Allergies

[outofplace]

I've moved around a lot and I've been dealing with allergies since I was very young, so I've met quite a few allergy doctors. Most of them ranged from crappy to mediocre. The one I found when I moved to my current location 16 years ago, however, was outstanding. Good guy. Friendly. Bluntly honest. Never once rushed through an appointment. Only bad thing about the guy is that he retired a few years back. He was the one who confirmed my cat allergy. I had always tested negative for being allergic to cats, though I was allergic to dog dander. That is why my wife and I got a cat when we first moved in together. About a year later, we got a second one. Slowly, my allergies seemed to be getting worse. He suggested another scratch test and there it was, a strong reaction to cat dander. Apparently, the allergy to cats had never shown up in the past because I hadn't been around them very much.

I will never forget his advice and the way he put it. "You are an idiot if you don't get those animals out of your house." For a few months, I was an idiot, but eventually, we found a new home for our cats, someone who would keep them together. ****ing allergies suck.