Ventriloquism and the Sinus Blowfish

Yesterday, it felt like a frightened blowfish swam up my right nostril and lodged itself in my sinus cavity. POOF! Nothing getting in, nothing getting out. I felt like that all day long. That, plus my right ear felt...weird. I was on my way to being well and truly convinced I was headed toward a sinus infection or an ear infection - or both. (Because...well, history does repeat itself.)

At one point - without warning - I suddenly could breathe again. Out of both sides. It was noticeable because truthfully, I almost never can breathe out of both sides. I'm sort of used to it being one or the other. So when I felt air flow - right and left - I noticed.

I posted to Facebook: MIRACLE! I can breathe out of both nostrils! Wait...nope. Never mind. #Allergies.

Because as soon as I started to post the blowfish got angry again.

Today, I feel fine. Apparently, the blowfish who took cover in my sinuses kissed and made up with whatever frightened it and sent it up there in the first place. Today, I'm normal. Kinda breathing out of one side, and clear on the other.  It will switch up in an our or two.

This has been a lifelong commitment. This battle between which sides of my head wish to breathe. They cannot, it seems, draw or release air at the same time.

If you're a Jeff Dunham fan, you'll understand what I mean when I say, "I talk, you talk. I talk, you talk. We cannot both talk at the same time!" Remove the word "talk" and insert the word "breathe" and...there you have it. That's me. (Jeff Dunham, for those who don't know, is a ventriloquist. And he is freakin' hysterical. There's a very short clip below to prove it.)

Anyway, my father once told me, "Jenny, you've been this way since the day you were born. I don't think you could make a sniffle I'm not familiar with."

This, sadly, is true. I've been an allergy-ridden mess since day one.

But, I'm alive. And, every day I get up on this side of the earth is a pretty good day. Right?

TTFN
JMS

Allergies are Un-fun

I've had some difficulty figuring out what to write lately.  Normally stuff just flows, but not so much the last couple of weeks.  It's annoying, really; I dislike these big gaps of nothing much in my blog.  I decided that I’d just sit down and see what happens.

***

So, Easter happened.  I spent a ton of time outdoors that day and then, conveniently, neglected to take my allergy meds (and yes, I know better…thank you for your concern) so I woke up Monday with a very irritated frog in my throat.  By Tuesday, I had no voice at all.  I actually had to forward my work phone to someone else for the day.  I felt OK – but just couldn't talk.  By Thursday, it had started moving to my chest (woo hoo!) and I was dragging, big time.  I just couldn't get outta my own way.  So, I begged forgiveness from my boss and went home and slept a good portion of the afternoon, and then all night.  By Friday, I was feeling better.  More rested.

Then, night before last, I coughed all night long.  It was so much fun.  That dry, tickly, unproductive, spasmodic cough, so as soon as I started to settle or drift off, I would cough.  Then I'd drift again.  And cough.  All. Night. Long.  I’m sure no one in my house got much sleep that night.  By yesterday morning, my chest hurt and I had circles under my eyes that looked like bruises and I was dragging again.

ENOUGH!

I took myself to the doc, who agreed with me that I was not sick, just suffering from allergies (see?  I told you!) but who also decided that I needed something to help the cough.  Enter strong cough medicine and a very early bed-time and I drifted away about 6:30 or 7:00 and slept all night!  And I didn't cough…much.  Hubby wanted to know if I was foggy in my head this morning after having taken the meds, but no, actually, I feel OK.  Still coughing, but it’s actually not so annoying today and my chest doesn't hurt as much.

It’s amazing to me what allergies can do to a body – and I live in one of the worst places imaginable for allergy-sufferers like me.  The thing is, though, I don’t want to live anywhere else.  I love where I live.  It's absolutely beautiful here.  Almost every single day I drive home and thank my lucky stars that I am able to live here, see the beauty, every day.  Lots of people have to drive a significant way to see what I see daily.  So yeah, allergies suck.  And sometimes allergies become something more – like sinus infections or upper-respiratory infections and the like.  But, I'll deal with it.  Because, truth be told, I’m happy where I am.

TTFN

JMS

Patience vs. Will Power vs. Caffiene

• For all those times when all you want to do is stay snuggled, safe and warm, in your bed and ignore your alarm clock because it’s cold or rainy outside and really, what’s your motivation?  
• For all the times you say “no” to your alarm clock.  Or the dog who has to go outside to pee.  Or to your own bladder, for that matter (ha!  How clever am I?)  Or the child who got up at the BCOD.
• For all those times you say to yourself just five more minutes and then those five minutes turn into ten, then twenty and now, suddenly, you’re going to be late. 
• For all those times that you think I really don’t need a shower (yes, you really do, I promise) so you use the time you would have taken up by showering to catch a few more minutes of shut-eye. 
• For all those times when you’re allergy-ridden and therefore you resort to a full dose of medication like Benadryl or Zyrtec and then the next morning (and possibly well into the next afternoon) you are decidedly zombie-like.
• For all those times when you’re sitting at your desk trying desperately to focus on the task at hand but your chin somehow keeps winding up in your hand and you continually find your head inching closer and closer to a full face-plant on the keyboard.  (Just imagine the pretty, lettered impressions on your cheek.)
• For all those times when it takes everything in your power not to shove your chair back, kick your feet up on the nearest elevated surface, lean as far back as your chair will allow and just close your eyes for two minutes all the while knowing if that actually happens there will be a full-on Drool & Snore Fest.

TTFN
JMS