Sick of being sick

I went to the doctor today.  I officially have topped my previous records, with five, that's right FIVE rounds of sinus infections that morphed into bronchitis this Fall/Winter.  Plus a lovely round of flu right after the holidays.  It seems like I have been sick much more than I have been well since September.  The instances not only have become more frequent, but they are becoming stronger and kicking my booty more.  I've had fever with three rounds, whereas I seldom had fever with it before this year.  And once the coughing starts, (and it always starts), it's worse also than ever before.  I've spent days in bed this year.

All of this is scaring me a little.  My family doctor has done all he can do.  I'm on two different nasal sprays, an antihistamine, diligent about using my sinus rinse twice a day (more when I get sick), and sometimes Robitussin and a decongestent too.  Nothing is working.  When I was seeing an allergist, he referred me to an EENT doctor who screened me for the balloon sinus surgery, and determined I wasn't a candidate for that to help.  I was then tested by my allergist and told my two biggest concerns are DUST (which I've become highly allergic to), and dog hair, which I'm sort of allergic to.  Nothing else scored too serious.  The allergist then said that shots were my only other possible answer, but there's no guarantee there, and frankly we really couldn't afford them (now or then).  I decided at the time to just deal with the infections, because they weren't that bad.  Now they are.  And, friends, here we are in Texas, land of dust for a couple of years now, and only planning to get dustier.  What the heck am I going to do?  Our talks about moving to a wetter climate that were at one time joking around sound a bit more serious now.

I don't remember the last time I went outside to play with the boys.  My walks with Tucker have become so infrequent that he doesn't even look and me and wag his tail when I go get my shoes.  He still tries with Jav, though.  I love being outside in all kinds of weather, and I have become a recluse.  I feel like my quality of life has now been affected BIG TIME and I'm going to have to do something about it.  I've been reading those stories about China's poor air quality, and seeing all the people in Beijing walking around in their masks and mini oxygen tanks, and I'm starting to wonder if I should try it and see it it helps.  Everyone who sees me out walking the dog will think I have TB or something, but I'm starting not to care.

I have made an appiontment (at my father's gentle and caring pushing) with a new EENT doctor that he respects and hopes can help me.  Good Lord, I hope he can help me.  My appointment is Thursday.  More to come.