Animal dander was the culprit in my first asthmatic trauma. On a childhood sleepover, I was sharing my friends spare bed with her cat. Its hair was all over my pillow. Far too shy to complain, I remember trying to breathe shallowly, in a vain effort to avoid inhaling the essence of cat from the bed. Not until three in the morning, face swollen and airways inflamed to the point that I could hardly breathe, did I finally gather the courage to wake my friend's parents. That night ended with hospital-administered inhalant broncho-dilators and a good dose of antihistamines. But my lifelong struggle with allergic disorders and hyper-reactivity continues.
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