Stupid Allergies

Well. Those of you that know me very well know that I have had to watch what I eat for quite a while now. All anyone could figure was that I was allergic to food preservatives, such as MSG. They are in TONS of food, especially packaged and processed foods and Chinese food, so of course it made sense that a lot of things I would eat would make me ill. So for a few years now I would just eat stuff, and find out the hard way if I would react from it.

In the past couple of years, about since my senior year of high school, it has gradually been getting worse. And worse. And worse. Since about March there were a few times all I did were complain steadily about my stomach. I don’t enjoy being ill, I am not a hypochondriac, and I knew it was just some reaction to some foods I was eating. Well I started eating more and more fresh foods. I have always eaten fresh food (mostly because I really hate cooked veggies) so it wasn’t a big change, but I was kicking out a lot of crap and packaged stuff.

I also started to see a new doctor. That was a HUGE step for me. I HATE going to the doctor. I go when I need to, but if my mom (an RN/BSN) can give me some idea of how to make myself better without going to the doctor, I WILL NOT GO. Simple as that. Makes me feel silly to go in there and complain like that. But even I knew something was wrong, and I needed to get checked out. Plus, I have had the same doctor since I was 12. He was the only doctor that ever “fixed” me. I was his youngest patient, and he was my last resort. Loved him. But he retired. And I moved away. So I had to find a new doctor. And I am PICKY. So I called the insurance company and asked for a list of doctors in downtown Indy that are DO doctors, not an MD. (There is a BIG difference, look it up.)  Well. There was only one. So I went to him. Not much other choice unless I wanted to drive out to a burb, which I didn’t.

During my first visit with the doctor I did initial blood work, you know, the normal HDL, LDL, etc, etc. I explained all the stuff that I KNEW was wrong with me, all the stuff that HAD been wrong with me, and all the stuff that I knew was/had been wrong with my family.  Telling my family medical history is hard; I only know half of it.  Then a follow up appointment was scheduled to go over the results from the standard test.

During the follow up we went over what I THOUGHT might be wrong with me. I explained how I KNOW I am allergic to preservatives, and I avoid them, but how I am steadily feeling worse and worse after I eat, even though I try and avoid foods that are preserved.  A lot of my symptoms were pointing towards diabetes.  And in all honesty, that was what I voted for, as I KNOW several people in my family history (even on the side I don’t know much about, I do know diabetes and heart disease) have/had diabetes. So he ordered an A1C test.  He also didn’t like the idea that I have never been to an allergist. So he told his admin to make me an appointment with an allergist, who would test for all sorts of stuff. Best allergist in the Midwest (which, being an anti-doctor visiting person that I am, I appreciated).  Well the admin called a few days later and said the allergist didn’t test for food allergies and such so we would discuss other options when I came back in to see Doc at my upcoming physical. (Ended up that admin had tried to make my appointment with the allergist with the wrong info…long, unimportant story, and yes, I STILL have to go see the allergist…I am not happy about this because I thought I was off the hook. HA!).

Back to the point… so I go in for the physical. Didn’t end up happening because Doc’s mom’s doc called and said she wasn’t going to make it (she didn’t, so pray for his family please!) but he did bring me this big book that had a list of all of the blood tests he can order and we looked over the food allergy ones and chose the one that we both thought would cover most of the things that could be bothering me.

Well today I went back to actually get my physical.  Also got the results from the A1C and allergy panel.

Good news: I DON’T HAVE DIABETES!!!

Bad news: I am HIGHLY allergic to wheat.

Yeah. Wheat.

Well, at least the four major proteins that make up wheat. So no more albumin, globulin, gliadin, or gluten.

Many of you may be familiar with gluten because many foods are labeled “gluten-free”.  Foods have been labeled that recently because of celiac disease, chron’s disease, and of course wheat allergies (no, I DO NOT have celiac disease or chron’s disease THOSE ARE NOT THE SAME THINGS!!!)

I wasn’t freaking out very much because my mom had went on a gluten-free kick a few years back because of my brothers. 

Then I went to the grocery. And I read the labels. And read some more. And pretty much EVERY SINGLE THING I picked up, had had to put down. Anyways, wheat (mostly flour) is in EVERYTHING.

Not fair.

Oh well.

I will survive.

But then. Well then the realities of it all set in. While I was grocery shopping.

Typically wheat allergies are more prevalent when you are a child, and as you age, your intolerance lessens, and eventually you can eat it. That scenario is not me. I am the girl who’s wheat allergy got progressively WORSE as she aged, and will get even worse as I keep aging.  Worse as in, I can possibly get so allergic to wheat that I go into anaphylactic shock if I eat wheat. Not happy about this.

So, what am I doing now you ask? Well I am getting rid of all the wheat crap in my apartment right now. Took a break to write this. (Don’t worry, I am not just throwing it away, I am sending it to my parents’ house.)  And I am cutting out ALL wheat that I can find (some things have trace amounts, or are cross contaminated).  Then we will see how I feel in about a month, and if I feel WONDERFUL I might try and reintroduce a little, VERY little, wheat to my diet.

We shall see.

So pray. Please.

Wheat-free food is VERY expensive.  This is VERY frustrating for me. I seriously almost broke down in the grocery, and I HATE crying (that is how frustrated I am).