Saturday, January 15, 2011

Food allergies...now? Really?

I've come to the conclusion that my body is turning against me. All the little DNA pieces are getting together and saying "Did she treat us right?? Nooooooooo! Are we going to take this anymore??? Noooooooooo!" and so they revolted!

In this long quest to figure out the origin of the mystery rash I went for allergy testing. I knew I'd test positive for the animal dander and some "outside environment" things but I didn't expect my back to light up like a Christmas tree and test positive for EVERY tree, grass, weed and most of the molds they tested me for! And then....the horror of horrors....but we'll get to that in a moment.

Did you know you have to get on a scale at the allergist's office? I didn't. I thought it would be one of the few medical visits where I'd be safe from that dastardly devise but nooooooooooo. I should have known then that things could only go downhill from there. Skipping over all the Q & A that occured I'll just jump right to the testing. I had to lay facedown on a table while the technician stabbed me in the back (literally!) over 60 times. I'm not going to lie, it hurt! Not excruciating pain kind of hurt but after about 20 times and you know you aren't even halfway finished you start to tense up a tad! But I lived through it and the tech said to just lay still for 15 minutes and he'd be back. He came back when he said and says "Well, I don't have to ask you how you're feeling....it's evident by your back!" Then he asks me if he can take a picture for me with my cell phone "Because you really have to see this!" Apparently my allergy reactions are over-achievers and he hadn't quite seen one like mine before. Happy to help in the name of science! So then they decide to do some more testing and stab me up and down both arms. (Sidenote: I've decided acupuncture is not anything I'm interested in exploring!) The doctor comes back and shows me the list of highlighted items ( the comedian/technician quips "I had to get a second highlighter!"). As well as the previously mentioned items I also tested positive for corn and.........it pains me to type this........(imagine Ralphie saying "soap poisoning") ....CHOCOLATE!!! I blurted out "That is just cruel!!!"

Did you know that corn is in EVERYTHING????? I had to go on a corn free as possible diet for at least a week and then have CORNPALOOZA where I ate as much as I could stand of things with corn in it. The rash did come back. Sadness. It's much easier to find gluten free items than it is to find corn free. It's depressing and I have wavered back and forth from being mopingly depressed to "ok, I can do this".

But my question is why now? Why at am I suddenly breaking out in rashes because of corn. I live in the corn belt! I worked in high school/college detassling corn or working corn pack. Why did it turn against me???

I think the corn and my personal DNA are in cahoots with each other! And I can't even discuss the whole chocolate issue right now....it's just too soon!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Things that make you go "huh".

After much internal debate I posted on Facebook this morning about how I had made tomorrow my start date for THE "losing weight" journey. On top of the mysterious rash that no one can agree on what's causing it I've also been dealing with anemia, an aching knee and apparently high blood pressure (which apparently is the cause for the discomforting sensations in my chest that will occur from time to time). In short...I'm a mess! And so I went public (and am doing so once again even though it's a small public for my blog!) in the hopes it would make me more accountable. I'm hoping I'll be a little less inclined to give up...again...if there's the chance that someone will ask me how the journey is going.

But then the thing that made me go "huh" happened. Someone I've been friends with since I moved to Rankin waaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1978 commented that I had one of the strongest sense of will power that she knew. I definitely have never thought of myself in that way. Stubborn maybe but not always in a beneficial way, more like I wasn't going to let some particular annoying people in the past "win" but I never thought of it has having strong will power. She also reminded me she's seen me through some tough times and you know what? She's right. I have gone through some nasty crapstorms but I've always told myself that everyone has so who cares? I'm not going to go all Dr. Phil but there have have been some people in my life who should have been built me up but instead seemed to like chipping away at me instead. But you know what? That was then, this is now. I can let those voices keep whispering away in my head that I'll never succeed so why bother or I can remember that I HAVE (excuse the melodrama here!) sailed through some crapstorms a little bruised and battered but I did survive! Stubborness or will power? Who cares?!

But this does have me wondering do any of us see ourselves as others see us??? How amazing it would be if we did? (Unless people think you're a jerk and then it's probably better not to know! )