The above picture was taken by Tim yesterday to illustrate an article about how you can be a “Green Gamer.” Click the photo to go to the article if you’re interested in it.

However, this brings me to an update on my allergies. Or more specifically, the lack thereof.

When I say “lack” I mean that all the years I’ve been on this earth, I thought I had hay fever. Mowing the grass caused me to be stuffed up for the rest of the day with a sinus headache. Harvest season and all the dust flying about caused congestion and sneezing. The time of Spring around here when the cottonwood trees would be pollinating and spreading their fluff around I would be miserable. If the cats got in my face, I would itch and feel like I was breaking out in a rash. If I was vacuuming and dusting, the sneezing fits that would ensue would be epic.

Cut to my appointment with the allergist on Tuesday. My eyes were red, itchy and puffy and I was experiencing the worst allergy season to date. I needed to find out what exactly I was allergic to so I could make my life better. I knew I didn’t have any food allergies, but I was so afraid that I was getting more allergic to the cats (which I always assumed I was allergic to) and getting rid of any of them would’ve killed me. Funny enough, we got Chester back because Kevin’s wife developed a bad allergy to their cats. I knew how hard it was on him to give the little dude up, but I know it eased his mind that Chester was going back to his mama. The little dude was always a mama’s boy, so it worked out. But I knew that nobody could take Chester, or the girls for that matter, that I would be OK with.

Back to the allergist. Turns out, what I was allergic to that was making my eyes puffy, red and itchy is another antibiotic. Tobramycin. Something I was given to treat a minor eye infection I had. I’m already allergic to penicillin and sulfa, so I’m not surprised. A few days with a hydrocortizone ointment, and my eyes are back to normal. Then I had the allergy test done and the results were shocking.

I’m not allergic to anything.

Well, that’s not entirely true, but I’m not allergic to anything in nature that would cause hay fever. Not allergic to grasses, trees, dust, pollen, mold or any animals. I was the human pincushion and I didn’t react to a damn thing. Oh, I did react to the control histamine spot they put down, but nothing else. So, they put shots in my arm to verify the results that were on my back. Again, nothing.

Turns out what I have is what they call “non-allergic rhinitis.” Hay fever is called “allergic rhinitis” and what I suffer from is the “non-allergic” variety. I know, this doesn’t make sense, as I am allergic to something – but it’s just not nature like I thought.

So what am I allergic to? Some chemical, fragrance or additive that’s in just about everything that you can buy in the marketplace. Looking back on it, now that I have a diagnosis, it makes sense. I can’t wear makeup anymore because it makes me break out. Certain body washes cause a rash when I use them. I have to use very specific face lotions and cleansers to also avoid breaking out. I’ve had a wicked metal allergy for years. I’m allergic to damn antibiotics! The stuff that’s supposed to heal you makes me sicker. Great, huh?

How does this fold into the “green” aspect? Well, for the longest time, I’ve used as many eco-friendly products around the house that I can. Mostly a combination of Method and Seventh Generation. The only non-eco-friendly things that I use currently are dryer sheets. Method used to make a great dryer sheet, then they changed to a moist version that just didn’t work as well as their old ones. I use their liquid fabric softener when I wash sheets and blankets, but for regular laundry, the dryer sheet works best.

I had been using the Bounce Free sheets, until the last time I ran out. There weren’t any of the Free ones available, so I bought an innocuous box of “Spring Fresh.” I can just about guarantee that is where the onset of my “miserable spring allergies” began. Yesterday, I went onto Drugstore.com and, since they were having a Earth Day sale of “up to 50% off eco-friendly products,” I ordered some Seventh Generation dryer sheets and laundry soap. I also bought a jug of the Method Free laundry soap because I really prefer the Method laundry stuff. I also picked up some (girl alert) feminine hygiene products from Seventh Generation. Why? Well (big time girl alert), this last month and other months prior, I had an irritation from the pads and panty shields, well, down there. Not quite a rash, but something was definitely not kosher either.

Now that I have an idea of what I’m allergic to, I’m going to attack all the irritants with ninja-like precision and eliminate them from my life. Hell, I might be able to stop taking an allergy medicine if I play my cards right!

However, above everything else, I’m just glad I don’t have to ever have to think about getting rid of the kitties again. That feels good.