Morning can has broken me

[desperance]

Oops: that was nearly not good. I had a hospital appointment this morning for skin tests, to learn what I'm allergic to. Not a problem; the radio would wake me up in good time, and as it happens I was awake at 5.30 with back ouchies. Swallowed ibuprofen, apologised to boys for disturbance, went back to bed till seven. (If I'd had work to do, probably wouldn't have done that; but, y'know, book finished, days off...)

Dozed off again about ten to seven, listening to radio.

Woke up at eight. Appointment was for nine. Oops.

Still, the hospital is only a 45-minute walk from here, if I walk briskly. Plenty of time, then, to dash into the bathroom for a splash and a promise, to give the cats their ill-deserved nourishment, to wedge the freezer positively closed with a broom-handle on account of they had opened it again, to slip book in pocket and be away. Briskly.

I am never late. I was not late.

And now we know. To no one's surprise at all, I am allergic to house dust mite. Also, more mildly, to dogs. That was a bit of a surprise, as I lived half my life with dogs - indeed, some of my best friends have been dogs - and I wasn't noticeably sicker then than now. Still, there it is.

And now I have a piece of paper that tells me - medically, yet! - not to make the bed. Yay! Also, not to hoover if I can help it. I should get a friend to hoover on my behalf. Failing that (alas...), I should buy a new & clever hoover with a special filter.

Also I should get rid of all my horrible '70s carpets and go for wooden floors instead. Which actually I always intended to do anyway, only I should of course have done it (like everything) before I moved in; and I couldn't do the sanding anyway for fear of instant death, and I can't afford someone else to do it for me, even if I could find a way to cope with the disruption, even one room at a time. Aargh. It'll happen. Sometime...

So that's the best news of the morning, that I am medically licensed not to make the bed. (Oh, and I'm not allergic to the cats. That's good. They would have been affronted.)

And then I walked home again, and put the coffee on. No man should be expected to go that long without his coffee. While it brewed, I chopped potatoes and celeriac and carrots and onions and leeks and lambs' kidneys and a lamb's heart, and layered them all in a casserole with the neck-of-mutton chops and a pint of lamb stock, and put that in a sloooow oven for the day. We'll see; I shall report back.

And now I have drunk two pints of coffee and am feeling better, if slightly confused what to do with the rest of my day. Perhaps I should shop? This piece of paper says I should change my pillows regularly; I don't think it means pillowcases, I think it means new pillows. I could do that. Quick, before the sales end. I could look at posh new hoovers too. I am not wholeheartedly attached to the notion of spending my little all on domestic stuff that actually I have already, but the shopping per se, that never loses its charm...

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I think you can buy hypo-allergenic mattress covers, too, and the new vacuum cleaner sounds like a good idea. But allergies are not fun and should not happen.
You are talking about food. I'm starving and I have to go to the Post Office before I can have lunch...

[lagilman]

You should buy a Roomba -- not only will it hoover for you, the cats will either consider it a New Toy or a Dire Insult to their Dignity, so it's really win-win....


(failing that, my Bissell Revolution-Pet does a better-than-decent job in a 2-cat flat).

[desperance.livejournal.com]

The notion of a Roomba is v attractive, but my suspicion is that I have too much stuff and not enough clear floor to make it practical. And I bet they don't do stairs. I have a lot of stairs.

[lagilman]

Then check out the Bissell, if you can -- it has a detachable canister for stairs and hard-to-reach spots. When I lived in the Victorian Pile, did a solid job on keeping the dust-bunny population down. They make ones specifically for dust mites, I think... ah-hah. http://www.bissell.com/Products/c/Allergen+Control/p/healthyhomevacuum/product.aspx

Also, what others have said about mattress covers, etc.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

They don't do stairs. They dither around at the step edge and won't actually fall down, but they don't go up and down steps.

Lack of clear floor may be more of a problem.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

markgritter and I have dust mite allergies as well, and we have a mattress cover and pillow covers that go under the pillowcases but provide a barrier. So we wash those and get new ones when needed rather than getting new pillows; here, at least, it's cheaper. Not sure what's available where in your neck of the woods.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Thanks; that's really useful. I'm not sure what's available either, but I can have lots of fun finding out...

