Apparently…
I’m allergic to A LOT!
I got my allergy test results and I am allergic to pretty much everything I suspected, and somethings I didn’t. This was just FOOD allergy testing. I have to still go get the prick tests for the airborne, but I have to wait a while for that because I just plain don’t have time right now.
Anywho, when I got tested, the results came back with a scale of 0-5. 0 meaning no reaction or antibodies in the blood, 5 meaning a life threatening reaction. On everything they tested for I am either a 2 or a 3. A 3 for milk, wheat, and eggs. Ouch. I am also confirmed allergic to brewer’s yeast (not a problem), peanuts (just a 2), apples, and strawberries.
After talking through more of my medical history with the allergist, it sounds like the chronic fatigue and weakened immune system I have been experiencing since high school may have definitely been food allergy related.
So….I have some work to do to see what I am truly allergic to and what is just cross reacting with what I am allergic to. I have been instructed on how to do a “food challenge” for each food I’ve tested positive for. Especially the more highly reactive ones. Basically, you go for 4 days without that particular food, even trace elements, then on the fifth day you overload your system within the first two hours and see if you have a reaction. Obviously, you could have a very bad reaction, so they suggest you do the fasting days on Tuesday-Friday, and then do Saturday as your overload day. So, it will take a few weeks to see what I am truly reacting to.
My favorite foods are…well, ice cream, so that would be a major bummer if I was allergic to that. Oh, and did I mention that I am allergic to soy? Yeah, I’ve known that one since high school, so I can’t really do those wonderful alternatives.
Anywho, anyone who has experience with food allergies that would be willing to offer advice/tips would be my hero.
For now, we experiment and pray.
I’m really hoping that getting this figured out will help with many of my health issues…maybe even the baby-less-ness.
Blessings!
Hannah
3 Comments
Hi Hannah,
I also have issues with cows’ milk and soy. Have you tried rice, almond, oat, hemp, or coconut milk? There are a few brands that make ice cream made with rice or coconut milk instead of cows’ milk. I highly recommend the ones made with coconut milk. They are creamier than ice creams made with rice milk and are more like “real” ice cream. Rice milk is kind of thin, like fat free cow’s milk. Almond and coconut milk are creamier, kind of like 2% cows’ milk. I don’t know what to compare hemp and oat milks to…they’re pretty unique. : ) Coconut and almond milks make great bases for hot chocolate. If you’re a coffee drinker, there are coconut milk creamers available. There are also coconut milk yogurts.
I hope that helps!
God’s blessings,
Erin
All wheat, or just wheat gluten? You can buy gluten-free flower. You may have trouble getting gluten-free bread in the UP, but you can bake your own. For pancakes, use cornmeal instead of wheat. If it’s all wheat, look into using oat flour, cornmeal, and millet (which you may think of as just a birdseed ingredient).
For milk and ice cream, use rice or almond alternatives instead of soy. Rice Dream is a good brand, but expensive. Westsoy Rice Beverage is just as good, and not nearly as much. The former brand also makes frozen treats, I believe. Also for ice cream, there in a brand that makes something like it out of just fruit – no dairy at all. I can’t remember the name, though.
If its just the lactose, you can get lactate-free milk and other dairy products fairly easily.
The above is all from my time as a vegan, and my time spent living with someone with life-threatening wheat-gluten and soy allergies.
There almond milk. Have you tried that?
Reply