Glad to hear @HImom!
Well, make sure to set aside some time for fun, even though your main purpose is MD appointments. You want to remember those trips for a variety of reasons, not just unpleasant ones.
Yes, we’ve become very good about combining MD visit trips with vacations. We’ve done more of them than I’d like to think of. This will be our 2nd and 3rd of them this year. Fortunately, SF and Denver are awesome cities. We always manage to have some great memories.
I do have the greatest respect for my Denver doc and know he really wants me to help figure out what’s going on; it helps that he’s been treating me for 16 years and isn’t intimidated because I’m complicated. People from all over the world go to his med center for respiratory help–they’re #1 in the US and he’s been running an asthma and a basic science lab for a very long time. He promised to help me figure things out.
The Stanford doc hasn’t known me nearly as long and we haven’t developed a strong relationship yet. I’m not quite sure how things will go, but do like that his clinic is closer to HI and at sea level, not 5000+ feet.
If you are currently using open windows that is probably where the high pigeon droppings are coming from. Hopefully the AC will get rid of that.
I think perhaps the down and feather pillows may be a culprit and we will try replacing all our pillows today and see if that makes any difference. We have them in all bedrooms and living room. It just struck me at 4 in the morning!
My RN friend and her MD hubby suggested we try living in different parts of the US for awhile and see whether any particular area is better for my health than where we currently live. We are thinking this over and it’s a definite possibility.
Today’s test – barium swallow fluoroscopy showed NO reflux! Yeah! She even had me lie on my stomach and drink and NO reflux.
What a wonderful solution if it is those pillows! Like I posted before - the show House md- always investigated the home for toxic agents !
http://www.livestrong.com/article/258868-down-pillow-allergy-symptoms/
Glad to hear no reflux.
Down pillows are terrible for my allergies and asthma.
My D and I are super allergic to cats. We bought a house where the former owners had a cat. I had continuous sinus infections until I moved out of the house.
Allergies and lung problems can be so hard to figure out. I hope you can get this figured out.
Himom- another woman also suffering from baffling condition-
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/01/AR2008020103211.html
I know people who moved from PNW to Denver, and their allergies disappeared.
Denver is too high altitude for me, though I do go there to see my lung doc, who practices there. I need to use supplemental O2 the whole time, which gets tiring for me.
I used that example an anecdotal support for what your friend suggested. It is not too far off to consider finding a place where your allergies could be minimized. PNW might be a bad spot for you like it was for them - too many things blooming year round.
Yea, am thinking maybe around SF might be good (if expensive). At least the climate is fairly moderate. I went to school in Eugene–the wet and grey got to me, as well as the allergens. I did like Northern CA. We may just try a longish, several month vacation and see how it goes. We have a D in CA already & if we live near the airport and good medical care, we should be fine.
SF can get wet and gloomy. Have you looked at Napa/Sonoma or San Jose area? The Santa Clara wine country is very peaceful. Those would be my preferences. Housing in SF and the surrounding areas is very expensive, unfortunately.
Himon, just wishing you the best.
For years, my sister spent weeks at a time at the Denver hospital. She’s also become well aware of homeopathic solutions. She lives at a Mexican city PV for part of each year to avoid snow and cold weather. I’m thrilled how many donate to the Denver Jewish hospital (not sure of exact name).
I can’t have a cat, as it would make her sick. other restrictions too.
I’d like to live a fairly close drive to an excellent medical center as well as near major airport. San Jose has a very high COL, like SF. I went to school at UCDavis, and we did visit Napa from time to time. It’s pretty enough but neither H nor I are really wine fans.
Yes, I do love Nationsl Jewish Health medical center in Denver, CO. They are a great place for respiratory issues and have treated me for 16 years.
Even though the costs are comparable to SF, San Jose and the areas south of it are drier and less foggy than SF. Mr.'s boss owns a ranch and a vineyard just south of SJC. It is a nice area.
One thing to consider is smog. It can get pretty bad in CA.
Air quality seems to be an issue in so many places. We have the volcanic fog and smog, depending on whether there is any wind and from what direction.
A friend had severe respiratory & allergy issues when living here in Marin. They moved to the Olympic peninsula near Seattle and it has been life changing. She has not been hospitalized or had issues in 8 years. She comes to CA to visit…and has issues again.
Hmmm, @gosmom, has she ever figured out what was causing her problems? I’ve never been hospitalized, but have frequent respiratory infections–every 3-18 months.
I don’t know specifics as she’s a fairly private person, but apparently the air up in WA doesn’t have the irritants that Marin does…it wasn’t all pollen, plant stuff, but some toxin in the air that her lungs just couldn’t tolerate. She loved Marin, but Loves that she can breathe and is healthy and active in WA.