Dear Dr. Carr,

Yesterday, after mowing my lawn, I pulled out my weed eater and attacked the 4 foot high long grass and weeds growing along the ditch in my back alley. It was a tough battle. At the end I had to crawl out of the ditch covered in weeds, grass and dust, but I crawled out victorious and rewarded myself with a cold beer in the hot tub. All in all, a pretty fine day.

Some people may ask what the big deal is, cutting the grass, trimming the weeds, having a beer outside in the hot tub. It’s not a big deal to most people; however, it is if you have had allergies to grass and trees for the last 40 years…

Since I was a kid, mid-June has always been a nightmare for me, the peak of the allergy season, a season that typically starts in early May and end in mid-July for me. This is a time most Vancouverties look forward to, as the sun starts to show its face after months of rain and darkness. For me, I always wished for a long, wet, rainy and dark spring. It’s a time I always stayed indoors as much as humanly possible, ideally in air-conditioned homes and offices to further filter the air. You wouldn’t catch me sitting outside having a cold beer in the hot tub, let along cutting the grass and you definitely wouldn’t see me with a weed eater in my hands. Itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, I had all of these in the extreme. Have you ever seen someone sneeze 20 times in a row? The first one or two sneezes feel pretty good, but after a dozen, you’re drained, you’re on the floor wondering if you’ll survive.

This all started to change two years ago, thanks to the incredible abilities of Dr. Melissa Carr. After an initial consultation, Dr. Carr put me through a series of acupuncture sessions and set me up with a herbal tea mix designed specifically for my needs. Being new to acupuncture at the time, I didn’t know what to expect and was a little worries about the needles. Turned out there was nothing to be worried about. I found it to be one of the most relaxing and enjoyable experiences I’ve had. The tea mix I still look forward to every evening, a little honey to sweeten it up, tastes great. I don’t know all the details, but unlike allergy medications, the tea is for my general health and in turn it helps my immune system deal with the allergies. I get to feel great without the side effects of the allergy pills (which never worked in any event).

When you have severe allergies, you’re tired, you’re depressed, it’s like you’re in a prison watching the world go by outside, and you can’t go out and take part in that world because it will make you sick. Dr. Carr’s treatments changed all that and in turn changed my life. I now enjoy the outdoors again. I’m one of the few people that can’t wait to go outside and cut my lawn because it’s something I couldn’t do in the past.

Dr. Carr, thank you. You have allowed me to open doors and enjoy the world again. I am forever grateful!

-- B.T., Burnaby