Cross-Contamination Issues and The Full Bucket

Last night I made pizza. I made a Butternut Squash pizza for myself (that I actually like), and I made a veggie pizza for the rest of the family.

I used separate pans, and made mine first and baked it before making and baking the family's pizza.

The family's pizza contained the following of my allergens: Garlic, Tomatoes, Peppers, Mushrooms.
As I was making/baking their pizza, I experienced the mild stinging in my face and the little shooting sparks of pain, but it went away.

We ate our dinner. I was doing fine allergy-wise. Then, while I was cleaning up, I picked up a piece of the Butternut left on the pan and ate it....and had near immediate itchy ears and throat, sneezing, runny nose, and tons of gook down the back of my throat. Ugh! There had to have been some cross-contamination between the two pans, probably garlic, and my body obviously still doesn't like it. I got over it within the hour without taking any Benadryl, but it wasn't fun.

I think the trees are pollinating now, as I have had random bouts of itchy palate/ears/sneezing/runny nose the last day or two. Or, it could also be the new dishwasher soap I got(Ecover). I had to get a different brand at the health food store since they were out of the brand I have been using with little/no problems. I have found that Wave dishwasher detergent in Lavender scent seems to give me the least trouble. I think the Ecover brand is giving me problems(coconut?).

So, with the trees pollinating and the potential dishwashing detergent problem, my allergy 'bucket' is probably full to brimming. It sure didn't take much of whatever was on the Butternut (a tiny granule of garlic powder?) for me to react!

I can't wait until Tuesday, my next AAT appointment, when I plan to have Trees treated! Hopefully it will drain the bucket so I can have fewer and fewer reactions!

My Conventional Allergist Appointment--or--No More Shots For Me!

I went to the Conventional Allergist yesterday for follow-up. I have stewed about this appointment for months now and was glad the day finally came so I could talk to him about my experience and how much better I feel (giving credit to AAT, not the shots). I could have called him long ago but I do SO much better with face-to-face conversation than I do with conversations over the phone.

As I have mentioned before, the Conventional Allergist was not overly enthusiastic about AAT. He had said that there is no scientific proof that it works. I ended up going the way of AAT in hopes of at least getting some of my foods back, and have been feeling so much better--better than I have felt in years!

I had dropped a 2-page letter off at his office last week in hopes that it would do the job of describing my experience and asking for his opinion as to what to do in regards to my allergy shots.

He read my letter and we had a lengthy discussion about sublingual drops(not yet approved by the FDA but he is considering offering them to some of his patients). I was thinking Why are we having this lengthy discussion about something I didn't even address in the letter and has nothing to do with my concerns? I finally realized he brought this up to let me know he is not *against* therapies that aren't 'scientifically proven' or that are considered alternative medicine. He just doesn't want people "throwing their money" at them and hoping for a miracle cure. Took me awhile to realize that was what he was getting at.

He then recommended that I stop the shots and continue the AAT treatments and as long as I felt fine and was happy with AAT, there was no reason to come for further testing with him unless I was simply curious as to where I stood with the allergies, or was having some difficulty with allergies still and wanted to start up the shots again.

So, as far as I am concerned, I don't plan on going in for the shots anymore. I plan on letting my focus(mental and $) be on AAT as far as allergy treatment. Once I have been treated for everything that bothers me, perhaps I will go back in for selective allergy testing--the 13 or so foods I reacted to before, plus the pollen/mold/weed mixes...out of curiosity.

I am thankful for a Conventional Allergist that is not closed-minded(but cautious), and that I can pursue this alternative treatment with a clear mind.

I hope maybe I have planted a seed in the world of Western Medicine, and maybe he will mention AAT to someone else suffering with multiple allergies as I have.....maybe. Or maybe if asked about AAT again, he will at least say he knows of someone who has been helped by it and not just say "it's not scientifically proven, don't throw too much money at it".

I Survived Eating Out!

Our Outback experience was overall a good one. The people that helped us/checked on us(there were I think 5 total) were very efficient and seemed to be knowledgable about allergies. They didn't seem perturbed or annoyed with me and my requests either, which is a remarkable and encouraging thing to encounter.

I ended up ordering:
~A Melbourne Steak(hey, I wanted leftovers!) without their usual seasoning. Instead I asked for sea salt and pepper only.
~Seasonal Veggies(in this case it was carrots and yellow squash-had to opt out of the broccoli and snow peas).
~Sweet Potato with sour cream and brown sugar.
~Iced tea with lemon

All of this was wonderful. The steak could have been a bit more flavorful, but it was good. The filet portion was much more flavorful than was the New York strip portion, so in the future(whenever that would be) I will probably order the Victoria filet and not opt for the huge steak.

I did order the Classic Cheesecake with the chocolate drizzle for dessert. I don't know whether it was because I was so full, the cheesecake was so rich, or whether there might have been something I missed in it that I am allergic to, but it was very difficult for me to eat it. Between Randy and I, we managed to polish it off. I didn't have any reactions that I could detect, so I think I've got a basic "eating out" plan for the future(probably minus the cheesecake)!

Let's go Outback To(morrow) night!

After much research, a phone call, and multiple emails, my restaurant of choice is going to be Outback Steakhouse.

They have been the most helpful to me in letting me know the ingredients in their foods and how to go about ordering. Also, I have found in asking around on various boards that other people with allergies have had a good experience there.

Sounds promising.

Especially since it looks like I can have the Classic Cheesecake--I might get dessert! Yeah!

Our Anniversary--What to Do?

I am a bit frustrated in my attempt to come up with an idea of what to do in celebration of my and Randy's 12th Anniversary.

Even though I have been set free from the ties of corn and soy allergy, eating out is still a precarious experience.

The main foods I am avoiding at this time are: Garlic, Mushroom, Nuts(including coconut and palm oil), Celery, Cauliflower and Broccoli, peas and beans.

I am really wanting a grilled steak and maybe some onion rings and a nice salad. So far, I have found that Texas Roadhouse basically tells people with peanut allergy(read: me) to go someplace else. The Applebees site is absolutely no help as they don't have an ingredient list, and has a disclaimer saying they aren't responsible if you get something you shouldn't.

I really don't care to go the fast food route, but at this moment in time they seem to be the most helpful with accessible online ingredient information! My choices are limited, but at least I know what my choices are...

There is one place I have to call. It's called The Revolver, and serves locally grown food. It's very high-end and pricey, but may be worth it if they can offer anything I can eat!