Keep walking, I'm breathing

[sovay]

I did not get sheep-dipped in Benadryl, but I am full of antihistamines and eating a pumpernickel bagel with chopped liver and a coconut-milk milkshake.

I have not become allergic to my cats. My long-time allergies to dust mites have worsened to the point where the mitigation strategies in which I already engage are not cutting it, so I have some further suggestions, an alteration to my medications, and we go from here. I also seem to have become allergic to pigweed, which I had never even heard of until I looked it up, at which point it turned out to be amaranth which I have both eaten and admired as an ornamental plant. I am decorated with surgical marker and punctures. I had been scratch-tested before, but never intradermally injected.

The fog at dawn was an astonishing suffusion of gold, glinting like rainbows around the Prudential. Afterward I took a couple of pictures from MGH and the Longfellow Bridge. I believe my plans for the afternoon involve a nap.

Comments

War between him and the day

[choco_frosh]

I am glad that you have gotten tested for every conceivable thing! (Well, allergy-wise.) (And that you are now full of antihistamines.)
Hopefully next, sleep?

In a land of the daybreak

[sovay]

I am glad that you have gotten tested for every conceivable thing! (Well, allergy-wise.) (And that you are now full of antihistamines.)

Thank you! It was at least many common things in this part of the world. Lots of seasonal trees and wildflowers.

Hopefully next, sleep?

Is plan right now.

[gwynnega]

I am glad you aren't allergic to your cats and that you were able to take antihistamines again! Your meal sounds delicious.

[sovay]

I am glad you aren't allergic to your cats and that you were able to take antihistamines again! Your meal sounds delicious.

Thank you! It was very satisfying.

[asakiyume]

The fog at dawn was an astonishing suffusion of gold, glinting like rainbows around the Prudential. --Reading that sentence fills me with joy. Seriously, I could feel myself get lighter, like a helium-filled balloon.

that's too bad about the amaranth! Too bad in general that your immune system wants to pick fights with so much in the environment. But a relief that it's not the cats.

[sovay]

--Reading that sentence fills me with joy. Seriously, I could feel myself get lighter, like a helium-filled balloon.

Thank you. If I had to be awake before the sun came up, at least it was beautiful to see.

that's too bad about the amaranth! Too bad in general that your immune system wants to pick fights with so much in the environment. But a relief that it's not the cats.

My mother pointed out that if the cats had been an allergen, I would have been more physically troubled than emotionally soothed by Autolycus curling himself up on my chest on nights I couldn't sleep. But since they were the major unknown factor among potential allergens of my daily life, I am still reassured. *hugs*

[minoanmiss]

makes a note to make sure not to put amaranth into anything I cook for you

[sovay]

makes a note to make sure not to put amaranth into anything I cook for you

I am not actually sure I can't still eat amaranth! It wasn't part of a panel for food allergies; it was a panel of environmental allergies, e.g. seasonal pollens and year-round molds. I can ask the allergist, though. I would be sad to lose all future chance of callaloo. (Thank you.)

[pameladean]

Oh, those autumnal skies!

I am glad you aren't allergic to your cats. I did not know that amaranth is called pigweed too. I've eaten it just once, a lovely mess of greens at a now-defunct Greek restaurant. It was a special, and they never had it again -- it was too hard to get enough amaranth greens to offer even occasionally.

P.

[sovay]

Oh, those autumnal skies!

All the fog burned off and they were blue as space!

I am glad you aren't allergic to your cats.

I went immediately home and picked up Autolycus and put my face in his fur.

I did not know that amaranth is called pigweed too.

My father had been thinking about buying an ornamental one for the front yard and has very kindly scotched this plan. I never had Greek amaranth! That sounds really nice.

[choco_frosh]

Every-fucking-thing is named pigweed. The Wikipedia disambiguation page lists three non-Amaranth genera, and I'm not sure it's comprehensive.
And normally when people say pigweed, I think Chenopodium.

[thistleingrey]

Yay for a definitive result that doesn't include felines. *hugs*

[sovay]

Yay for a definitive result that doesn't include felines.

Thank you!

