Common Exotic Ailments
Every year I manage to fall prey to some weird ailment. The symptoms are mild but irritating but the cause is difficult to identify. The common theme is that I throw off some scent that attracts the smallest of bugs.
Last year I was bitten by something and the doc said probably some bug/flea that jumped from the grass. So I restrained my singing and dancing to paved roads. And yet the bites continued fueling my paranoia. Was it a bed bug ? Should I set fire to all my furniture (history says that was a treatment for bugs)? At some point I think my husband might have contemplated enrolling me in "Bug Bite Anonymous". I performed experiments that involved standing at a particular spot in a room and then checking if I suffered any bites. In one such trial run I was bitten. So proceeding to the next step I scoured the carpet with a magnifying glass to determine if some creature escaped the powerful forces of Super Vacuum 2001. And needless to say, I found the world's tiniest insect jumping about, no doubt as it scented my presence. I am unashamed to say I squished it, and the bites stopped. Is this a placebo ? I don't know but it worked.
Now, I seem to suffer from some allergy - runny nose, itchy eyes, and continuous bouts of sneezing. My sneeze count has exceeded hundred for sure. Of course in the beginning I assumed it was a cold caused by my sudden urge to eat tutti fruti icecream in 90 deg heat. But then my itchy eyes forced reconsideration. Recalling my earlier tryst with the minute warriors, I had to retrace my steps. Sandflies in the beach volleyball court, or the borrowed camping equipment that lay in my home ? And I do feel a wee bit ashamed to even think that I might suffer from allergies. It connotes a weak immune system, soft living, and lots of wealth - all of which I do not possess. For now I still suffer these common symptoms, and have almost succumbed to buying OTC medication. Perhaps it the Revenge of the Buggies, and they might have just won this one!
Last year I was bitten by something and the doc said probably some bug/flea that jumped from the grass. So I restrained my singing and dancing to paved roads. And yet the bites continued fueling my paranoia. Was it a bed bug ? Should I set fire to all my furniture (history says that was a treatment for bugs)? At some point I think my husband might have contemplated enrolling me in "Bug Bite Anonymous". I performed experiments that involved standing at a particular spot in a room and then checking if I suffered any bites. In one such trial run I was bitten. So proceeding to the next step I scoured the carpet with a magnifying glass to determine if some creature escaped the powerful forces of Super Vacuum 2001. And needless to say, I found the world's tiniest insect jumping about, no doubt as it scented my presence. I am unashamed to say I squished it, and the bites stopped. Is this a placebo ? I don't know but it worked.
Now, I seem to suffer from some allergy - runny nose, itchy eyes, and continuous bouts of sneezing. My sneeze count has exceeded hundred for sure. Of course in the beginning I assumed it was a cold caused by my sudden urge to eat tutti fruti icecream in 90 deg heat. But then my itchy eyes forced reconsideration. Recalling my earlier tryst with the minute warriors, I had to retrace my steps. Sandflies in the beach volleyball court, or the borrowed camping equipment that lay in my home ? And I do feel a wee bit ashamed to even think that I might suffer from allergies. It connotes a weak immune system, soft living, and lots of wealth - all of which I do not possess. For now I still suffer these common symptoms, and have almost succumbed to buying OTC medication. Perhaps it the Revenge of the Buggies, and they might have just won this one!
posted by Subbu at 5:52 AM
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