The Allergy Adventure: Adult Onset of Food Allergies

For the majority of my life I thought I was just lactose-intolerant. Milk or any other dairy item would send my body into a bloated, gassy, unpleasant machine that I just dealt with. (TMI?) I would take Lactaid but nothing seemed to help, especially if I wanted to enjoy a Reese Cup Milkshake from the local Shake Shoppe. About a year ago, I started to experience different symptoms that I just discounted as being a result of digesting lactose unsuccessfully or possibly experiencing GERD.

Symptoms Included:

• bloating
• abdominal pain
• unexplained weight gain (18lbs)
• diarrhea 
• vomiting
• hives
• wheezing
• swelling of ears, fingers, and lips
• lip tingling

In my mind, I had not connected these symptoms. I thought I was lactose intolerant, but suffering from an allergy to something environmental, and having seasonal allergy/asthma type symptoms. Kind of a perfect storm type of deal.

Once my hives would get to a point of no relief, I would head to the doctor or urgent care. They would ask about allergens, mostly environmental and stress. I was given steroid shots, oral steroids, and told that some people 'just get hives,' or uticaria.  Due to having hives for an extended amount of time, (7 months) I was diagnosed with chronic uticaria with angioedema, idiopathic in nature. Everyday I would have hives on my legs. Every. single. day. Some days it would be head to toe. There was no rhyme or reason.I just lived with it and kept telling myself that one day it could and hopefully just go away. Every night I prayed that by next morning I would be clear of the constant itching and eliminate taking benedryl like candy.

I would tell close friends or loved ones about it every once in awhile...especially if I had to explain why my lips or ears were swollen...or why I had hives on my hands..etc. (My poor husband who is absolutely amazing, got the brunt of it. He would do everything he could to help when I couldn't deal with it.) I would always pray and tell myself that so many other people in the world were suffering worse or on a completely different level. If this was all that was wrong in my life, I could deal. I am blessed and loved so very much.

Here are a few pictures so you can see a little of what I am talking about.... (FYI--skip through them if skin rashes make you queasy, as they are not pretty):

They were consistently present on my legs.

Side of my stomach: red and very itchy

It's kind of hard to tell, but 80% of my body was cherry red.

Looks like bad botox, doesn't it? haha. I took this pic about 4 hours after taking multiple antihistamines. It was twice this size at first.

It was time for my annual appointment at my ob/gyn. Surely enough, I had hives up and down my body. As if going to her wasn't already uncomfortable enough, now I had my hive stricken body to display. I told her about my hives, the weight gain, and sleepless itchy nights. She immediately set me up a referral to an Immunologist at The University of Kentucky and got me an appointment for the following week. 

The day came to see the Immunologist. She looked my skin over--only hives present on my thighs. She talked to me about the possibility of unexplained uticaria, an environmental allergy, and she didn't see the likelihood of it being a food allergy. However, she started with full blood work and a antihistamine regime. Also, she said that if I wanted to, I could start the elimination diet. (I will write about that experience in another post.) 

Blood work came back: Ige antibodies were present. I was needed to come back in to the office.

I noticed that by doing the elimination diet, I had cleared up my hives by day 4. Day 5, I was back in the doctor's office. She told me how shocked she was to see that I had these antibodies present. She said that they are proteins made by my immune system that are attacking whatever I am allergic to.

Before I got the blood results back, one night I decided to treat my husband and I with Frosty's from Wendy's. While eating it, I experienced swelling of my tongue and lips, wheezing, uncontrolled coughing, hives, and dizziness. (Also known as an anaphylaxis episode) It was crazy! Did that Frosty just make me do that?! I took a lot of benedryl and puffed on my albuterol inhaler.

More blood work would give the results that I had been praying for (well, kinda.) I do have food allergies. 

I am allergic to:

• dairy
• wheat
• eggs
• soy
• almonds (tree nuts, in general)
• bananas

With this diagnosis, I have welcomed a new lifestyle. I eat COMPLETELY different. (More to come on all of that craziness later!)I carry my EpiPens and Benedryl religously. Since avoiding these allergens, I have not had hives, wheezing, bloating, vomiting, etc and I have lost about 7lbs!!!!

Not only that, I feel so much better! I feel free! I didn't realize how terrible I had been feeling for so long. This blog will follow my attempts in this allergy adventure, as well as many other awesome and lovely topics! I welcome everyone into my life to share in this experience, the crafts, the love of family and friends, and the daily happenings of girl living life in the Bluegrass! (GO CATS!)

Love and Laughs,
Valerie Jo