Holy Allergies, Batman
Strangely enough, I got a call from my doctor's office about two weeks ago telling me of my appointments with a number of specialists. After a few moments of what was obviously a very confused silence, the receptionist explained that after my last visit the doctor reviewed my file and decided it was pertinent for me to see an allergist, an internist and have a full respiratory function test done. In case you don't know, about 1.5 years ago I became very sick and had a long recovery but I feel like I truly never fully recovered--I'm much more tired now, get sick every time I try to exercise, and just don't have the get up and go that I used to have. So, anyway, after over a year of my whining to the doctor off and on about chest pain, axilla pain and pinching, and a host of other maladies, she decided to send me to the specialists.
Enter my first appointment with the allergist. As he asks me what he can help me with, I realize that I really don't have a clue why I am there. I mumble something about already knowing everything that I'm allergic to (fish, seafood, nuts, cats, dogs) but maybe my doctor sent me because of my drug allergies (antibiotics, morphine) and, oh, maybe avocadoes. He proceeds to tell me that there's nothing he can do for my drug allergies and then tells me to pull up my sleeves as he reaches for his preparations on the table. "Are you going to test me right now?" I ask. Apparently so, as he proceeds to place 36 dots of serum on my arms and then stabs each one with a little lancet. No sooner does he leave the office when both my arms go white, I get goosebumps all over my body, and my arms start to itch like crazy! I blow on them for 5 minutes, try to look at a magazine to distract me and then have to bite my tongue so I don't cuss the guy out when he walks, smiling, through the door and asks me how I'm doing.
He walks in all non-chalant, wipes the serum off my arms and points to all the welts/hives and says: "You're allergic to trees, cats, dogs..." and then it starts to get weird..."dairy, wheat, bananas and avocadoes." I've known about trees for quite some time but the dairy and wheat thing totally blow me away! As I tell him that the trees aren't really a big deal because I don't have any hay fever, he points to my huge hives and says, " You don't understand...you are very allergic to trees...and that means anything that comes from a tree you can not have. That means pollen, nuts and....FRESH FRUIT! " What?! I'm allergic to fresh fruit?!! Apparently I have something called Oral Allergy Syndrome and something as innocent as a freshly squeezed fruit smoothie cocktail could plunge me into anaphylactic shock!! Who knew?!
I knew.
Well, let me clarify, I didn't know that I had an allergy to fruit but I know that I have never been able to eat it without feeling sick. It is always my last choice of snacks. When I tell people that I hate fruit they look at me like I've just declared that I hate Christmas, and then I have to launch into a lengthy explanation of how it bloats my tummy, produces tons of stomach acid, and makes me feel like someone literally pulled the plug of energy right out from the bottom of my feet. So now I know why! It's because I'm ALLERGIC!!
Do you know what this means?
It means that I can't eat fresh fruit, raw veggies, nuts, seafood, dairy or wheat. It means that I can eat--meat, rice, cooked fruit, cooked veggies and....
CHOCOLATE!!
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and this Christmas he is bringing me the gift of freedom--freedom to eat chocolate and cheezies without feeling like I should be eating fruit!
Yes, fruit...I no longer have to partake of your offerings!!
Woo hooo!!!
Merry Christmas to my tummy, the itchy roof of my mouth, my runny nose and my itchy ear canals!! You will all be fine now...
Enter my first appointment with the allergist. As he asks me what he can help me with, I realize that I really don't have a clue why I am there. I mumble something about already knowing everything that I'm allergic to (fish, seafood, nuts, cats, dogs) but maybe my doctor sent me because of my drug allergies (antibiotics, morphine) and, oh, maybe avocadoes. He proceeds to tell me that there's nothing he can do for my drug allergies and then tells me to pull up my sleeves as he reaches for his preparations on the table. "Are you going to test me right now?" I ask. Apparently so, as he proceeds to place 36 dots of serum on my arms and then stabs each one with a little lancet. No sooner does he leave the office when both my arms go white, I get goosebumps all over my body, and my arms start to itch like crazy! I blow on them for 5 minutes, try to look at a magazine to distract me and then have to bite my tongue so I don't cuss the guy out when he walks, smiling, through the door and asks me how I'm doing.
He walks in all non-chalant, wipes the serum off my arms and points to all the welts/hives and says: "You're allergic to trees, cats, dogs..." and then it starts to get weird..."dairy, wheat, bananas and avocadoes." I've known about trees for quite some time but the dairy and wheat thing totally blow me away! As I tell him that the trees aren't really a big deal because I don't have any hay fever, he points to my huge hives and says, " You don't understand...you are very allergic to trees...and that means anything that comes from a tree you can not have. That means pollen, nuts and....FRESH FRUIT! " What?! I'm allergic to fresh fruit?!! Apparently I have something called Oral Allergy Syndrome and something as innocent as a freshly squeezed fruit smoothie cocktail could plunge me into anaphylactic shock!! Who knew?!
I knew.
Well, let me clarify, I didn't know that I had an allergy to fruit but I know that I have never been able to eat it without feeling sick. It is always my last choice of snacks. When I tell people that I hate fruit they look at me like I've just declared that I hate Christmas, and then I have to launch into a lengthy explanation of how it bloats my tummy, produces tons of stomach acid, and makes me feel like someone literally pulled the plug of energy right out from the bottom of my feet. So now I know why! It's because I'm ALLERGIC!!
Do you know what this means?
It means that I can't eat fresh fruit, raw veggies, nuts, seafood, dairy or wheat. It means that I can eat--meat, rice, cooked fruit, cooked veggies and....
CHOCOLATE!!
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and this Christmas he is bringing me the gift of freedom--freedom to eat chocolate and cheezies without feeling like I should be eating fruit!
Yes, fruit...I no longer have to partake of your offerings!!
Woo hooo!!!
Merry Christmas to my tummy, the itchy roof of my mouth, my runny nose and my itchy ear canals!! You will all be fine now...
Comments
Wendy
I'm not THAT allergic, right?
Ronnie
I'll admit that the diagnosis took me by surprise but now that I am aware, I can really see the allergic reactions I was having--every time I ate I had a runny nose, and was constantly clearing my throat. Sometimes I'd just get hives for no reason (or so I thought it was no reason) and I have been having constant asthma attacks for the past year and a half. Now that I am weaning myself off of these foods I don't do the throat thing as much and my nose isn't dripping all the time. The asthma thing is still happening but I think that will take time.
Fortunately, these aren't life threatening (only my peanut, fish, avocado and nut ones are) so I am going to indulge at Christmas time--but them I'm going to go right back to the 'clean' eating as I do feel much better.
Merry Christmas to you...thanks for commenting!
Amanda