I really feel for you. I too have severe asthma, and very stubborn
eczema from my allergies to the ferrets today. It's quite upsetting.

You know, when I as a child my asthma and allergies were actually
dangerous. I grew up on a farm, and my mother tried to keep the indoors
as well as she could for an allergic person, but it sure wasn't enough
as she did smoke and we did have a couple of dogs, etc. I had little
to no trouble with the outside barn animals because of the fresh air.
Allergy pills and shots were plenty enough treatment for me to tolerate
them. Anything with fur was difficult to deal with, and if it was
indoors it was impossible. Rodents and birds seemed to be the worst.
So, my indoor pets consisted of pet reptiles, amphibians and fish. I
found out as an adult that if I controlled my environment ridiculously
strict (dusting, steam cleaning, as little things in the home as
possible, no plants, no smoking, no pets, etc), then I was able to
tolerate hamsters or the occasional gerbil. Happy joy joy!

Then I had remembered my favorite house pet of all as a child, the
ferret ... and how I didn't seem to react to them. So, I invited
ferrets into my life once again at age 22. It went fantabulous. Not
even the mildest of reactions no matter how much I hugged and kissed
them. I owned these little guys off and on through adulthood without
a single problem. Then ... 3 or so years ago by age 40, I started to
notice a change. Very slowly, I started to react to them. At first it
was mostly with rashes. Then later it was the sniffles if I put my face
into their fur. Hmm. Okay, I thought ... I can restrain from putting my
face to them and wash my hands more often. Allergy pills worked. But it
only got worse over the years. I just don't understand. What a cruel,
cruel joke for life to play on me. Today, I seem to only tolerate my
own ferrets because I bath them and keep them wiped down regularly.
Today I walk around with rashes that NEVER go away. I can't put my face
into them. I have to run and wash my hands any time I so much as touch
one, or I'll touch my eyes and they'll swell and make me miserable.
They live downstairs, I live upstairs and only a couple at a time play
up here in the "allergy free zone" with us. I can only stay in the
ferret room for short periods throughout the day or I suffer asthma and
terrible sneezing and congestion. Anyone that has visited here, can
tell you, that the room is mopped and swept regularly. The cages washed
outside regularly. Laundry and toys are washed 3x a week. It's insanely
"sterile". Yet it only takes the edge off things. Ironically, I ceased
being allergic to pet birds. How bizarre is that? Anyway, so it stand
today. And it is an absolutely miserable existence. I hope that my body
changes yet again in the future.

Posts on the FML have stated that some allergists now use drops under
the tongue rather than shots. The main thing that kept me from trying
shots again was transportation issues. Maybe I'll look into this. I
haven't been particularly enthusiastic about it as there is no serum
for ferrets. I do know that my allergies resemble a line of dominoes.
if you trip one, more will fall. The more I am exposed to allergens,
the more severely I react to others that I normally don't react very
much too. For example. I can play with and handle two ferrets with
little problem. But, if it is spring with all of the pollen, and/or I
am subjected to a smoker (I mean just their clothes!), then all the
sudden those two wee ferrets are a BIG problem. It adds up. So, I
fanatically try to control my surroundings and exposures as much as I
can, but as I get worse it does not seem to be enough. I miss the cool
butt drugs they took off the market that actually WORKED. Remember
them? Now we basically have three prescriptions to choose from which
are nearly a joke and an OTC drug that will comotose you if you take
enough for it to work. I have traded quality of life for health safety.
But NOT by choice. Thank goodness as the posted indicated, the asthma
drugs are stupendous and there are dozens of choices, combinations, etc
to choose from. Otherwise ... ferrets would not be in my life today
(unless I adopted a total outside way of life for them). Anyway, that
is where things stand.

I can sure relate to the other allergy sufferers here and especially
to those with asthma.

[Posted in FML 5837]