As if carbs and sweets weren't enough...

Well, I had my allergy testing today. I'd been through it once before, over (gasp) 20 years ago, when I was 10. Back then, I was allergic to everything under the sun, it seemed. I went through desensitization shots, though, but continued having allergy symptoms, so I figured it was worth figuring out what I was dealing with.

Well, you know the phrase "the devil you know is better than the devil you don't"? I'm not so sure that applies here. Going in, I'd been reasonably sure I was allergic to cats (having been diagnosed with that allergy before--again, 20 years ago). I thought that dealing with the cat problem (as we have two of them) was going to be my hardest battle. 

Oh, how I wish that was so. 

I'm not actually allergic to cats. At least, I'm not allergic to them anymore, which is great news for both my boyfriend and our cats. I'm not allergic to dogs. I'm mildly allergic to grasses and trees. I'm really allergic to two things: dust mites and molds.

This may not seem bad to you, dear reader. Perhaps you are not familiar with the nasty little arachnid that looks like this:

EEGADS! That thing is terrifying! The fact that it is so tiny I will never ever see it doesn't make me feel better!

Neither does the fact that they are in EVERYTHING I OWN. They are EATING MY SKIN. This is horrible! They have infested my bed, my carpet, my couches. They are pooping and I am breathing in their poop and this is NOT OKAY. 

I think that, if I had to choose something to be allergic to, I would pick dust mites because they are so damn creepy.

What I wouldn't pick is having to cover my mattress, my pillows, my box spring, with expensive allergy resistant covers. I certainly wouldn't pick having to buy a high end vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. And I would never choose to get rid of soft cover couches, replacing them with vinyl! That is nuts!

Still, as bad as all of that is, the mold allergy is far worse. Yes, it is just as insidious as the dust mites, hiding places I'll never see it. But there are certain things I can avoid to reduce my contact to mold, and those things are:

• cheese
• mushrooms
• foods made with yeast
• sour cream
• buttermilk
• beer
• wine
• potatoes
• soy sauce
• vinegar
• sauerkraut
• nuts
• pickled or smoked meats and fish
• dried fruits
• raw vegetables and fruits

Oh what the hell? That's like, all foods! Or at least all the foods I like to eat. And giving up foods? Not one of my strong points. 

At least I can start immunotherapy, which will help reduce my sensitivity. In about, oh, say, five years. 

I'm gonna go cry in the corner now.