*hugs*

[kathmandu]

At least the 'not allergic to your cats' is a relief. Yay for kitties.

[sovay]

At least the 'not allergic to your cats' is a relief. Yay for kitties.

An essential part of my medicinal support structure! Also, very sweet.

[chanter1944]

Your afternoon sounds like a significant improvement, given your description of the previous few days.

I'm not sure I knew amaranth had an alternate name. Dust mites be gone! Also, thank God for a lack of cat allergies, truly. I know what joy the soot sprites of legend bring your household, and I speak as someone whose only familiarity is via journal posts.

[sovay]

Your afternoon sounds like a significant improvement, given your description of the previous few days.

I even slept for a couple of hours! I have this theory of doing more of it tonight!

I'm not sure I knew amaranth had an alternate name.

After conversation with choco_frosh and pameladean, the identity of the pigweed seems incredibly unclear on a taxonomical level and I am going to ask the allergist for details. It may yet be amaranth! Watch this space.

Dust mites be gone! Also, thank God for a lack of cat allergies, truly. I know what joy the soot sprites of legend bring your household, and I speak as someone whose only familiarity is via journal posts.

Thank you. They remain my best doctors.

[umadoshi]

I have not become allergic to my cats.

That alone is a tremendous relief!

[sovay]

That alone is a tremendous relief!

No one was really worried about it beyond me, but it has been such a medically nightmarish summer that I was worried!

[aurumcalendula]

*hugs* Yay for not being allergic to cats!

[sovay]

Yay for not being allergic to cats!

It would not have helped anyone, including this cat I am snuggling as we speak.

*hugs*

[vass]

I'm very glad you're not allergic to your cats.

[sovay]

I'm very glad you're not allergic to your cats.

Thank you.

[kore]

How did they determine you are allergic to dust? When I had my allergy test at an actual immunologist's, they only went for about 30 things, and I told them I was allergic to dust and they were pretty dismissive about it (chemical sensitivities, too). Is there some kind of test for it? (I mean....dust is pretty readily available!)

[sovay]

Is there some kind of test for it?

Yes! Two of the allergens for which I was tested first percutaneously and then intradermally were different species of dust mite. (I don't know which ones because except for the five kinds of mold, there was a marked lack of scientific names on the labels.) You could ask specifically to be tested for reactions to dust mites. I don't know about chemical sensitivities; I had an environmental allergen panel which came in two halves, perennial and seasonal. It checked the most common allergens in both cases for my geographical area. [edit] No bloodwork was done in my case; the allergist did not think it necessary based on the results of the skin testing.

[genarti]

I'm thrilled to hear you're not allergic to the cats! And that there are some answers about other allergens that I hope will lead to further useful mitigation/avoidance measures in generally helpful ways.

The fog at dawn was an astonishing suffusion of gold, glinting like rainbows around the Prudential.

This is a beautiful sentence and a beautiful image, to go with the beautiful photos. It really is kind of dawn to give so much startling beauty as a silver lining for having to be up to see it.

[sovay]

I'm thrilled to hear you're not allergic to the cats! And that there are some answers about other allergens that I hope will lead to further useful mitigation/avoidance measures in generally helpful ways.

Thank you! We have to clean even more than either of us has stamina for, is what a lot of it is boiling down to, but I need my lungs, so it's going to have to happen. (As for the cats, one of them has been sleeping beside spatch and the other has been sleeping on me for much longer than we needed to get off this couch.)

This is a beautiful sentence and a beautiful image, to go with the beautiful photos. It really is kind of dawn to give so much startling beauty as a silver lining for having to be up to see it.

It looked like old photographic film. It was luminous. Thank you.

[thisbluespirit]

*hugs* I hope the changes help - but I'm glad to hear that (I trust) the non-medication part of the procedure has stopped. ♥

[sovay]

I hope the changes help - but I'm glad to hear that (I trust) the non-medication part of the procedure has stopped.

Oh, yes. Thank you!

*hugs*

[mrissa]

We like data, hurrah for data. We especially like actionable data.

[sovay]

We like data, hurrah for data. We especially like actionable data.

Thank you!