I would like to clarify that I am not a doctor, I support modern medicine. Though in Ontario there is a major problem with the care I can receive from a physician - namely that each visit can only deal with one ailment and one can only have one appointment per day. I'll speed things up and get back to the rant in a second.

My Allergies cause a build-up and discharge of nasal fluid. Discharge is through the front if I am awake or standing. I sleep and therefore have Post-Nasal Drip, effectively sucking back my nose juice involuntarily through the night. My Post-Nasal Drip causes additional ailments in my throat, mouth, and on my uvula (the hanging ball at the back of my throat). The swollen uvula is the worst offender in making me cough. In fact I coughed so much a couple of years ago that it caused what my doctor believes is a return of my childhood asthma symptoms. Restricting the airway while it is already swollen even made me cough up blood on a couple of occasions - but I have since healed.

It took a long time to stop feeling sick, and it was because I fought my way up the ladder to allergies. If I had originally known the cause I could have fought it rather than the problem. I fought the problem, one problem at a time.

Thanks originally to a very expensive asthma medication. My Uvula continued to make me cough, which originally was faced with cough syrup- but now I choose a salt water rinse for flare-ups. The Post-Nasal Drip continues to be an unavoidable part of the process, but I did learn that I was blowing my nose so badly that it only inflamed my sinuses and led to another infection there. (Technically a salt-water rinse in the nose would work, but I accidentally associated Neti pots with water-boarding.) Alas, my Allergies - kept in check with a medication with catchy advertisements or its generic form. It was the problem.

The Medication worked marvellously,unfortunately my living space was a hotspot for all of my allergies. My doctor couldn't have known this, or recommended changes. If took my frustration with the new rules in Ontario about visits to justify the effort put into researching what my body was doing wrong and how to stop it.

My bed was clean, but used a powerful scented detergent. I live among cats. The dampness of my basement caused a growth in radical spores. I eat more foods I am mildly allergic to than I used to, including beef. I had stopped using an air purifier and noticed more dust in the air and around the house. Even with a full dose of allergy medicine, no wonder my body was still *ruining my world*.

Now I know better. Now I can fight the cause of my ailments.