I have been terribly allergic to dogs for about 12
years. I used to be allergic to cats, but then the allergy switched to dogs. If
I was in a house with dogs, it would take between one and three hours before I
would begin to wheeze. The homeowners could have the most spotless home, but
the wheezing was almost a guarantee. The irritation was so bad that I would
have to leave, gulping for air, and it would take a couple of hours to clear up
once I had fresh air.
I grew up with dogs and had no allergies to them. I
love dogs, but I thought I would never have another one. I was at a friend’s
house last week telling her about it and explaining that I would expect that I
would eventually have some problems while staying with her, although I didn’t
expect the problems to be too severe because we were healing ourselves with
food. I was explaining this after being there for a couple of hours. Then it
occurred to me – I was having no reaction to her dog, or the dog that she was
watching for a week. No itchy eyes, no runny nose, and NO WHEEZING! I was
stunned. This healthy eating effort had accomplished more than I expected.
Eventually I did have a dog allergy challenge. It turns
out that the dog likes to sleep on the comforter of the bed where I was to
sleep. I crawled into bed and I immediately began sneezing. Within ten minutes
I was mildly wheezing. Ryan took the comforter out of the room, and within 20
minutes the wheezing was gone. I am thrilled that that it took that kind of
intense exposure to set my allergies off, and I am even more thrilled that I
recovered so quickly!
In the next couple of years, when Colson is old enough to take care of a dog and our lifestyle is such that we have the time, we will be able to add a dog to our family. What a relief!
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