Nightmare on Bird Street.

So, I won't go into all the things that made today so uniquely un-fun, but I will tell you that I freakin' found two dead birds in my backyard, one of which the county just confirmed died from West Nile Virus.

Say what?!

As if that's not gross enough, but, hello? I found another little dead guy this weekend which I put in a cardboard box for the vector mafia to pick up only to discover: Like all good organized crime (fighters) they do NOT work weekends.


So, I did what any good citizen should do: I posted this on the local news website in the area. Click on link to find out what you can do if you find a string of young, dead birds in your backyard.


I don't meant to complain, but as if my family doesn't have enough weird health issues to stress about, but West Nile Virus in my backyard, too? Wow.

I'm serious, today ended up being just plain a whole bunch of "badly timed personal news."

Recent Bad News:


Un-fun personal issue #1.

Last week I couldn't breathe, again after having major sinus surgery only six months ago.

I find out my body is allergic to "myself" which pretty much means it goes into severe inflammation response to any kind of allergy or small infection (by reaction I mean severe asthma and pneumonia -- out of the blue.). So my CAT scan last week about floored my ENT who couldn't believe I was running around with as much non-air space (read:"Severe inflammation.") in my head. (Does this mean I'm clinically a fat-head?) He was going over my former scat scan with the following emotions on his face: In order: Trepidation, disbelief, and genuine sympathy.

Then he looked up my nose with this scary, tiny camera (It feels like someone sticking a long elephant hair up to your eyeball) and then remarked: "Wow. Are these the same sinuses? The prednisone worked miracles here! But, unfortunately it probably won't last. Sadly it will probably return just as soon as your current cortisone levels wear off. Sorry. It's probably due to all that dryness from your "Sjogren's Syndrome."

As he explained it, apparently my body has a hyper-reactive inflammatory response to any infection or allergy, no matter how insignificant it might be in other people. And I said. "Oh, okay."

He said my current situation will probably require one or two more surgeries, but we won't plan that until my current sinus infection subsides.


Un-fun personal issue #2.

I am getting my older daughter ready to go to Middle School where, yet again, she will no doubt be surrounded by peanut proteins only one of which could trigger anaphylaxis, like it did before.


While the sky may not be falling, dead birds are. And they are falling out of the sky into my backyard with icky, life-threatening diseases.