No No, Nose

Right before I lost my prescription drug coverage at the end of 2011, I stocked up on nasal steroid spray, pretty much the only product I used at the time that required a prescription.

And then, in typical bring-an-umbrella fashion,* being prepared for the worst made the worst not happen. 2012 was a glorious year in which (except for a few times when I had a cold) I did not suffer from a single blocked nose. 2013 is not. Since January, I've had three upper respiratory infections, each of which have resulted in at least a few days of complete nasal blockage. Today marks the third day in a row that my nose has been extremely congested (but mostly on one side) for no apparent reason.

Earlier in the month, I visited a new doctor, who reinstated my prescription for nasal steroids, even though I told him I didn't really need any just yet. But since CVS kept calling to let me know my prescription was ready, I decided to at least go pick it up for later use. But then I found out it would cost 60 dollars for a 1-month supply.

Curses. Once my fears that I wouldn't be able to afford my prescription any more were confirmed, my nose immediately went into overdrive, hitting me with the worst flare-up of idiopathic rhinitis (I only call it that because I haven't found the cause yet, not because all possible causes have been conclusively ruled out—for example, I have not had an allergy test) in I-don't-know-how-long (but my last blog post on the topic was in 2010).

I've been holding back, but I think I'm finally going to have to start using my steroid spray again. I have one reserved bottle from the Before Times, and then I'll have to suck it up and pay the pharmacist.

In the meantime, though, there is one good thing about this congestion--it keeps me moving. Every hour or so, I try to get up and do a little exercise. With a stuffy nose, I have extra motivation to keep up this routine, since when my heart rate's up is about the only time that I can breathe without chemical assistance.

*You can pretty much guarantee a beautiful sunny day if you just carry an umbrella around with you, because nature is perverse like that. If it can't make you uncomfortable in the rain, it'll make sure you're uncomfortably lugging around more gear than you need. I call this phenomenon "Bring an umbrella syndrome".