About ten days into Knowing I'm Allergic To Cats, and I can really tell the various changes I've made are working. I am no longer going through kleenexes like there's no tomorrow. I can breathe with ease most of the time and don't feel like my entire head is stuffed. I don't have inner ear weirdness, nausea, dizziness, etc., from being totally stuffed-up. Keeping the cats out of the bedroom (except Nuala at night) has been, I think, the biggest game-changer, that and the Nasonex.

The weather is hovering on the edge of turning nice, and this evening we got a bit of sun and warm weather after a day of drizzle and gloom. Tomorrow is Wolverine at last, next week is Star Trek for which I've become very excited, and soon after, Up. May will be a great movie month. Yay!

Anime Central is also next week -- I'm hoping that even though it's just started, the new Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood series will have spawned tie-ins and costuming. There hasn't been a really big new anime in a few years -- nothing like FMA or even Naruto as far as being the big thing everyone knows about -- so even a resurgence of an old favorite would be good to get the enthusiasm going.

I finally dragged my butt back to the gym this week (rather literally, for when one sits more than one does anything else, it is la patootie that demonstrates this to the world) and have gone three days in a row. I'm trying to change up my routine in several ways, and though it's only a couple of days in, I can already tell its making a difference. For one, I have more energy: I ran errands after my workout and then, after I got home and had supper, I did the dishes, did some laundry, changed the bedding (something I've been lacksadaisical about but which will now become an at-least weekly thing to keep any dander that does accumulate to a minimum), cleaned the bathroom, and took out the trash.

I recently finished reading the arc version of lisamantchev's sparkly wonderful Eyes Like Stars. I've had the privilege of reading several versions of this book while it was in-progress, and I think it's turned out simply wonderfully. And I still think it has one of the best first lines in the history of ever. I hope you've all pre-ordered it. 

Now to finish my semi-annual reread of A College of Magics (so much love), and then I'll likely start Laurie R. King's new Mary Russell novel, The Language of Bees -- in which they FINALLY get back to England! YAY!

So, yeah. Going pretty well. I sterilized (not) the bedroom and had the door closed last night but Nuala kept scratching at the door and pacing and scratching and finally I gave up and let her in. She got up on the bed but instead of hunkering down next to the pillow, she curled up beside me out of face-range. She tends to bunk down and not move much all night, so that worked great. This morning, I closed the door behind me and they've been out of the room all day.

Already I feel a LOT clearer. The combination of things seems to be making a big difference.

I am way tired, though, which I think is mostly adjusting to this, all the cleaning I've done the last couple days, and going back to the gym for the first time in +2 weeks (my workout was not impressive, but at least I got myself moving again -- My stretchiness seemed just fine but I got tired way faster than usual).

The cats are less upset by the door today though still a bit bemused. It was gorgeous out so I opened the windows for a little bit to distract them.

One more episode of "Band of Brothers" before bed, I think, and then off to see the "This American Life" LIVE theatrical simulcast tomorrow afternoon!

That nasal irrigation stuff? That stuff is AWESOME!

Well, I asked for it, so I cannot complain, but still.

I'm allergic to cats, it turns out. Also ragweed. Not so much to anything else (well to dogs some, too).

My allergist is sympathetic. She said, "Don't worry. I know you aren't getting rid of your cats." Very resigned. She does think I should keep them out of the bedroom. I'm going to get an air purifier as she suggested and clean the bedroom, bedding, and all, and then close the door. I'm not sure I'll be able to live without Nuala snuggled up beside me. Probably not. But I can keep them out of the room the rest of the day so that'll cut down on a lot of the dander (they sleep on the bed during the day). Fortunately, that's the one room in the apartment which has a door that reliably latches.

*sigh*

I just HAD to ask, but then I am getting pretty tired of being permanently stuffed-up.