Tuesday, April 19, 2011

My Retirement - Waiting to Sneeze

Stocking up on tissues, but doing OK

Achoo

I woke up this morning to the  news of the dreaded "allergy season".  I have spent the better part of the last 40 years blowing my nose.  I am allergic to the heat, the air conditioning, the spring pollen and the fall ragweed.  Cats also contribute to my very red nose and we have three in our family.  Hubby dotes on them and they calm the beast in him.  His life is better with the cats and therefore so is mine.   

Over the years I have taken most of the over-the-counter drugs along with prescription medicine and that has helped some times, mostly though the allergies have won out and sneezing and coughing are just part of my persona now.  I go nowhere without a packet of Kleenex.  There are always tissues stuck up the sleeve of my sweater (a habit of women over 50). I wear only clothes with pockets to store my always needed accessory.  I had an operation a few years ago to clean out my sinuses and I was almost allergy-free for awhile.  My voice went up 5 octaves and people did not recognize me on the phone. However, within the year, my new found higher tone returned to what sounded like Lauren Bacal after 70 years of smoking.  I have never smoked but my dad did and I wonder if that had any bearing on me and all my siblings having asthma or chronic sinus problems. 

Last year I got a terrible cough that after many visits to doctors and 7 months of trying to catch my breath, finally went away.  When people heard me coming toward them,  they made a wide berth around me.  I kept saying  "it's allergies, it's allergies, but most people acted like I might have the black plague.  It is finally gone and I have been breathing almost normally (for me), and now I go into spring feeling better than I have in a long time.  I am praying for a not-too-hot summer so we won't have 24 hour air conditioning like last year which can cause some of my misery.  Most of the trees are in bloom and the others should all be out within the week.  I am not going to listen to the pollen report and maybe not knowing how bad it is will make my body not give in.  I am going with that thought.  Ignorance is bliss.
   

4 comments:

  1. Deja-choo all over again, huh? I feel your pain. I kid you not: in Georgia, the pollen is so bad, you almost have to use a snow shovel on it. I had so much trouble breathing while working in the garden last April, my husband had to rush me to the doctor. Asthma, bronchitis, whatever ya want to call it ... POLLEN! Take care. (I hope you don't mind wearing a mask ... it helps!)

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  2. I feel for you. I have a chronic sinus problem myself that regularly goes into infection mode. Have you tried visiting a homeopath for some natural remedies? My daughter is much relieved by a remedy that she got from the homeopath for her allergies. Here's hoping this is an easy year for you.

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  3. I feel for you. Pollen coats everything yellow where I live among the pine trees. Retirement means re-tired, as in tired again. Whatever I thought retirement would be, it did not include being a mother again at age 61. Oh well, let the laughs begin. Hope your journey holds as many laughs for you as it is for me. The Medicare Mom.

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  4. Thanks for stopping by, come back again, y'all.

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