A little background info....
At 16, my ex stepmother was sure that I was sexing up the whole neighborhood, so I had to get birth control. Every type they gave me broke me out in gumball sized bumps. There are two sizes of gumballs (I'm sure there may be more) and it was more like the smaller size. It was absolutely miserable when they would pop up. 100 times worse than chicken pox. Birth control is suppose to protect you, not almost kill you. Well, I lived, so good for you lucky birth control companies.
At the wonderful age of 21 - My mom surprised me by booking us a room at The Golden Moon Casino. This was not my first time going to a casino (that was 18), but it was my first time spending the night a one. I had great plans for late night table hopping, lever pulling, bonus round playing, a couple of free drinks and maybe even a go at one of the two dance clubs. Everyone needs a dance party every once in a while. Anyway, that so did not happen. We went to eat dinner and I had a plate piled high with seafood - fried shrimp, shrimp alfredo, crablegs and the list goes on and on. Mom and I were laughing, talking and planning the rest of the evening and then I couldn't breathe. I have no recollection of anything until the bed. Apparently I turned all shades of purple, my eyes That's what mom said. We were down on a reservation with God knows what kind of hospitals and I was on the verge of dying or something. Anyway, I lived. I remember one time I went to eat Thanksgiving dinner at someones house and I started choking, itching and gasping for air. I took a benadryl and ended up being ok, but I didn't really know what happened. Apparently there was shrimp in the dressing. Who does that? It was pretty darn tasty though.
Somewhere between 22 and 23, I had a reaction to a banana. My throat got really scratchy and I wanted to stick my hand b ack there and go at it. It was also really dry and starting to close up. After that, it happened with apples, oranges, kiwi and one of my all time favs Mango. Who the crap is allergic to Mango? I still have pineapple though. Sometimes it sucks to not be able to eat fruit, especially when I got to meetings that have fruit pizza that everyone is devouring. I've never eaten eat, so I guess I can't miss it. Again, I lived.
There are quite a few other things that I have become allergic to along the years, but you get the point. I'm like a walking deathtrap, but I have coped over the years. It is always first 6 months that are the hardest right after finding out and then all is well again.
After reading BEB's post, I am motivated to go to an allergists. I have thought about it before, but decided against it since I had come to terms with not eating certain things. But man, it would make like so much easier and a little more enjoyable if I could eat some of my favorite things again.
The part that freaks me out is that she had to try the things she was allergic to after the tests and it wasn't a guarantee that she wasn't allergic anymore. I'm definitely not going to do it soon because of fear , but I may eventually try it. Maybe I can go and just get an assessment or something and they can tell me how the process works.
Regardless of what I end up doing, I am motivated. Thanks BEB.
Side Note: Mom just recently became allergic to nuts. She was relatively ok with it at first. She couldn't eat snickers (one of her fav candy bars), brownie with nuts and maybe a couple other things. It was a change, but not a gigantic deal. Nope, so wrong. More recently she read an ice cream container after having a similar reaction to me and fruit and the box said something along the lines of "made it a nut factory". Oh, life has now officially ended. She has not and will not come to terms with her life without ice cream... So she keeps her purse stocked with Benadryl and goes on about her day and nights with ice cream. I think there may be a few types that are safe for her, but I'm not sure. Mom, be careful.
Well, I guess that's enough allergy talk. I am headed to the store to buy ingredients to make cookies for a shindig tonight. I hope no one is allergic to them. You can bank on them not having shellfish, fruit or birth control in them, but maybe a little benadryl.
~Reel Moments~
Hitch: Because thats what people do... they leap and hope to God they can fly! Because otherwise, we just drop like a rock... wondering the whole way down..."why in the hell did I jump?" But here I am Sarah, falling. And there's only one person that makes me feel like I can fly... That's you.
