I’m going to talk about my health for a bit, but feel free to skip ahead to the next photo where I chat about some amazing chicken wings!
Lately, I’ve been withdrawing not just from my blog, but also from friends. It’s a frustrating habit of mine: when I’m unwell, I tend to isolate myself, which only makes things worse. I’ve been feeling under the weather again recently.
For over a year now, I’ve been struggling with a chronic cough that comes and goes. I mentioned it when I shared a recipe last July, and it has since become a significant part of my life. Each coughing fit overtakes my entire body, sometimes making it difficult to breathe, leading to gasping or even sneezing. Often, the coughing is so intense, I end up sweating a lot.
The frustrating part is the way people look at me in public, whether I’m at the grocery store or traveling. Their looks seem to say, “Why are you out here? Don’t you dare get me sick!” A couple of weeks ago, while on a flight, a man in front of me asked me to cover my mouth when I coughed. I explained to him that I do, and assured him I’m not contagious—it’s allergies and asthma triggering my cough. Generally, though, most people are kind and offer cough drops.
This cough has taken a toll on my desire to leave the house or do much outside because it’s very exhausting and seems to have worsened. It’s been ongoing for so long that it’s both physically and emotionally draining. Some days, completing simple tasks is difficult. I often find myself apologizing to Curtis and others who witness my coughing fits, grateful when they reassure me that I don’t need to apologize. I feel bad because it disrupts so many aspects of life. I see concern in Curtis’ eyes every time I cough; he shakes his head in frustration, and I have to remind him that I’m even more frustrated.
My doctors believe the cough may be due to allergies, asthma, and possibly acid reflux. The acid reflux part surprises me since I don’t typically have those symptoms, so I’m scheduled for an upper endoscopy with a Bravo pH monitoring system. They’ll attach a device to my esophagus to measure pH levels for 48 hours. It’s certainly going to be an experience!
I’ve been contemplating canceling the procedure, but the past two days, I’ve had intense heartburn, and I can’t take anything for it because they’ve taken me off reflux medication to prepare for the endoscopy, to avoid false negatives.
My asthma has also worsened, causing more wheezing and, consequently, more coughing. The other week, Curtis insisted I visit urgent care as the coughing was so severe I thought I had bruised a rib. I had to adjust my sleeping position with pillows to ease the pain, and I’m glad I went—they gave me a cough suppressant, which now means coughing less frequently.
My allergist has suggested starting Xolair injections for my allergies and asthma since my symptoms have grown resistant to standard medications. These injections require staying at the doctor’s office for three hours after the first dose and carrying an epi-pen due to the rare risk of anaphylactic shock.
When I searched online for “chronic cough,” it seemed common, but I worry my doctors may not find a solution. I’m also concerned it could be something more serious. It feels like my chronic cough could indeed be a combination of allergies, asthma, and acid reflux. The nature of the cough varies; sometimes, it feels like a postnasal drip, other times it seems to originate from my chest with a rattling sound. I also have sleep apnea, which might be interconnected.
Recently, I’ve started using bee pollen and eating local raw honey daily, hoping they’ll help in the long run.
I’d love to hear any advice or experiences you might have, especially if you’ve gone through an upper endoscopy or received Xolair injections. Thanks for reading!
Now, onto something delicious—chicken wings! Baking them using my friend Joanne’s technique has become my go-to method.
Once you’ve added the chicken wings to boiling water, the water calms down only to come back to a boil. After boiling, make sure to pat them dry thoroughly to ensure the skin crisps up nicely in the oven. Place them on an uncovered baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.
While they bake, make your sauce! Mina graciously sent me their Harissa sauce to try. I love the spicy version, but it works with the mild sauce too. You can prepare this on the stove or in the microwave.
I adore the color of the sauce after adding butter—it truly transforms it. Every wing sauce needs butter! After removing the wings from the oven, put them in a bowl, add your prepared sauce, and mix with tongs.
And there you have it! Wonderfully spicy or mild red pepper buttery wings that are simple to make with just three ingredients. I’m sure you’ll love them.
Disclosure: Mina sent me some of their sauces to try, though I wasn’t compensated, and all opinions are my own.
