A failed experiment... possibly

[Pax]

Thanks Crankin, the relief in our home is palpable. I feel bad for my honey since she loves being outside so much, but she's even ready to throw in the towel because of the bigots.

Emily, it's another adventure! I'll post in this thread as things progress.

We're going to open bank accounts while we're home, and get pre-qual'd for a mortgage. That way if we find something we like we can buy and just have our lawyer handle it while we're in FL.

[OakLeaf]

I'll miss you, but it sounds like it's for the best.

Happy house hunting.

[Pax]

Thanks, Oak, I'll miss you too. Although I may be here for one more snowbird season.

[Catrin]

Good luck, and it sounds like it is really for the best. May it go smoothly!

[ny biker]

I thought of you often this past week, Pax. I just returned from my first-ever visit to Cape Cod which was wonderful except that I am apparently allergic to it! It started with mild asthma symptoms my first night there, then developed into non-stop nasal congestion, sneezing and lots of coughing. Also I had a few hives. We left yesterday and my head cleared by the time we reached Connecticut. I'm still coughing a bit, as the histamines are still calming down.

I have no idea what I reacted to -- some kind of pollen, but don't know what. Pollen.com said grass and sorrel/dock were predominant. I don't usually have problems with grass but maybe there's a different variety up there. The worst days were at the beginning of the trip when it was windy. The best were when I was on a boat, visiting Martha's Vineyard one day and taking a canal cruise on another.

I'm already taking 2x the usual dose of Zyrtec plus Zantac every day for the chronic hives. I was going to try adding Flonase but the pharmacist recommended against it because I recently switched to Flovent for my daily inhaler and it uses the same active ingredient. So I took a decongestant instead and used albuterol on and off.

I've never had an allergic asthma reaction like that before, nor have I had such a strong reaction to any pollen. I just kept thinking, I could never live here. Or visit again in the spring or early summer. I'm so tired of coughing!

I hope your move back to Illinois goes well!

[Crankin]

I am sorry you had that, NY. Even though I spent every summer of my life at the Cape, until I was 17, I have noticed that in the past 5 years or so, I get the achy, allergy symptoms when I am there. It's happened enough to make me think it's the mold. I mostly notice it when I go there and ride, which makes sense, as under normal everyday activity levels, I am not breathing in that crap in the same way. I don't notice it if I go to the beach for the day. Last summer, I spent 3 days at a friends' house in Orleans. I was ok hiking in the dunes on a dry day, but when we rode the next morning in pea soup humidity, I could barely breathe or move.

[Pax]

So sorry I missed your post, NY, that just stinks, hope you're feeling better now.

We had wrath of god wind and rain yesterday, it must've stirred something up because I'm tight and gasping again today. Must say, it's getting really tiresome. So glad we have a trip home to IL planned in a couple of weeks.