Spring Fever

Ah, spring that special time of year when nature awakens from dormancy and makes us miserable. That pink, yellow and green season that assaults our respiratory systems, attacks our immune systems,and confuses our thinking systems.
I know, you don't have allergies. But let me tell you about some people who do. For years my friend would come down with hacking cough, plugged sinuses, and body aches. Every year she would go to the doctor and whine until she got antibiotics which didn't do her a bit of good. Every year I would tell her that she didn't have a respiratory infection or flu- she had allergies. Her reply to my diagnoses was, “I've never been allergic to anything.” How could I resist naming her ailment the “Pink Flowering Tree Flu”? It's a wonder I have any friends at all.
Then there's Ryanne. Ever since she was old enough to crawl she got remarkably clumsy when the first flowers of spring popped out. Her first Easter pictures had her sporting a nasty bruise on her forehead. Another year she just turned around one day and walked into a wall. I really worried when she was in gymnastics during spring's first assault. This year she's in swimming lessons, so no worries about that. However she doesn't have allergies- just ask her parents.
Spring came early this year. My ears are plugged, my nose itches, I can't walk without gasping for air. Although I saw the first flowering trees in bloom over a week ago, it still surprised me to wake up with a sore throat and itchy eyes. I know what causes it, and how long it will last. I guess I'm just lucky to not get really sick like all my “I don't have allergy” friends do.
Nancy Sherer