Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Blooming...allergies!

It has been over 3 weeks since I have started to suffer from some major allergies! Had no idea I even had allergies! But after waiting (im)patiently, telling them that my nose is totally stopped up, my eyes and skin red and itchy, sneezing uncontrollably ...well it actually took a bloody nose last tuesday to actually get their attention, and me COMPLETELY FREAKED OUT!  I had already seen the team doc, and he had prescribed me antihistamine (which makes you really tired!) and nasonex, but he symptoms persisted and got worse. Along with those medications he also prescribed this blood allergy test called RAST which I had to wait until a few days later to get it done, by then it was already Friday and the results take a couple of days so yesterday I got the test results and went to see the team doctor and sure enough...VERY ALLERGIC to the grassfields here ...even olive tree blooms I am mildly allergic to.  He wasn't too surprised, specially after taking a look at me....I was red , swollen, with rashes (itchy ones) all over, legs, arms, face, chest, back.  Unfortunately until I can get on a proper treatment that involves a corticosteroid for my airways I need to wait till I do this other exam that is required by UCI since if i get tested that would come out + for doping, just like an asthmatic person w/o a TUE would get busted for using an inhaler.  Then after I get those test results which I hope I can get it done soon, then the team doc has to send it all to usacycling, then I wait, when I finally get the approval from UCI for treatment, then  the doc can start ! Isn't that bananas?? wow...that is not good, on top of feeling horrible, want to peel my skin off and feeling tired from breathing only through my mouth, I shouldn't be allowed outside in order to keep the severe allergy reaction under control.  That's not good! how the heck am I supposed to train !!!HELP!! I bet you can't tell I am freaking out! well...its a delicate thing when you have to deal with your own health in a foreign country, I don't really know the language to that extent to where I can explain myself or understand all that needs to be done in order to help myself...treatment and etc.  At least we don't race till June 9th hopefully we will be able to get everything sorted out before then!

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