Burying your face in a fluffy dog or cat, lying in the grass with friends, disregarding the dust steadily collecting on your nightstand; these are privileges that those of us with allergies are not granted.

I was blessed to be without food allergies but was cursed with most everything else. My list includes, but is not limited to, cats, dogs, dust, pollen, trees, and grass. I distinctly remember waking up at a sleepover, eyes swollen shut, struggling to breathe because Swix the cat had slept next to my face. I realized early in my life that if I ever wanted to be able to have a dog that was not some form of a poodle or postpone my cleaning duties for more than a week, I had to do something about it. Luckily, there are many over-the-counter allergy medications that work wonders for people. I am not one of these people. I regularly take prescription strength allergy medicine along with one or two over-the-counter brands; however, that scarcely keeps my body at bay.

About one year ago I began the long and tedious allergy shot journey. I was injected every two or three days will my allergens, increasing the amount each time. During this stage, I was once administered the wrong amount and went into anaphylaxis. I changed my doctor but continued with the shots. After some time, I reached the next stage where my shots were finally restricted to every two to four weeks. Continuing on this path, I should conclude my shots in approximately five years. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix.

Cherish the times you spend watching movies on the dusty floor with your friends and climbing trees at the park because it's a thousand times harder for me to climb that same tree. For those of you with these same problems, I encourage you to try allergy shots because I have learned that life doesn't have to impair your breathing.