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Wednesday, August 30, 2017

the beginning of the end?

I began getting allergy injections yesterday.  It made me feel... old.

When I first visited the allergist, Dr. Dllaf (don't-look-like-a-flower) seemed to have a quizzical look about him.  But since I'd never met him before, I thought maybe he always looked that way.

"So... why are you here?", he asked.  Did I detect an undertone of smirk?

I told him a bit about my history with stinging insects and dizziness for which allergies were blamed.  I mentioned how a well-timed bug sting on the eve of my annual check-up landed me in his office.  He asked a couple of other standard informational questions, then described the testing procedure.  Did I detect an undertone of ho hum?

The contrastingly energetic and friendly nurse then proceeded to conduct my allergy testing, leaving me with little itchy welts all over my back.  I'd failed.  Or passed.  Depending on the point of view.



Afterwards, Dr. Dllaf was back, but seemingly a changed man.

"Well!", he announced upon arrival, "You really ARE allergic!"

I was not surprised, why was he?

He was much more animated in that second conversation and talked to me like one would an intelligent person.  He even went on a bit of a tangent about current research in the world of allergies and asthma, which was quite interesting, but a bit TMI.

All the while I wondered, "Who is this imposter look-alike, and what did he do with that other guy?".  But I realized I liked this second one better anyway.

Fast forward to yesterday when I got the first of my injections.

The waiting area was populated with several other allergic people there to get their shots.  The average age was, I'm guessing, maybe 12 years old.  And that's only because there were a bunch of little kids who had parents with them.  Throw out the parents and the average would decrease considerably.

That's when it occurred to me.  Perhaps most allergic people get this thing done when they're kids. Similar to orthodontia maybe?  I looked around and didn't see anyone my age, or even really approaching my age.  Even the parents... 😕.  Oh wait, the guy who gave me the shots was probably from my generation.

I began getting allergy injections yesterday.  It made me feel... old.

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Linking up this week with Mama Kat for the prompt:
3. Write a post that begins and ends with the same sentence.



8 comments:

Jimmy said...

I'm guessing the good Doctor thought you may have imaginary allergies at first, I guess you showed him.

I hope the injections help you, you are evidently still young enough to get them.

Abby said...

I guess he was suspicious, me being outside the bell curve and all. What would a suspicious person do at an allergy clinic??

Dionne said...

Stinging bugs do not like me either. I had an unfortunate "hive" run-in after spraying them accidentally with water. Now I need an Epi-pen from spring to fall. However, I don't have to have allergy shots. No fun! And I so get what you are saying about doctors acting like it is all in your head...I told a nurse practitioner that a dose of 5,ooo IUs of Vit. D was making me want to scratch my face off. She looked at me like I was nuts. Okay, I am babbling. I really do hope those allergy injections work great for you.

Abby said...

Thanks, my allergy shots don't do anything for stinging insects, so I just need to not look like a flower. "Hive" run-in, yikes!

ShadowRun300 said...

I had a doctor laugh at me when I described some pains I was having in my wrist. I basically walked out and didn't go back. I'm glad your doctor changed his attitude.
I hope the allergy injections work for you. And are you doing a pretty good job of not looking like a flower?

Abby said...

Laughed at you?! Geesh, what's wrong with these doctors? I went for another round of shots yesterday, I don't think there was a patient older than preschool there. I think I'm being very unflowery.

Linda Hensley said...

When I was a child I went through a string of doctors who patiently, or impatiently, lectured me about female hysterics. I was severely anemic at the time. Bastards. Glad you found the good side of the doctor. I hope the shots work -- but then how will you know if you are no longer behaving floral?

Abby said...

You're female, it must be hysterics.
I'm going to give the shots a year and then reassess. Some stinging thing is most surely to see through my clever disguise during that time.