This week has been interesting since our neighbor's little girls got two kittens from Santa. They were so excited! But they had already scheduled a family trip after Christmas, so they asked my daughter, Kitty, if she could babysit. We were a little unsure since Kitty is allergic to all animals, trees, flowers, bushes, etc. There is actually one animal that she's not allergic to according to her skin test, and that's a rat. Shot Nurse brightly suggested that we get a pet rat for Kitty! What a teaser she is, just what we always wanted, a pet rat.We weren't sure how this week would go with babysitting. Kitty has been doing allergy shots (immunotherapy) for about 3 years, so we were hoping she would do well being around the kittens. The kittens are at the neighbors, and Kitty goes over every couple of hours to cuddle and play with the kittens. She even bought toys for them but it seems they prefer a piece of paper tied to yarn. (Kind of like when you buy presents for your toddler and they would rather play with the box.)
Kitty decided to wear a special jacket every time she went over to cover up her clothes so she could cuddle the kitties. Then when she got home, she could take that off and hopefully remove much of the cat dander. She also washes her hands after playing with the kitties. But her idea isn't working. Even with allergy shots, she sneezes and sneezes and sneezes. At least she's not coughing and wheezing. She has to change all of her clothes and shower every night before she goes to bed to remove all of the cat dander.
It's so frustrating being allergic to so many different things. Normal people (aka people who don't have asthma) can play with kittens and even have them in their home. But if you have asthma, it's a whole other story. Why can't we just be normal and be able to pet cats and dogs, and have flowers, trees, and bushes. And a real Christmas tree?!
I can't tell you how much I hate allergies and asthma. I resent it being such a big part of our lives. On the positive side, I have been able to help countless families with what I have learned about allergies and asthma over the last 12 years.
That's My Life as an Asthma Mom