Near the end of April, 2011, I bit into a turkey burger with avocado and my mouth went into extreme rejection mode. My gums were burning and throbbing with pain, my tongue was on fire and swelling, I felt like I had rinsed my mouth with acid. Three days later, after a good night at the gym, two bites of a banana caused the same reaction. Papaya makes my skin turn red and burn, strawberries cause my lips and face to swell and my throat tightens. Apples taste like carrots to me until my mouth burns and swells and then that mismatched taste doesn't matter anymore.
I found enough information online to self-diagnose but I did not understand how the body handles allergens, so I made an appointment with a specialist. My allergist conducted a scratch test for foods that had given me allergic symptoms (rather than arbitrarily testing for everything). I wanted a test to confirm my fruit allergies so that I could either eat or avoid particular foods with confidence. The results shocked me. I didn't react to any of the fruits in the scratch test. Instead, I learned that I have a peanut and soybean allergy. In the two weeks before the appointment I had noticed I was feeling a bit itchy around my shoulders when I ate peanuts or soybeans. I thought it might have been a coincidence, since we're always dry and itchy in Tucson. I am glad I tested for those! Additionally, this is a great example of why self-diagnosing isn't good enough. Always confirm with your doctor.
I have two types of food allergies: Oral allergy syndrome and the standard food allergy that can cause anaphylaxis. The fruits are just oral allergies. I say "just" because they won't kill me. I was told that less than 1% of the people with OAS have an anaphylactic reaction. Fruits will affect my mouth and throat but I can eat them until I feel symptoms, and then when I stop eating them my symptoms should subside. If I'm having an especially annoying reaction, I can use a liquid antihistamine, like Benadryl, to counteract the reaction. Legumes are still on my menu but with an EpiPen in proximity. Because I do have a tolerance to them, I was told to continue eating legumes the way I have been so that I do not lose my level of tolerance. If I cut them out of my diet completely, then I run the risk of a major reaction the next time I am have exposure. I carry an EpiPen and single doses of liquid Benadryl in my purse wherever I go, just in case.
I am also currently gluten free because in the weeks before my appointment I was having stomach pains whenever I ate. The symptoms for Celiac fit, and rather than eat in agony until my appointment with the allergist, I gave up gluten until I could find out for sure. When I explained my symptoms to the doctor, she was also concerned about Eosinophilic Esophagitis. In EE, the esophagus basically has an allergic reaction to food. I would have to have a visit to a gastroenterologist to confirm. However, since I have been off gluten and carefully consumed legumes, my stomach pains have vanished. I am currently waiting for the results for the Celiac test. Until then, I'm not going to take a chance with gluten. Slipping up on gluten is not the same as having a few too many peanuts. I was told clearly with Celiac, ingesting gluten puts you at risk for stomach cancer.
The biggest challenge for me is that many gluten-free products rely on legume alternatives, but that doesn't leave me to starve. I found quinoa and rice pastas for spagetti and stroganoff, I have eggs for breakfast instead of cereal, and I eat more yogurt and cheese than I used to, which is good for my bones. What I find myself doing though, is eating like a lactose intolerant vegetarian. I forget that I can eat meat, drink milk, eat vegetables and treats that meet my requirements. I have to make an extra effort to eat real meals, and to get the best nutrition I can out of each meal and snack.
My new mission is to find recipes for regular food that don't need fancy substitutions. Most of the time, they do require some specialty foods, I've noticed, but I'm hoping to either create or find recipes for regular foods that are safe to eat. This is why I am here today, and why this blog exists.
Aside from food allergies, I am also allergic to Neosporin, nickel, salicylic acid and one or more components in tattoo ink. All of these discoveries were made the hard way: Wounds that got worse the more I took care of them (neosporin), acne that lasted until I was 37 (salicylic acid), and various rashes (nickel, tattoo ink). In this blog I address non-food allergens as they are relevant to my specific sensitivities, please contribute your experiences too.
In the realm of environmental allergies, I am allergic to all plants except Olive and Mesquite trees, but thankfully I am not allergic to cats, dogs or dust mites. Environmental offenders don't bother me at all, my antihistamine handles them beautifully.
