Three Months...and AH-CHOO

The 25th marked three months of being Meli-free. Sigh.

Some well-meaning people have wondered if/when I may consider getting another dog. I haven't yet, mostly because when I think about it I realize that I just want my dog back: my gentle, well-trained golden retriever who slept on my bed and was my best pal through thick and thin. But in addition to the emotional baggage, I was diagnosed with a whole slew of allergies just after the first of the year--including one to dogs. For those of you who see/hear me on a regular basis, this is why I sound like I have a perpetual cold. I'm allergic to just about everything. Should really live in a bubble.

I don't know how a person can go from having mild seasonal allergies to sleep-disrupting can't-breathe-at-4am allergies, but that's what happened to me starting in late-August and increasing to true misery in late November. (I'm trying not to make the connection between the start of the allergies and the start of my new job...)

So my doc says that until I get my shots cranked up and running, I can't even think about getting another dog. And if/when I do, it needs to be a hypoallergenic breed.

This was affirmed this weekend while hosting a friend's dog. When I was asked to host Daisy, I made the decision with my heart and wasn't giving a thought to my sinuses. But as soon as Daisy hopped up onto the bed and settled in Thursday night I promptly sneezed 15 times in a row. After 36 hours with a dog in the house, my friends noted my swollen eyes and excessively-stuffy-sounding voice. Yep, I've got allergies bad.

This is annoying to my general sense of well-being, but it also has professional implications. My voice isn't as strong as it needs to be. When my head is full I can't hear well. I don't have the resonance in my voice that I'm used to. So the things I love to do---preach, teach, sing---are all compromised. And I tire easily. Breathing takes effort and at times can only happen through my mouth. I never travel anywhere without kleenex.

So if you are of the praying sort, feel free to add my battle against allergens to your list. It has really become a 24/7 fight. And if you have any of those 20% off coupons to Bed, Bath & Beyond that you're not using, send them along. That allergen-free bedding is expensive....