Thinking About: The Summer
We’ve just slipped into British Summer Time (BST) here which means that it’s almost time for me to start popping my anti-histamines. For 23 years now I’ve had to take a daily dose of drugs to make the summer months bearable – not great, just bearable. I’m sure that I used to like the summer. I’m not a huge fan of heat but we don’t often get really hot weather here and there are ways to cope. I always liked the way that the warmth brought out the pretty girls in their thin summer dresses but these days I try to stay indoors as much as I can. So summer is no longer my favourite season. Of course some years are better than others. I’ve found an anti-histamine that seems to work pretty well (thanks to CQ’s advice) so I don’t suffer too much – most of the time. But it still irks me that I only developed this affliction in my 20’s supposedly – according to my doctor – because of the stress of my final exams, as if that could bring on hay-fever.
Suffice it to say that I look forward to the next 4 months with a certain amount of trepidation. At least I can afford the drugs I guess and it’s not as if I need to be outside because of my job or family commitments. I don’t have to walk the dog or take the kids to the park. I don’t even like gardening that much, so it’s not as if I’m going to miss being outside overly much. It’s just that I guess I’d like to at least have the choice. Part of the problem I have is that hay-fever symptoms don’t exactly make you attractive. Constant sneezing, blotchy skin and red inflamed eyes are not exactly a turn on. Maybe I’m lucky that I didn’t have it during my teenage years – not that it would’ve made a whole lot of difference I’m guessing.
Maybe I should just be stoical about the whole thing. I’ll throw enough drugs at it, hide when I have too and cope – just like I always do. It’s not exactly going to kill me it’s just going to irritate my nose and give me something to bitch about. At least my new building is air-conditioned which should help. I wonder if they’d mind me setting up a fold-out bed in there.
4 comments:
I developed late allergies too and it pisses me off. I never, ever had them and then in my mid 20's - bang! I don't buy the stress excuse since I wasn't really stressed at the time. Some people just develop allergies. I've found that the neti pot (nasal lavage) helps a lot. It rinses out all the allergens from your sinuses & nasal cavity. I can empathize with your plight.
CK, I feel your pain. After more than 25 years of horrible allergies and ever increasing food allergies, I finally went to an allergist and had the whole array of pokes to my skin to see what I was allergic to. Pretty much anything that's airborne, I'm allergic to it. Luckily, they can give drugs for the nasal allergies, although nothing they've given me over the years has worked worth a darn. The food allergies were a different problem. They can't give a drug for that, so I just have to avoid certain foods. I'm allergic to wheat, potatoes, casein (in dairy) and a _very_ long list of fruits and other inocous foods, such as lettuce. Go figure. Anyway, try cutting out wheat, potatoes and dairy from your diet and let me know what you can eat. Don't suggest a vegetarian diet, I'm also allergic to beans.
Glad I figured out that one particular brand of anti-histamine was guilty of triggering a form of chemical depression with me. Ironic considering I'd pop one a couple of hours before a game of cricket :-) Cue me trying to run around a field with legs that are effectively tranq'd as a side effect of a pill that was supposedly going to make me breathe more easily.
Looking forward to the outfits that will be on show over the next few months :-) If I turn up with a red cheek or bruises, then you'll know I've been staring too much at the wrong people :-)
It *is* weird has allegies develop in later life. I mean what's *that* about?
V V said: Anyway, try cutting out wheat, potatoes and dairy from your diet and let me know what you can eat.
Erm... That's what I *do* eat! [laughs]
Sleepy P said: Looking forward to the outfits that will be on show over the next few months :-) If I turn up with a red cheek or bruises, then you'll know I've been staring too much at the wrong people :-)
Indeed... [evil grin]
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