Allergic to Life

Right now I’m doped up on Benadryl, fading in and out on the couch watching HGTV

As normal as this sounds (at least for me) this is new. I’m allergic to a few things: cats, dust, the growing stupidity of this nation, but usually my reactions are mild. A bit of sneezing, watery, itchy eyes, an urge to leave the country. But today, I wake up for work feeling stiff, get out of bed, and realize I have groups of hives all over my arms, legs, chest, and back.

So I do what I do best: panic. I freak out looking for a bug or something in my bed that had an all-you-can-eat Alex buffet, but no dice. Definitely an allergic reaction. At this point I’m thinking two things: “oh thank goodness, no spiders in my bed” and “well shit, what am I allergic to now?”

As of right now, the answer is still “no idea”. I haven’t eaten anything new, gone hiking through poison ivy, or used the cat as a bath towel.

Then my sister reminded me that hives can come about due to extreme stress. Oh good.

It’s not a secret that my anxiety has been high lately. The world is currently experiencing my worst nightmare (though in my head it was smallpox not something new) and I live in a country where somehow caring for your neighbors and taking proper precautions to not spread the virus have become bipartisan issues.

It seems that right now I am having an allergic reaction to life. So, if anyone else is allergic to life, let’s work together to take time for ourselves. Make self-care a priority and find healthier coping skills than just tamping it all down way deep inside until you break out in hives.

Now, back to sleeping on the couch