T MINUS EIGHT DAYS: Oh, the Allergies!

Do you remember, dear reader, that brief moment in time during which I thought I'd be able to best my allergies? I was so young, so hopeful last month. After going through allergy shot therapy for three months, I was almost halfway to a cure. I was so close to fulfilling my dream of someday adopting two dogs and three cats.

I was there.

I almost had it all.

That is until the close call. Last week, my allergist sat me down for a heart-to-heart. She explained to me that I'm in that minority of the population that doesn't react very well to allergy shots and that complications arising from this fact are:

1) this first stage of allergy shot therapy, which lasts 6-8 months for normal people would have to be prolonged to probably close to a year since my hyper-sensitivity would require our backing off and slowing down the dosage of allergens I'm receiving weekly;

2) I would have to take two different anti-histamines before the shots;

3) I would have to stay in her office under observation for anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour after receiving a shot/s;

4) staying under the doctor's observation for 45-60 minutes after she administers the allergy shot doesn't guarantee that I won't get hit with a major asthma attack after I've left her office, in which case...

5) ...I would have to carry an epi pen around with me at all times;

Plus, we don't have any guarantee that I will be cured of my allergies after I've risked my life getting allergy shots.

I told her I needed time to think about it.

Sigh.