“The doctor will see you now,” a stout, redheaded, nurse called out from behind the glass partition.
I put down the gossip magazine and kept replaying the events of my Near Death Experience over and over in my mind. Still hoping it was all a bad dream, I slowly made my way back to the exam room.
The smell of rubbing alcohol lingered in the air after the nurse took my vitals. I can’t tell you what she looked like because I was too distracted by the sound of the sterilized, white, paper crunching underneath me. Gazing around, I noticed my purple chart covered in bright orange sticky notes:
Allergic to Aspirin.
See Attached Lists.
I went to grab my file for a closer look inside, when the door flung wide open. “And how are you today, Meleah?” Kindly asked my allergist.
Startled, I quickly replied, “Um…I’ve been better.” A wave of panic began to set it.
I hate seeing the doctor. My visits usually end with bad news. Especially with all of my Annoying Medical Conditions.
“Looks like you had quite a scare the other day. I received a copy of your discharge papers…” his soothing voice trailed off while he read the report.
I nervously twirled my brown hair around my sweaty fingers, anxiously waiting for him to finish. What did the report say? What’s going to happen now? Will I be sent for more tests? A million questions raced through my mind.
My doctor abruptly closed the file and put it down on the shiny, black, desk. He took off his thin, silver rimmed glasses, smoothed his salt and pepper hair, and looked me square in the eyes. “Do you understand it’s a miracle that you’re still alive?”
In that instant, my shock must have worn off. This was no dream. And I broke down.
Sobbing, all I could manage to say was, “Yes.”
I wiped my face with the bottom of my yellow t-shirt, and tried pulling myself together.
“We are going to take good care of you.” He handed me a blue box of Kleenex.
He put his glasses back on, and picked up my file again. “The last time we ran a full-blood-test panel for your food allergies was back in 2008. I am going to order new ones. By the look of things here, you already have an extensive list of ‘Do Not Eat’ foods. We need to find out exactly what else you are allergic to.”
“M’kay.” I nodded, with tears streaming down my red-hot cheeks.
“Because you have Crohn’s Disease, it makes your hypersensitivity to food all the more severe.”
“Why…?” I asked.
He smiled, “Let’s pretend that everyone’s body is like an exclusive Night Club. And, at the door there are two bouncers keeping out the riff-raff.”
I stopped crying and started paying attention. “Okay, I like that analogy.”
He continued, “However, in your case, since the intestines are so damaged, the door to your Night Club is much wider. In fact, it’s probably triple in size. And you still only have two bouncers. They run back and forth trying to keep out the riff-raff, but sometimes, things just slip through. The more stuff that slips through, leads to higher histamine levels in your body causing an Anaphylaxis reaction.”
He put my file back down, and took off his glasses again. I couldn’t decide if his eyes were baby blue, or sky blue, and I couldn’t believe I’d never noticed the color of his eyes before.
His dark brown pants crinkled with each move, before sitting down and crossing his legs. “Let me ask you a few questions…Have you been under a lot of stress recently?”
“Actually, yes.” I sighed. “I was in a car accident about two months ago. And things in my household have been extremely tense, lately.” I really didn’t want to delve into specifics and I hoped he wouldn’t probe any deeper.
Titling his head to the left he explained, “When you only have two bouncers working an already oversized door, it’s very important they don’t get too tired. When you are stressed, anxious, or worried, the bouncers run out of steam – and then they can’t do their job properly.”
“Oh.” I sighed.
“I am also going to run some tests to see if you have ‘Leaky Gut Syndrome’.”
My voice cracked. “What the heck is that?”
“Basically, it’s inflammation and irritation to the lining of your digestive tract. Over time, the intestinal lining begins to wear and break down. That’s from Crohn’s. Large gaps form between your intestinal cells, which then allow toxins, pathogens, and undigested food particles to enter your bloodstream. Soon after, your liver becomes overloaded with toxins. Your immune system becomes impaired after being continuously assaulted by unwanted substances. Your hormonal system becomes fatigued after trying to keep up with both the stress of the intestinal permeability along with the stress of everyday life. Your body is just not designed to handle this chronic state as there is no time to properly rest and repair.”
“Right….” My head was spinning. “Is there anything I can do to help alleviate some of these symptoms? Or is there anything I can do to prevent another allergic reaction?”
“Maybe. In addition to ordering Epi-Pens, I am going to prescribe a medication called GastroCrom. You will need to take 2 ampules 20 minutes before eating any meals. It’s a liquid that should work to coat the insides of your intestines. It’s kind of like adding more bouncers to your door. It’s not a cure. And you still need to avoid the foods you’re allergic to. But this might help prevent future outbreaks. At best, it might lessen the intensity of such reactions.”
“Alrighty.” I almost felt a restored sense of control.
He clicked his pen and started writing, “Here’s the prescription you will need to take to have your blood-work done. We have to find out what you are allergic to on this list”
All I could see were check marks next to everything.
“Seriously?” I shouted.
“Yes. Seriously.” He smiled at me. “You could be allergic to any and every thing on this list.”
And that’s precisely when my jaw hit the floor.
“The hell….”
I stared at the paper.
“In the meantime,” He cleared his throat, “I highly suggest you steer clear of these foods. I am placing you on a restrictive diet, until the blood test results come back.”
