Truly Blessed

I usually think of myself as a pretty healthy person. I'm the guy who, if you ask who my doctor is, generally replies, "I don't really have one." I did have a problem with my ear a couple years ago that included some blockage and a truly awful spell of vertigo; I meant to blog at that time about how it was to suffer Medical Care, but by the time I felt like sitting up at a keyboard again, the moment had passed. And if you heard the noise that emanates from my spine when I twist, you might be inclined to call an ambulance... but that may just be the joys of being 46.

As a matter of fact, aside from one ER visit more than 10 years ago, the last time I was in the hospital, I was wrapped in a cozy blue blanket. Never even broke a bone in any of those childhood misadventures. All of that notwithstanding, I take my medicine every day.

I have one of those weird nonspecific allergies; if I don't dose up on Claritin-D every day, I get this annoying little tickle right at the spot where the clavicles come together, and I start barking. The reason my allergies are nonspecific is that the doctor I went to didn't seem to care why I was barking -- he just said, "Oh, that's allergies; here, take this." I thought it might be nice to have some sense of what I was allergic to... but since the alternative is being poked full of holes, I decided it wasn't altogether crucial.

In those days, Claritin was prescription-only, so I was able to get the insurance company to help me out, but that came to an end a couple years ago. Now I pay the freight solo, which in the most recent instance came to $18.95 for 15 pills. I'm well aware that's not much to people who are paying way more for real heavy-duty meds -- but it's kinda painful to me to pay over $400 a year (and think about it: I'm not even really sure why).

I do know I can't do without. If I miss a day (or even sometimes when I don't), in the mid-evening I start to get that tickle and here comes the bark. I have a pretty short, sharp cough, and usually a single instance at a time (my wife has been known to castigate me for not warning her it was coming; it often makes her jump). For some reason it's quite frequently mistaken for a sneeze, even though it really doesn't sound like my sneeze, so I really hear "God bless you" quite a bit. And at the risk of confounding my public persona, I don't like to make people feel uncomfortable, so instead of correcting them, I usually just say thanks.

And just when I feel like I have the whole thing under control... spring arrives. I've written several times about all the wonders of the season, but of course all that comes with a price. In my case the toll is exacted by a sticky yellow substance wafting in the breeze that makes my eyes itchy and my sinuses fill up with goo and just generally makes me want to send my entire head out to be steam-cleaned.

I was gleeful to the point of being smug when the really nice weather arrived almost simultaneously with my new work laptop. Since I have not only wireless internet access, but also the capability to make & receive phone calls through my laptop, I can work literally anywhere in the house... or even outside the house. A sunny day, relaxing on the deck -- I mean, focused on my work with laserlike intensity while happening to be sitting on the deck. So the first decent day, I packed my stuff and got right out there.

I should point out that, in addition to my susceptibility to pollen, I also have eyes like one of those fish that live at the bottom of the ocean. A lot of times I'm squinting on a cloudy day, so bright & sunny is not always what it's cracked up to be. And while a laptop is plenty portable, it's not really designed to be viewed with an 800-watt bulb glaring in your eyes.

So I sat on the deck, sneezing & blowing my nose, squinting and more or less unable to read my screen. Yes, it was a red-letter, and -nose, day for me. But, you know, it was the symbolism of the thing.

Anyway, if you come looking for me on any vaguely summerlike day, just walk around the back -- you'll find me on the deck. And if you happen to catch me sneezing, you don't have to say God Bless You... I've been blessed enough for any two people.