Overpowering the mask

On Monday, we went to the doctor after fighting to breathe for more than a week. We've kept the house closed up and air filters running, and put on masks whenever we go out. Between the sky-high pollen counts and the annual laying of manure on the fields, the air quality has been pretty bad for more than two weeks. Rain is predicted for the next few days, so that should help knock down the pollen some.


So we got steroid injections and big tapers and an antibiotic, and we're taking all that. Then we had to take my sweetie for a bone density test. The place wasn't in the best of shape. The air vents were dusty and dirty, and there were a few water stains on the acoustic tile. On top of that, the "air freshener" was so strong that we were smelling it through the N95 masks. Not nice. 


The next day, we were both sicker, having lots of trouble with coughing and shortness of breath. Today, three days later, we're just getting back to where we were on Monday. 


Marlene gave the tech a polite earful about why we're wearing the masks and all the things in her workplace that can make her ill. I doubt it will change anything, but one can always hope.

Pollen

It's that time of year when everything goes crazy. Pollen is everywhere. The car is covered with it, and where puddles evaporated, there are rings of it. We've had to close up the house and run the air filters constantly, as well as use the nebulizer every day.

I had errands to run, and on the list was to buy another box of N95 face masks. They are more comfortable and last longer than the basic surgical masks, and do as well as the masks with the carbon filters, which are very hot and uncomfortable. Still, wearing one in Walmart wasn't enough to keep out all of the perfume. On the bright side, at least one person smiled and spoke to me, so I didn't feel like a complete freak wearing it.

What happened to spring?

The weather has suddenly flipped to summer. It's clear and hot, and the standing water has begun to evaporate, although the yard is still quite squishy in some places.

The neighbors continue to try to burn sodden wood and leaves, and we lost two days to the smoke. Breathing is so-so now, and we're hoping to hold off the next bout of prednisone for a while longer.

It's kinda sad that even staying home, we can't get away from things that cause problems for us.