I'm in my mid-fifties, a San Antonio native, and a lifelong allergy sufferer. In January 2021 I…read morehad surgery to remove what I've been told is a "fungus ball" from ALL of my sinus cavities, very disgusting.... those pictures would scare anyone straight. I remember at one of my earliest doctor appointments as a child, when I was 8, hearing the doctor telling my mom I needed to be in a sterile environment, with plastic sheets, no curtains, no carpet, nothing that would collect dust, no stuffed toys..... in EVERY picture of me as a child, I am clutching some stuffed, or real, animal, for dear life - a born cuddler. I was traumatized by that doctor visit, breaking down into tears while the doctor described what I later in life thought might have been a "bubble". My Mom didn't do it, thankfully. What she did instead was give me Chlortrimeton every morning, a big heaping green tablespoon full. I could breathe in the mornings, but I was in a stupor, too. My teachers called me a "daydreamer". Then in the afternoons when the "green stuff" wore off, the sneezing began, and tears streamed down my face so hard people thought I left school every day crying. It was ridiculous.
After the surgery earlier this year, my surgeon sent me to Dr. Mike. A happy coincidence, one of my friends, a girl I've known and been close with since age 12, has worked for Dr. Mike for something like 30 years.
The course of treatment Dr. Mike designed for me is keeping me breathing. I wonder if people who don't suffer from allergies, or who only suffer occasionally, have any reason to realize what a drastic life change it is to breathe freely from your nose - a thing I have never been able to do. There is so much more to my history than I could share in this forum.
I can't say enough about the warmth and care of the staff, either. A couple of times, with my overly-sensitive system, I've reacted to treatment. The whole group goes into "fix it mode". Yesterday, Dr. Adrianne took a look at the spreading redness after a shot, and it was easily handled. When she asked me how I was doing overall, I had an "aha" moment, even for me. I can BREATHE. It is so amazing.
These are kind, caring, dedicated professionals who are making such a difference for people like me. Shout out to all of the staff; I don't know everyone's name, but here goes: Ramie, Maggie (my shot girl), Adrian (spelling? Up front - very cool lady), Mercedes (new, but awesome), Dr. Adrianne and Dr. Mike. Thank you all so very much!