Long, long time ago my very cool Aunt Carroll took her 13 year old niece to Chi-Chi’s after a trip to the Millcreek Mall in Erie Pa. She was excited and wanted me to try a N/A fu-fu drink, but instead? I asked for a glass of milk. And this pretty much has lasted for the next 20 years.

So I found it odd that I have not been drinking milk lately. (Yeah, yeah Jen we get it…)

TODAY I went to the doctor. I have been UTTERLY MISERABLE the last month or so and ASSUME that I need my Allegra D prescription refilled to handle the allergies. And the 4 cats I now live with.

You see, when I was unemployed a while back I was without the health insurance and I started taking the over the counter generic Claritin. It worked, enough. Although ALLEGRA is seriously a miracle drug for me. I suffered, but it was only mildly annoying.

I started working last May and never really NEEDED the Allegra that badly. I think I refilled it once or twice. I have enough to use 2X a day even though when allergies are bad? I can handle taking only 1X a day and I feel FINE!

Come July? I have noticed that it is that time of the year again. The generic over the counter is not helping. I am horribly itchy back of my throat/nose/sneezy/stuffy/watery eyed and FULL OF HEADACHES. Every. Single. Morning. And Every. Single. Night.

But do I make the appointment? Nooooo. Instead I assume that the allergies will eventually subside…and my headaches HAVE to be caused by my glasses. I MUST need a new prescription.

LAST week I went to the eye doctor and I called my PCP to call in an Allegra script for me. The nurse from the office called me back 4 days later and told me I had to make an appointment. (Grrr.)

And the eye doctor told me my vision was fine. Of course he also mentioned that before considering a new pair of glasses I might want to schedule an appointment to do the laser procedure in my right eye. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUGH! BUT he didn’t think it was that necessary yet. All was well.

The laser procedure is a quicky outpatient where my eye surgeon goes in and tells me to hold very very very very very still and he points a laser at my lens and pokes a hole or two. Because, I have artificial lenses in my eyes after my cataract surgeries a few years ago, sometimes pressure will build up behind this lens and cause blurriness. I had the left eye lasered a few years ago. BUT SINCE I HAVE AN EYE PHOBIA THE THOUGHT OF DOING THIS AGAIN, well, deters me just a little bit. I can’t even stand my yearly appointment when they test the pressure in my eye and I KNOW that damn little probe that comes very very very close is actually TOUCHING my eye.

Last night? I think I had about one complete hour of sleep the entire night. I tossed and turned and was MISERABLE and my head hurt and my nose/throat itched and my Kleenex were all over the floor. I had no choice I HAD to call the doctor.

Out of work and into the doctor I went. Now here’s the rub. In addition to taking my meds twice a day. AND buying an air purifier and locking the gatos out of the bedroom, I AM SUPPOSED TO DO A DAIRY ELIMINATION DIET FOR TWO WEEKS. My symptoms have been pretty consistent throughout the years and they are so much worse now, that the doctor wants to rule out a dairy allergy.

BUT I LIKE MILK!

“Do you have a lot of dairy in your diet?”

Hmmm. NO I think, I have been tossing out the gallon of milk…oh wait. Cheese is made of milk. And yogurt. And butter. Gulp, and ICE CREAM. Hmmmm. Yeah, I might eat a lot of dairy.

Shit.