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

It's particularly good for me, because I hate fluffy, new pillows. I like beaten-down, lumpy ones. So if I had to get new pillows all the time, I'd be miserable and sleep very poorly.

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

The pillows themselves can be washed as well, although many people are now under the impression that this is not the case. Feather pilows now also come in super-prewashed hypoallergenic versions, for those who hate synthetics.

The allegern-barrier covers are a great help, though, as are the special furnace filters.

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Now is the time for buying electricals - both Comet and Currys are discounting like mad.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

*goes shopping*

[lamentables.livejournal.com]

We have pillows that can be machine washed (though they take a while to dry). They were Not-Cheap Pillows (though I cleverly bought them in the sales) but I was sick of cheap pillows that quickly lose their pillowness and take on the support and fluffiness of a pancake. These are made by the Fine Bedding Company and are called 'Spundown' - polyester filling that performs like down (to which we are both allergic) - and we only need a single pillow each.

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

Dyson do the pet hair ones. Dysons are nice 'uns... :)

Bare Floor Evangelism

[spaceoperadiva.livejournal.com]

I'm allergic to, well, everything. I've had allergy shots, experimental drugs, strange home remedies. If you've heard of a treatment for asthma/allergies, I've probably been subjected to it at some point.

The one thing that has made the biggest difference: getting rid of the carpet. If your floors aren't a splinter hazard, the difference in quality of life is more than compensation for the pain of having to look at ugly varnish until you can refinish.

Re: Bare Floor Evangelism

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thanks for the evangelism! The floors probably are a splinter hazard - old Victorian boards, utterly untouched, I'm guessing - but hey. I can always wear slippers. And the boys will enjoy. Maybe I'll just go out there right now and pull up the stair-carpet, see what's underneath...

Re: Bare Floor Evangelism

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

If the wood is not really fit to be seen, you can get some pretty good hard-wearing laminates that are somewhat cheaper than wood. We happily lived with an IKEA laminate for several years, until we moved house (down-pricing in the process) and spent a small fortune on really nice Canadian maple.

Yes, laminate costs. But if it's that or ill health, then I know what I'd prefer.

Alternately, does the industry standard garret still come uncarpetted?

[dedbutdrmng.livejournal.com]

'back ouchies.'

I am still over-run with magic pain pills if you want me to post some out.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

You're very good; thank you. I think I'm okay for just now, but I will take a rain-cheque if that's okay...

[dedbutdrmng.livejournal.com]

Righty ho. Bob me a note if otherwise.

[wolfinthewood.livejournal.com]

Dunlopillo latex pillows are good: not cheap, but last forever, and are comfortable, and hypoallergenic.

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

Wait... your boys open the freezer?!?

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

Maybe a carpet-pulling party? That way, you could hide in the kitchen, and cook, while others deal with the dust that pulling the carpet will raise.

Or parties, so that you only had to clear one room at a time.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Y'know? Given how short-changed my friends have been in the party dept this season, that is a really, really good idea...

[esmeraldus-neo.livejournal.com]

That's how it happens, the dog allergies.

I lived with cats all my life. At one point, we had over twenty--they lived outside, but we had them. Indoor cats too, though.

So I didn't know that I was allergic, because I had a tolerance. Then I went away to the Navy, and wasn't around cats for a while, about two years. Then I met friends off base, and went to their house, and cuddled their lovely Persian cat.

I started sneezing and itching, and had to go home. I didn't make the connection until the NEXT time I went over and cuddled the cat, and had the same symptoms.

My tolerance had gone away, and the contrast was more obvious as well.

[frumpo.livejournal.com]

More worms, that's what you need...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7856095.stm

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Oh, cool! Can I get them on the NHS?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

By the way, are you up for some office-heaving soonish?

[amberflux.livejournal.com]

For some unfathomable reason that picture reminds me of Frank Herbert.