At about five o'clock this morning, I came to a disturbing realization: Apparently, I'm allergic to hydrocodone.

I realized this as I wakened to waves of nausea, a massive headache, confusion, itching, and vomiting. Not fun. Right then and there I knew all my plans for the day had just fallen out the window.

While we're on the subject of windows, let me back up a little bit for context, lest you think I've been popping pills for fun. Yesterday, I had periodontal surgery, a reasonably routine p...