I see. It shouldn't do much until I get to the higher doses which won't be until probably August. Luckily, taking allergy medicine will not interfere with the process either, so I can still take meds when going to visit Kath and her family.
Speaking of, I got to spend a large amount of Kath's spring break with her at the beginning of March. We took her younger brother, Bryce, to see his first movie in a movie theatre. It was really funny to see his eyes light up at the video games, blinking lights, concession stands, etc. He seemed in such awe at the experience. That night, we got to play the penny game with everyone, and even got to play "Curses" this really crazy game I got for Christmas. Let's see.. at one point I was stuck with my wrists at my chest, anytime someone made the noise of an animal, I had to shout out the name of a deli meat, and whenever Kath's mom spoke I had to interrupt her saying "Really?", "Is that so?", etc. It was definitely goofy. Anyway, as always, the time spent with Kath was great. We got to ask her pastor about marrying us next summer, and we're going to schedule some pre-marital classes that will probably take place this summer. Should be interesting! Now we're just counting down the days before Easter break next week! Haha.. I'm driving her crazy because I also recently booked the hotel in Paris for our honeymoon, but I'm keeping everything a secret. :)
Let's see... what else? Oh, I got a promotion at work! My title changed from Programmer / Analyst II to Programmer / Analyst I. Oooh. :) Most everyone has been very congratulatory about it, and telling me it was very well deserved. There were actually three promotions in our group, that were announced to our team a week ago. The problem is, it comes at a bad time when people were just recently let go, due to budget cuts. So, there has been a little bit of hostility from other groups, but nothing actually personally directed at me. Still, for those who gave positive feedback, it felt nice to be acknowledged. Actually, I've noticed that I've been putting in a bit more effort since the promotion too, so I guess the incentive really did work. Oh, on the same day I found out about the promotion, I also won $70 in the lottery! Random, but cool.