Well, maybe not

Wednesday evening I came to the conclusion that whatever was bothering me wasn't going to go away by Thursday evening, so I emailed my regrets to the studio owner. I feel bad because she and I exchanged several email and I basically promised to show up, and I had to cancel. But I had an obligation to folk at work and I really want to be healthy for next week.

Thursday afternoon I was told that due to the extremely early spring (or mild winter, take your pick) here in the UK the pollen levels have soared to record levels, and the government health people say that 100 to 150 thousand people will suffer from hay fever this year who have never experienced it before. That seems to include me. Too late to change my mind about class, and I really didn't want to sneeze my way through it anyway.

I'd been taking Claritin (spelled Clarityn over here) since Monday, but I've always found that it's better at preventing a reaction than responding to one. Yesterday I resolved to find some Zyrtec, which works better for me when dealing with strong reactions. Unfortunately you have to get it from a pharmacy here, even though it's available without a prescription. And all the pharmacies near me opened at 9am and closed at 6pm, which is impractical when you have to be in front of a class from 9 to 5:30.

Today class wrapped up in mid afternoon, and I drove off to score some good drugs. I found a great parking space (tough in small towns where the roads are narrow) and went in to consult with a pharmacist. My plan was to get some Benadryl (diphenhydramine) as a backup, but they only sell it as a sleep aid here. Instead I left with my Zyrtec and some nasal spray I'm told will also help a lot. The Zyrtec has already helped quite a bit, and should get better after I take my second one tomorrow morning.

I thought about going back to CSB Monday evening, but it's a Bank Holiday here Monday, and the school will be closed. Oh well.