Bank of Holly Springs

Close to Nowhere

Getting old...

A couple weeks ago, son Kris came in the living room and asked me to look at something. He thought he might be allergic to a new antibiotic.

I hate to say this, but I laughed. Out loud. He really looked funny. His face, lips, and arms were really swollen.

I’m a bad mother. I giggled every time I looked at him.

After a new antibiotic and some antihistamines (and a few days) he began to look normal again.

Allergies are just funny at our house. Mostly because I tend to be allergic to the weirdest things.

Several years ago, before Dr. Loria got my itching under control, we would experiment with all kinds of medications.

The first one he tried was a type of drug given to people with skin cancer. It was going to be the answer to all my woes. It might even help the psoriatic arthritis in my hips.

That was the beginning of my long, arduous journey of allergic reactions. Over the years, I itched and reacted sometimes with strange results -- even nightmares.

I recently went to a new foot doctor in Oxford, as I have really wonky toenails (yes, as a result of one of the allergic reactions).

He’s a really nice guy and prescribed hot foot baths with these two different kinds of powder mixed in with the water.

Yes, I had a reaction. My feet broke out in hives and red bumps up past my ankles. The worst part was the itching and burning.

For the most part, except for the occasional reaction to a new anything, I have been itch-free for about a year now. You just have no idea of the joy that not itching can bring.

I have a bunch of cousins about my age and we spend a lot of time talking about how getting old is not for sissies.

Linnette has arthritis. She was the “hippie” amongst us. She’s still an avid animal advocate and a practicing vegetarian. She’s trying to go completely vegan. I have no idea what the difference is, as I love pepperoni.

Anita has back problems and lots of problems with GOM (grumpy old man). Her husband, Pop’s cousin James, was crushed by a tree many years ago and the older he gets, the grumpier he gets.

Kathy has arthritis and her husband has terrible back problems.

Sarah, who is much older than the rest of us, looks wonderful and is rarely out of sorts. She just kinda glides through life looking great and feeling good.

The rest of us don’t like her!

Holly Springs South Reporter

P.O. Box 278
Holly Springs, MS 38635
PH: (662) 252-4261
FAX: (662) 252-3388
www.southreporter.com