I think I need to take my allergies more seriously. "Duh," you say. I came into allergy awareness differently than most. I do not have a frightening food allergy story to tell, I have not had near emergencies, dangerous episodes, life threatening exposures to allergens. I have had a very manageable existence. I pull weeds, I get welts on my skin and I cough and sneeze, but it's all gone in about an hour. I bought gardening gloves that reach my elbows - problem (mostly) solved. I eat peanuts until I get itchy, then I stop, and I survive the snack as if it never crossed my lips. I don't even know what soy does to me, but it tested as a higher risk than all of my other allergies. Papaya and avocado instantly put red splotches on my face, but they go away soon enough. I take my allergies for granted, I treat them like sniffles. They go away. But not really, they just hide. They went away last time. Next time, I might not be so lucky.
My focus has been on managing Celiac, taking for granted of course my other allergies. I was nearly doubled over at the grocery store this weekend, cursing gluten and my ever growing sensitivity to it. I thought my gut was supposed to heal after I went off gluten! My small intestine is so fabulously wrecked from a lifetime of consumption that even a trace from a contaminated almond butter jar puts me down. Celiac bonus: I am "fatigued" and suffer from cold flashes (think opposite of hot flashes) most of the day.
We assumed I had a malabsorption problem, but according to blood tests performed two weeks ago I am perfectly healthy. Even my doctor shakes his head at that. I am currently on a self-medicating regimen of digestive enzymes (sans papaya or soy) and probiotics, just to approach "normal" gut function. I also pop iron, B vitamins and a good multivitamin. My mornings start with a "bloodbuilder" smoothie adapted from the book, "Raw Energy": 1 1/2 cups orange juice, 10 dried apricots, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds kernels, 1 tbsp tahini, one scoop of protein powder and one scoop green powder. This combination gets me through the first half of the day just fine, but after lunch I'm feeling like a shell of myself again. My husband, my doctor and I are in the midst of brainstorming complications of Celiac and their relation to my symptoms, or whether I might have other allergies or worse, another illness. Consequently, my war with gluten overshadows my anaphylactic threats, although it shouldn't.
At the store I thought, of all of my offenders, gluten is the one taking me out right now? I might very well need emergency care sometime because of a gluten episode, and my EpiPen won't be any help. What would I do? What should I do?
For one thing, people need to know I have allergies. I have been hunting on and off for a good allergy bracelet. I am not a fan of the MedicAlert bracelets, although they are nice looking and likely the most appropriate choice, frankly, they clash with my wedding ring and my watch. I know, that's a dumb reason. I'm not saying I don't want a bracelet, I just don't want those. Consider too that I have several allergies to fit on mine! I found some good options on Etsy, but they are designed for simple phrases like "Peanut Allergy," or "Diabetic." I need a bracelet that can stand up to constant water exposure from excessive hand-washing and daily swimming, and something that won't get broken by or scratch my daycare kids. Leather, charms, various metals, and delicate chains are off the table. Silicone bracelets are my best option, but I either have to wear a ton of them or get one custom made, and those bright orange bracelets don't exactly compliment my dinner dresses. One solution is to wear a silicone bracelet at work and at home, and then a more jewelry-type bracelet for when I leave the house.
Is it vain to care so much about what my potentially life-saving bracelet looks like? Consider how you dress when you go to Target versus Happy Hour? Do you want everyone around you to see instantly that you have allergies because of your 1-inch neon green bracelet, or do you just it identifiable in case of emergency? The way I see it, not every conversation needs to be about me and my allergies, so I try to keep a low profile. But, we have already established that I am too lax about the situation, so don't take any advice from me!
A trip to Joann's or Michaels is on the books for this weekend. If I can't find the right bracelet, I will make my own. Better safe than sorry, and the sooner the better. If you've got an idea for me, please share it!
