One of my best friends is horribly allergic to dogs, even the cute little miniature versions of dogs better known as puppies. She has a reaction to them that is similar to my reaction to dust. Sneezing, itchy/watery eyes, runny nose, etc. Don’t allergens just suck all of the fun out of … well puppies (and in my case cleaning, although to be fair it isn’t like cleaning is exactly the most fun thing ever in the first place).

Back to my friend. She went to visit her brother, his wife, and their kids up in Canada a few weeks ago. She was crazy excited because they’d recently had a new baby that she had yet to meet. The plan was for her to stay with them for a week and get to know the littlest member of the family and spend some quality time with her big brother. Unfortunately amidst all of the travel and new baby excitement her brother forgot to mention that they had also recently added a new puppy. What confuses me most, though, is how he could forget his sister was allergic to dogs. I mean geesh…he lived with her all those years and they never had a dog for a reason. Ah well, I was forgetful for the first several months (who am I kidding, I’m still forgetful) after my son was born.

I’m sure you see where this is going. She went up to her brother’s house all excited and was there one night before her allergies chased her out and into a hotel room. She couldn’t handle being in the same house with the puppy so she ended up spending less time with her family. I thought this was incredibly sad but also an excellent illustration of the impact allergies can have on a person’s daily life.

I know I have had to forgo activities because of my allergies but nothing as extreme as a visit to a family member I rarely get to see. What is the most extreme action you have had to take due to your allergies??

Photo Credit: It’s Greg