Tuesday, December 26, 2023

The Canary in the Coal Mine

 

December 15, 2023

 

I had no idea that my deodorant was trying to kill me. Until I got COVID, that is.

 

I had a very mild case of COVID, and afterward I got the infamous COVID cough. It was frequent and ferocious. The funny thing was, about 6 weeks after I had COVID, I worked outdoors for about 2 hours with nary a cough; but when I went up to another volunteer to talk with her, I immediately started up again. At that point, I realized that it was because I was way more sensitive to allergens than I had been; so people wearing even the mildest scents, things that I couldn’t even smell, would set me off. But sometimes I coughed even when nobody else was around; that’s when I realized that my powder-fresh deodorant was a health menace. I’ve switched to unscented, and am doing much better.

 

So, I guess I owe COVID a debt of gratitude. Until I had it, I had no idea how dangerous the world is. I can’t make other people stop doing what they do, allergen-wise, but at least I can cut down on the things in my own house that can take me out.

 

 

 

No comments: