Ups and downs

Flying back from a few days in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary I was welcomed home by this fabulous view over the isles. I never lose the joy of looking down on the world from the air. Especially when it's over a place that I can pick out places I know.

I had been in ARI for an Aspirin desensitisation. Basically if you are allergic to aspirin they put you through this to find a level of aspirin that you can tolerate, then you stay on that dose and it should help to keep things like nasal polyps, allergies and asthma under control. As I had been told about 30 odd years ago to avoid taking aspirin as, as an asthmatic, there was a possibility that I may be allergic to it I had no idea if I was allergic to aspirin or not. So, there is only one way to find out and as the medical fraternity don't like to put you in a potentially life threatening situation  on a whim with no back up to hand it was couple of days in high dependency unit whilst they fed me aspirin.

It was a very odd experience as I was given increasing doses of aspirin and then very closely monitored whilst we all hoped for me to have a reaction. The complete opposite of what everyone is usually looking for. Sadly (?!!?) I didn't have a reaction. I am allergic to almost every other thing* on the planet but not bloody aspirin, so the proposed treatment wont work for me.

Disappointing, but at least I now know that I can take aspirin or ibuprofen if I need to. Although, I reckon I've had enough aspirin to do me for a while.

Big thanks to the staff at ARI, especially the nurses who made the whole process far more pleasant with their superb care and attention and most of all their sense of humour.

* I exaggerate very slightly for dramatic effect.