This year in Michigan, particularly the past two weeks, the allergy bugs out there have played no favorites - they've attacked everybody. I'm amazed I even made it out of bed this morning, with chest congestion, head stuffed up, nose plogged, throat sore, eyes watery and a sneeze every ten seconds. Thank goodness the allergy medication took effect!
The allergy season got off to a late start this year, what with the weather being cool for May, but it's really picked up, and it's not even cottonwood season yet! The silver lining? Two co-workers were sniffling & sneezing it up yesterday in my department, which disproves the notion given to me some time ago: that as you age, the allergies tend to go away. My co-worker Dave told me he can't remember the last time he was coughing so much. My cousin's been under the weather as well. So it's true, folks: you can't pass off allergies around here as just a poor excuse.
Allergies have been an annual May & September occurrence for me since age four. I am allergic to almost everything outside except dust and dog/cat dander/fur. I won't soon forget the procedure I had done at age 11 to find out the source of my allergies. It was the longest two hours I ever spent at the pediatician. They injected about two dozen syrums of different pollens & allergens into your back, marked them, and then you had to lay on your stomach for nearly an hour without moving an inch. The fact I had extreme urges to twitch around within the first five minutes of that hour was enough to drive me nuts. I ended up babbling the entire time with endless conversation that caused my mother to leave the room twice in aggravation. She could not fathom how uncomfortable I was. And this was in the day where I didn't have back trouble; were I to get the tests now, I'd have to get my back injected by what I call "deadening formula".
Turned out I was allergic to almost everything green out there (money included, these days), and I ended up getting booster allergy shots for seven years afterward. But they did nothing; I never even passed the maintainence phase for seven years, which baffled the doctor. So I learned to live with the symptoms from then on. This year is worse than the last three, and I'm praying for June to come quick so these pollens can pass on through.
This, along with the 96 degree heat index, will preclude me from doing my normal Memorial Day running as detailed yesterday - maybe tomorrow. Anyway, I already know the answer to my flag question and I know I won't suffer shock tomorrow if I go.
