First the allergy fun: I just finished 4 rounds of allergy testing, as in 4 allergy testing appointments with skin prick testing all down my back and some times with shots down my arm too. Round 1 was vindicating, but not helpful. It showed I was allergic to grass and trees. It was vindicating in that anyone who has ever been annoyed with me refusing to touch grass (i.e. sit in the awful stuff) can now, kindly go choke on something.
Allergy testing round 2: LIFE CHANGING. Not fun. I had an anaphylactic reaction to the testing. It was delayed so I left after the testing and had to come back in. The short version: 1 week on a hefty dose of prednisone, a RX strength antihistamine, an OTC antihistamine, crap tons of albuterol (nebulizer and rescue inhaler). The biggies were household dust and animals. No more denial about being allergic to the geriatric cat. The other realization: OOOOH SO THAT'S WHY I ALWAS FEEL SUPER CRAPPY WHEN CLEANING AND AM USELESS AFTER!!! I've changed how I clean and now get more done and have some energy left over (DO NOT DRY DUST, PEOPLE! BE SMARTER THAN ME!). Also my husband has started helping with the housework I shouldn't be doing so much (dusting mostly). Huge run on: And I've been using the HEPA vac and the carpet cleaner a lot more and there's a HEPA filter in the bedroom and I've been using this allergy spray stuff, washing bedding more often attacking the cat with Simple Solution cat allergy stuff and allergy wipes and just plain getting out more. WHEW that was long.
Round 3 (which was delayed over 2 weeks to make sure I was fully recovered from round 2): Amazingly was pretty uneventful (I was allergic to some stuff but not enough to knock me out for 2 weeks).
Round 4: FOOD!!!! GLORIOUS FOOD!!! They did 52 skin pricks on this one. I was so very, very scared. The food allergies were the reason I went to the allergist. Amazingly, no horrific reactions! They weren't able to test for all the foods I suspect (this is probably good, I'm just assuming allergic to them for now). The biggie here was CORN. I'm not very allergic to it but it's in EVERYTHING. I MEAN EVERYTHING. Not just corn syrup and corn starch, EVERYTHING!!!! My freaking toothpaste had corn in it, shampoo, 3/4 of the food in my house, etc. I'm allergic to some other foods too but they're easier to avoid (shellfish, avocado, rye, melon). I'm trying to avoid food I'm allergic to to see if it makes me feel better.
I'm anxious for the follow up with the doc. I'm hopeful that she'll say not to worry so much about the corn allergy so that I can occasionally eat at a restaurant, buy produce somewhere other than just the farmer's market, eat occasional cheese. It's 100 degrees out and since I'm avoiding corn, I can't eat ice cream, fml. I'm obsessing over it. This can't be healthy, right?
Anyway, I'm trying for 1 week to not eat anything I'm allergic to (tried last week and failed daily, DAILY). We'll see. I'm going to eat some weird things this week, I think.
Corn free recipe 1: Bastardized spring rolls! <--yummy and completely unlike spring rolls aside from the roll part)
Rice wraps (Greenland brand rice paper--they have rice and tapioca)
tofu--one package(careful--some of this has CORN IN IT!) I found one that I think is corn free. This should be soy you stupid companies.
Flax seed--about 2 tsp
Coconut oil about 2 T
fresh green beans from the farmer's market--around 5-7 (the ones at the store are probably covered in corn or ripened artificially with corn because 'Merica must put corn in everything, for funsies!)
cilantro
basil (both fresh and from farmer's market/homegrown)
Slice tofu, and beans as desired. Cook tofu, beans flax seeds in coconut oil. Prep rice paper per package (you soak it for a few seconds). place small amount of tofu, beans, flax in rice wrapping (I didn't drain the coconut oil). Add sprigs of basil and cilantro. Wrap it all up like a tiny burrito, and repeat until you've used up all your filling.
My family liked them so much they demanded I make them 2 nights in a row. It's a win.
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