Aaaaaah - CHOO!

I love Spring.

I hate what it does to my body.

I have allergies. I developed them in my late 30’s when I moved to the Balto-D.C. area, also known as “the pollen belt.” I’ve always considered it my body’s punishment and revenge for moving this New England body even that far South.

I have spent the past few days feeling as if I’m moving through thick fog. My energy level is down, my eyes are red and watery, my nose drips and I have an annoying little cough from the drip at the back of my throat.

I know. I’m beginning to sound like a set up for a television commercial hawking an allergy relief medicine. Not to worry. I’m well stocked.

I’ve got a prescription drug antihistamine and decongestant (at $52 a bottle) which is, no doubt, making me feel sluggish and low energy, a small bottle of prescription allergy relief eye drops (at $72 a bottle), some prescription something or other to squirt up my nose twice a day (at $48 a bottle), and boxes of tissue everywhere (on sale at 3 boxes for $5).

Not only am I still miserable, I’m broke.

I mentioned this to my doctor today who said, “Trust me, you’d be feeling much worse without the medication.” I trust him implicitly but it’s hard to imagine.

Tree pollen. My allergy is tree pollen. So while the rest of you oooh and aaah over the lovely white Chinese pear tree and the cherry tree blossoms, all I can see is tree pollen.

As my beloved said, “Hey, think of it this way: it’s just trees having sex in your eyes.” Yeah, well, I wish they’d get a room – someplace far away from me.

My other seasonal allergy is to willow. I find that fascinating A herbologist in D.C. once told me that, in the Middle Ages, ground willow was often given to soldiers before going off to war. It was considered a substance which would give a person courage.

I suppose it was the more ancient form of Garrison Keillor’s Powder Milk Biscuits. As he would say: “Heavens they’re tasty and expeditious! They’re made from whole wheat and give shy persons the strength to get up and do what needs to be done.”

I’m fascinated that, in addition to tree pollen, I’m also allergic to that which gives a person courage. What does that mean, do you suppose? Do I have too much courage? Is it indicative of a hormonal imbalance? Or, is it just a metaphor for my life, somehow? A message my body is trying to give me?

Once my head is less foggy, I’ll work on coming up with an answer. Right now, I think I'll go cook up a batch of Powder Milk Biscuits. I’m far from shy, but I am needing something to give me "the strength to get up and do what needs to be done.”