Green eggs and ham and noses

Fair warning to those who read today's blog... it might be a little gross. Read at your own risk.


I am an allergy sufferer. I've had allergies for as long as I can remember. I've been on every med, done the shots, tried every alternative out there, and I am still plagued by allergies. But there's one thing I would never do.

The Neti Pot.

I'm sorry, but those things look gross. And the thought of all that stuff running through my sinuses grosses me out.

So for years, I've heard about the Neti Pot. I've been told to get one. I've read articles about the benefits.

But I did nothing about it, because frankly, I was afraid and grossed out.

I'm not sure when or where it began, but since childhood, I have had an irrational fear of water on my face and in my nose. I never learned to be a good swimmer because there was no way I was going to put my face in the water. My biggest fear- getting water in my nose. I don't care what methods are out there for not getting water in your nose, I always do, it feels gross, and I'm scared to death of it. So I've chosen to avoid it entirely.

With my allergies, I've been forced to tolerate nasal sprays, and I do okay with them. But the thought of a stream of water from a Neti Pot, in my nose, simply cannot be tolerated.

My doctor recommended a nasal irrigation thing that frankly, I haven't done. Again, the thought of that much water in my nose is just gross. Instead, I used an extra amount of saline nasal spray and called it good. A mist, after all, is less gross than a big spray of water.

I know, I'm weird... and yes, I use gross a lot. But seriously, I have a very low tolerance of things that gross me out. And I refuse to do anything that grosses me out.

However...

My allergies are going crazy. I'm doing acupuncture to help them, but it's a slow process, and unfortunately, not enough to deal with the ragweed this year. My doctor has done all he can do, my acupuncturist has done all she can do, and everyone keeps saying the same thing- I need better nasal irrigation.

Today, I tried the Neti Pot.

I didn't hate it. It was slightly gross, but not nearly as gross as I'd imagined.

Was it a miracle cure? No. Do I feel better than I did? Yes.

I feel like Sam I am after finally trying green eggs and ham.

So for all of you, whatever you're afraid to try, no matter how gross it looks or seems, try it and see. It might not be nearly as bad as you thought, even if it's a Neti Pot.