I’m going to chat about my health for a bit, but feel free to skip ahead to the next photo where I dive into a delicious chicken wings recipe!
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been withdrawing—not just from the blog, but also from friends. It’s a frustrating pattern I fall into when I’m not feeling well, as I tend to shut myself off and isolate. Unfortunately, this only worsens the situation, and I’ve been struggling with my health again.
For over a year now, I’ve been battling a chronic cough that flares up periodically. I mentioned it when I shared a recipe back in July. This cough has really taken a hold of my life. When it starts, it completely overwhelms me. Sometimes it’s hard to breathe, and I find myself gasping, occasionally ending with a sneeze. The fits can be so intense that I end up sweating heavily.
One of the most frustrating aspects is dealing with the judgmental looks I get in public, whether at the grocery store or while traveling. It’s as if people are silently accusing me of risking their health. A couple of weeks ago, on a flight, a not-so-polite passenger turned around and asked me to cover my mouth when coughing. I told him I always do and explained that my cough stems from allergies and asthma, not anything contagious. Mostly, though, people are kind, expressing concern and often offering me cough drops.
Lately, I’ve found myself avoiding outings and activities because this cough is incredibly exhausting and seems to have worsened. Not only is the duration frustrating, but it’s also left me physically and emotionally drained. Some days, accomplishing anything feels like an uphill battle. I apologize to Curtis and others around me during coughing fits, but they reassure me there’s no need. Still, it’s a huge disruption, and I see the worried expression on Curtis’ face every time I cough. He’s frustrated too, but I remind him that I’m even more so.
Doctors believe my cough is due to a combination of allergies, asthma, and acid reflux. I’m skeptical about the reflux because I don’t usually have symptoms. However, to rule it out, I have an upper endoscopy with Bravo scheduled next week. The Bravo test involves attaching a device to my esophagus to monitor pH levels for 48 hours. It will be interesting to see what it reveals.
I’ve been contemplating reasons to cancel the procedure, but in the past couple of days, the worst heartburn hit, and I can’t take anything for it. They’ve taken me off acid reflux meds to prevent false negatives in the upcoming test.
My asthma has also worsened, causing increased wheezing and related coughing. Curtis finally convinced me to visit urgent care when the coughing got so severe that I thought I might have bruised a rib. At least the visit got me a cough suppressant that lessens the frequency of my coughing spells.
My allergy doctor has suggested starting Xolair injections to manage my resistant allergy and asthma symptoms. The injections mean staying at the doctor’s office for three hours after the first dose and carrying an EpiPen due to a rare risk of anaphylactic shock.
Searching “chronic cough” online, I realize my symptoms are rather common, yet I’m worried the doctors won’t find a solution. I’m also scared there might be a deeper issue.
I suspect my cough stems from all three conditions: allergies, asthma, and acid reflux. It varies, sometimes like a postnasal drip helped by cough drops, other times from the chest, audible with congestion. I also have sleep apnea, and it all feels interconnected.
Recently, I started taking bee pollen and consuming local raw honey daily, hoping for long-term benefits.
If you have any advice or experience with upper endoscopies or Xolair injections, I’d love to hear from you. Thank you for taking the time to read this!
Switching gears, let’s talk about something I love—chicken wings! Baking them using my friend Joanne’s method is now the only way I cook them.
Once you add the wings to boiling water, the water settles but will return to a boil. After boiling, make sure to dry them thoroughly so the skin crisps perfectly in the oven. Arrange them on an uncoated baking sheet, baking for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.
While they bake, prepare the sauce! Mina kindly sent me their Harissa sauce to try. I adore it spicy, but it’s equally good with the mild version. You can prepare the sauce on the stove or in the microwave.
The sauce’s color transforms with butter—it’s an essential ingredient for any wing sauce!
Once out of the oven, place the wings in a bowl, add your sauce, and mix with tongs.
There you have it! Wonderful wings with a spicy or mild red pepper buttery sauce. They’re incredibly easy and use just three ingredients—I know you’ll enjoy them!
Disclosure: Mina provided the sauces for me to try. All opinions are entirely my own.
