Lately I have been so overwhelmed with everything there is to do.  There just aren’t enough hours in the day to fit it all in and I feel like I am getting further and further behind on things.  I just can’t seem to keep up with everything… how do people do it??

Work.  I have been lucky enough to cut down my work schedule to four days a week now.  I have most Wednesdays off and then I come in a bit earlier the other four days to catch up on what I missed.  This has made a huge difference since traffic is much lighter at that time and it gives me an entire day to catch up on things.

Food.  Everything on our new diet is so time consuming to prepare.  I feel like my life is being planned around my allergies.  We can’t go out without first planning what food I need to bring with me since I can’t order from restaurants anymore.  Everything needs to be made from scratch.  This is taking a lot of adjustments for me as I’m used to quick and easy meals, not to mention the amount of dishes I accumulate cooking that way!

Shots.  One of the reasons I chose Wednesdays to be off was that it is my shots day.  Going in for my shots is not a very quick appointment.  After checking in, going over any reactions from last week’s shot, and then getting all four shots… they make you wait in the waiting room for thirty minutes to make sure you are okay before you leave.  I’m gone for at least two hours, on a good week, to get shots.

Life.  Between all the new time demands in my schedule, I haven’t found much (or any) time for fun stuff… no scrapbooking, no reading, not so much blogging.  All of that time has been replaced with extra grocery trips for more fresh foods, chopping fruits and veggies, chopping, more chopping, and cleaning (since I’m not allowed to have dust anymore)!  Plus there are always little projects we need to work on around the house, such as cleaning out the hall closet since it wont close anymore.

My brain is just too full always thinking ahead about all the stuff I need to do next.  I find my self sitting on the couch stressed out about all the stuff I need to get done that day, but I’m stuck there because I just don’t know where to start.

I have very strong psychosomatic tendencies.  The medical dictionary describes psychosomatic as: of, relating to, involving, or concerned with bodily symptoms caused by mental or emotional disturbances.  Yep… that’s me!  I’m the kind of person that can watch those medical documentary shows, and then start feeling the same way as the sick people right away.  I can’t help it.  Once the idea is in my head there is no getting it out.

This is proving to be very problematic on allergy shot days.  The rule at the allergy clinic is that you must have your EpiPen with you to receive your shots.  There are so many warnings about what could possibly happen.  I know it’s unlikely, but it still freaks me out.  Here’s the thing… the second she gave me the shot, I could feel my throat closing.  Only it wasn’t because they check you to make sure you’re okay.  Then you have to stay in the waiting room for 30 minutes to make sure you stay okay before they send you home.

They also tell you to expect a worsening of allergy symptoms right after shots and the next day too.  I honestly can’t tell what is a reaction and what is my mind playing tricks on me.  I definitely know my breathing is tighter the day after because I feel completely out of breath today.  My neck feels swollen, but it doesn’t look swollen.  I’m itchy and very fatigued, but it’s too hard to tell if that is my environment, the shots, or just life.

When you go in for shots the nurse asks if you had any bad reactions from last week’s shots.  My honest answer is that I don’t think so… but I’m not entirely sure.  One time the doctor said I would know if I was experiencing a symptom.  But really, if you tell me I might experience something, chances are that I will.  No matter how much I try to distract myself or keep my mind off of it.  I think my breathing is worsening just by remembering this and writing it.

Anyone else get sicker just by over thinking their symptoms?