Done and Done In

The computer work is finally done. Walter finished the day before yesterday, then he just totally crashed.

He's so allergic he can barely get out of bed.

The pollen counts are climbing, as they do this time of year. August used to be my worst time, then I'd quickly improve right after Labor Day. Now that's switched. It's the late winter pollen, which means trees, that do me in worse.

Since going on the high-dose steroids, I have a lot more function than I used to. So seeing Walter totally debilitated, while I'm still able to sneak in *outside* work time, is a little strange.

I fed him Benadryl and turned on an air machine in his room. His eyes were nearly swollen shut, his face swelled too, and he could barely form his thoughts into sentences. Cognitive disorder.

It was like seeing a reflection of myself in another human being.

Some people don't understand how allergies can be disabling. If they saw what I saw in Walter, they'd probably get it.

And there was nothing else I could do for him.

That sense of helplessness can be almost as bad as being the sick person.