Allergies

My dog and I are both suffering horribly. And lest you think dogs can't have allergies, I dare you to come by my house and watch her just about bang her head against the floor from the force of her sneezes. When she's outside, they're worse. I've not seen her swiping at her eyes, but I'm still willing to bet she's got allergies due to the pollen or whatever is outside recently. Just what IS causing this flare-up for her and for me?

Me, I've got a sore, scratchy throat, plus lots of drainage down the back of my throat. Not to mention a cough to beat the band (I just adore cliches, don't you?), that sometimes just about takes my breath away. I'm sure the cough is caused by the drainage, yet constant blowing of the nose barely makes a dent in curtailing the cough. And this all started last Saturday, just prior to our church choir's performace of our Easter cantata, where I'm one of the altos. Kind of hard to sing with a major sore throat, you know! But I got through it, although I know I wasn't in my best form, and nowhere near the top of my game, as far as singing goes. Wednesday was about the worst workday, but I think this weekend had it beat to smithereens.

I managed to get our with both my daughters to shop for basket goodies, hitting up Wal-Mart and Target, as well as a run to Kohls for some items to round out Snark-Girl's Easter outfit. I had mine planned, insofar as it would be hiding under a choir robe! But, upon waking Sunday morning, I realized that there was no way I was taking my sniffling, sneezing, coughing self to church to bother others, and potentially infect them with my virus, so only Snark-Girl went. I even cried off of going to my in-laws for the Hiding of the Eggs. You'd think with my youngest being almost 11 that this event would die a natural death, but they seem to resurrect it every year. I will predict that it won't happen next year, though, due to my MIL's ever-increasing frailties.

Back to the allergies, though - I already take a Costco version of Zyrtec daily, so what else can I take that won't zonk me out at the office? I'm the world's worst patient when it comes to taking pills. I can remember to dose the Mr. and Snark-Boy (of course, they take pills daily!), and am good enough at dosing the Boy when he's sick, but remembering pills for myself just seems to be too much for my poor mind to take. Please, trees, finish up with your spring "blooming" or "leafing" or whatever it is, and let me breathe easy again!