The Background Story

Hi there! My name is Keera, I'm 29, and for the last 15 years I've been living with Samter's Triad. For those of you who don't already know the drill, this incurable (or so I've been told) syndrome brings with it:

1) Nasal Polyps - masses in your sinus cavities that sort of resemble unpeeled grapes. Luckily not as dangerous as colon polyps, which can develop into colorectal cancer, but still really awful. There are entire years of my life in which I haven't been able to smell anything. Like, at all. Furthermore, they lead to never-ending sinus infections, headaches, difficulty breathing and sleeping, and more sneezing than you can shake a stick at.
2) Adult-Onset Asthma - Like breathing through a straw.
3) Aspirin Sensitivity - Once I had a nurse who gave me a very thorough talking-to about the difference between an allergy and a sensitivity. (To which I said, "Thank you for defining the problem, but I'd rather you fixed it.) (Just kidding, I didn't say that.) Anyhow, a sensitivity is a response that builds up over time, instead of triggering the response of the antibody Immunoglobin-E. So for example, if I eat one almond, I probably won't notice any issues. If I eat 30 almonds, I definitely will. 

The least fun thing about Samter's triad is that nobody knows how to cure it. There's not even a definitive answer as to what causes people to develop the disease. The most scientists have figured out is that there's a (complicated and probably boring to those of you who don't care about science) breakdown in a metabolic pathway within the body that results in an overabundance of the enzyme leukotriene, which causes a very uncomfortable level of inflammation.

Fortunately, I do like science. And not feeling like crap. Which leads me to this blog. I have decided that I am tired of constantly being on medicine, and still being afraid to exercise or eat anything, ever. So I am embarking on a journey of healing, and I aim to record almost everything, whether it works or not, in this blog. Part of why I have been so complacent in tackling my health issues is because there is just so little information available about Samters. To be sure, there is some research out there, but certainly nothing decisive or frankly, even anything that makes me feel hopeful about a cure.

So. We will find a cure. Me, both the scientist and the science experiment, and you, the reader who will hold me accountable. (Seriously. This task gets daunting. Knowing that there is even one other person with Samters that I might be helping is more helpful than I can even quantify.)

Here's to our health!