Triggers here, triggers there, triggers everywhere!!

Knowing that my main trigger is stress, I got comfortable. Tried to keep my stress to a minimum. Then spring happened......

My house use to back up to a plot of woods....notice I said use to.....

A couple of months ago, my neighbors and I started noticing that there was some heavy machinery at the end of our street. Then one day, I came home to find there was a dirt road at the entrance to my road. Being the nosy person I am, I started walking through the woods to "investigate" what was going on. As I'm walking, I come to an area that had been cleared....it was a new road that ran parallel to my street. I was upset! I bought my house because I didn't want any backdoor neighbors! I was told that the landowner would never sell it! Ugh!!!

About a month and a half ago, on a windy Sunday evening, I noticed a lot of smoke coming from that area. I went out into my backyard, peeked over the fence only to see a bonfire going, that also engulfed a tree. Ok.....so I look around to make sure someone is watching it. Not a soul in site. I debated and then discussed with my husband on what we should do. We decided that with the wind, it would be best to call the fire department. So I did. They came out, quickly put out the fire along with the burning tree. This became a Sunday night ritual for over a month. Every once in a while we would see the fires during the week, and eventually someone would call the fire department. But I've noticed that lately I have not been feeling very good. Coughing fits when I should be just fine, the rash on my chest that re-appeared when the fires started, and the tightness in my chest that is "just" there....not enough to make me take my epi, but just enough to keep me alert.

Now comes the task of wondering.....what is causing this? My husband and I have fires in the back yard in our fire pit all of the time.....and we use limbs from our tree that have fallen out. Is it the underbrush that they are burning? Are they burning something else that I just can't see? Or is it just because the pollen level in my area is extremely high? UGH!!!!!!! I wish there was a book that could explain it all!

Encouragement for April!

Don't let the doubt of those around you make you doubt yourself. You are stronger than you realize and this too shall pass.

This is what I have to tell myself a lot.