AAAAAAAAACCCCCHHHHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

I have never had problems with allergies. I used to look down on those with inhalers, and nasal sprays, and shots, and daily pills. "You are weak and have not the will to control your own body." I would remark. "Quit your whining and just deal with it, it's not that bad."

Then starting about a year and a half ago I would have these days where I would walk from my car to school and by the time I got to my desk my eyes were bloodshot and watering and my nose would run and I would sniffle like a child. "Have you been sobbing in the corner like a little girl all morning?" others would ask me. I didn't know was going on.

This year these episodes have become slightly more frequent. I was told I should pay attention to when I was feeling like this and then go online and check the allergy forecast in my area to see what allergens were high on those days. Sure enough, tree pollen was almost always elevated.

This morning I woke up and found my nose running. I was even sneezing occasionally inside while still inside my apartment. I checked online and saw that tree pollen was "Extremely High". "Uh, oh." I thought. "Well, maybe there is an upper limit to my discomfort and I have already been saturated. It can't get much worse." Then I stepped outside.

Well, maybe it would be more accurate to say I opened the door and then stumbled outside in a horrific explosion of mucus. I walk a little less than a mile and a half to lab every day, and I have to cross two fairly busy streets. Today, I couldn't even see the cars clearly through the bleary smear of visual input that was managing its way through my severely watering eyes. Not to mention that having to deal with losing a third of my body weight in snot that was streaming from my face.

As I collapsed on my desk I realized: I may be forced to become one of those that I used to loath.