...Cat, bird, hamster or any other furry friend that lives in your house. I have allergies. And though I might be an invited guest in your home, it is clear that your pet is going to win in this showdown. So here is my official letter of resignation.
I have had allergies to animal fur/hair/dander since childhood. (Additionally, in case you were wondering, I also have seasonal hay fever and eczema.) And no, I have not outgrown them, and no they are not specific to any particular type of animal (except maybe fish). The cycle of my reactions have been consistent all of these 30+ years...when invited to someone's home and unbeknownst to me, there is an indoor furry creature of some kind who is allowed free reign of the place, after about 30 minutes, I start to sneeze. My eyes water and then my chest starts to tighten. Generally I can only take another 30 minutes until things become unbearable and I have to leave.
Yes, it makes everyone feel uncomfortable, but there really is nothing I can do to except to suffer. Or leave. Or die right there in your living room.
Before anyone thinks to ask if there something I can take...the answer is yes, I can take an allergy pill 30 minutes in advance of my exposure to your little furry darling. But please note that I need to know that you have a pet before I cross your threshold. Otherwise, I have only 30 minutes before total allergic reaction shutdown. Of course, if I do not know about your pet, then it is not your fault that I can still detect its existence even if I never lay eyes on Fluffy. Yes, my allergies are that sensitive.
So, what are my options? Well, as a precaution, I can take allergy pills all the time, which should inoculate me from a potential reaction. Yes, great for you and your pet--not so great for my wallet or my inner ear (prone to infections every Spring thanks to my seasonal allergies). Well, shouldn't I be used to this? No, because prior to the recent crop of allergy medications that are available now, my only choices were Sudafed and Benadryl, which were very effective at making me drowsy. In advance, they only worked when combined with a hot cup of tea after I was already exposed to the allergens. When the better allery drugs like Claritin, Allegra and Zirtec were developed, they were very expensive and only available with a prescription. Which would have been fine until I discovered that in some cases, the side effects were worse than the actual allergies that I was trying to prevent.
Now, no excuses because I can take the OTC generics. And while I am happy to do my part, YOU pet owners could be a little more considerate. Maybe it is not a good idea to let an animal shed on all of your furniture. Or if you know that company is coming over, maybe you should vacuum first. And I do not think it is asking too much that you temporarily banish your pet to another room if I start sneezing. And no, discussing the allergies while I am in the throws of a reaction will not lessen the intensity...
Because looky here, in the off chance that I might get caught off guard and suffer the Big One, would you be able to live with yourself if I actually died right there on your sofa? OK, that is rather dramatic, but it is a little annoying to think that if there was a choice between the suffering of a human being and that of an animal, most people would be content to watch my head explode.
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