“Well….what can I eat?”
“Funny thing is, most people are allergic to dairy, and/or shellfish. And those are the only things you’re not allergic to.”
“Oh yeah, that’s hilarious, Doc.” I said sarcastically.
“I know. This is going to be difficult.”
Still baffled, I asked, “So…I can eat cheese?”
“Yes. And, you can have PLAIN meats. No spices. No sides. No bread. No wheat or gluten-products. No fruits or vegetables….”
For some reason, at that very moment a Seinfeld episode popped into my head, and I interrupted him, “No, soup for you!”
Thankfully, my allergist has a good sense of humor and laughed along with me.
Long story short, I have not eaten anything other than meat and cheese for the past 12 days. And I cannot eat anything other than meat and cheese until the test results come back.
And so, we wait….
* Have any of you ever been placed on a restricted diet? And if so, why? And, for how long? And, how did it work out for you?
PS: I’m counting on all of you to help distract me. Okay?
Oh hell no! That sucks!
Thanks, sweetheart.
Oh June, that IS a perfect match!
And you’re ON!
My doctor thinks its “funny” with all my allergies that I am NOT allergic to MILK.
And…. That must suck, not being able to have candy bars!
I hope they figure out what’s going on soon. I know about restrictive diets although ours was no where near yours. Now we are on limited wheat and no dairy. Since we are going through a much milder version of what you are going through, I can empathize and I hope they are able to determine what caused your reaction.
Meleah I really, really feel for you. My heart goes out to you because I’ve been there. I don’t have Crohn’s. I have cancer. So I know what it’s like living with a serious disease that requires diet restrictions, regular blood tests and many, many drugs. But I think you need a laugh, so read about my latest trip to the doctor @ http://dufusdaze.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/my-doctors-got-me-by-the-balls/
And be well. I’ll be thinking of you and sending positive thoughts.
Oh Meleah, I’m so sorry to hear this! I could not live on meat and cheese alone, no way. You’re such a strong person, just try to stay sane through all of this. *hugs*
Thanks so much, Anne.
I am doing my best to stay positive.
But being hungry makes for one very cranky Meleah!
Thanks Dufus.
And, yes….. I REALLY need to LAUGH right now!
Ziva,
I am quickly losing my sanity. That’s for sure.
Thanks for sticking with me through this.
Oh, Meleah!
I’m so sorry you’ve been going through so much. I read about your Near-Death Experience and felt so bad. And now this. It sounds like you have a good doctor, tho, who is being very thorough. I hope the new medication and bloodwork help and provide some answers.
My husband has a condition called eosinophilic esophagitis. It’s a food allergy, but instead of having an immediate (and dramatic) reaction, the cells collect in his esophagus, which, over time, has become narrow and rigid, resulting in difficulty swallowing. In order to figure out what he was allergic to, he had to eliminate nuts, dairy, shellfish, eggs, wheat, and soy all at the same time. It was pretty tough on him, to say the least. We figured out it was nuts, so, he avoids nuts and is pretty much fine, tho his esophagus is still kinda shaky.
I’m not allergic to ANYthing! I would gladly take on some of yours, tho, if it meant you could eat some more of those foods on the list.
Thinking of you . . .
Awwww. Thanks JD.
And, yeah….
I totally sympathize with your husband.
Wouldn’t it be easier to make a list of what you can eat? You could probably put it on one side of a three by five card.
It’s strange. When I was very young (between 6 and 10 years of age), I would have the worst stomach problems that would last for days and then, all of a sudden, they’d stop. I didn’t have any allergies so it was quite baffling. I had an EEG (I think they suspected I might have been insane) and a barium trace (thankfully I only had to swallow the barium instead of the enema type – yikes!) My doctor suspected I had a ‘nervous stomach’ which can be caused by an aggravated Vegas nerve. I’ve since grown out of it, had a few bouts during my teens and twenties. But in the last couple of years, it returns from time to time. I still don’t know what causes it. It may be a form of Crohn’s. Who knows. I keep a hefty supply of Pepto nearby, just in case. It seems to help if I feel an onset of an upset stomach.
I’m so glad to hear that you are much better, regardless of your menu. Mind you, I certainly wouldn’t mind eating lobster every day if that was the only thing I could eat! Expensive, yes. But, YUM!!
😉
Totally.
Thanks 00dozo!
What the f n he’ll is beta lactoglobulin? Poor little mamma, sucks to eat plain meat and cheese. Lots o love out to you xoxoxox
What the f n he’ll is beta lactoglobulin? Poor little mamma, sucks to eat plain meat and cheese. Lots o love out to you xoxoxox
It’s a milk product!
I feel for you! Several years ago I had terrible stomach pain that resulted in me going to the ER. It took about a month of testing and several trips to the doctor (and of course I didn’t have insurance at the time), but they discovered I had IBS. I lived of off jello, popsicles, and chicken broth for that month while they figured everything out because those were they only foods that didn’t make me double over in pain. Thankfully, all I needed was more fiber in my diet and the problem resolved itself fairly quickly. I lost about 20 pounds in that month, so while it sucked balls, it was the best diet I’d ever been on:)
Holy crap! I mean I saw the list before I think on your Facebook page, but Jeezus!!! I know you wrote this a few days ago and I’m not up on the very latest, have you been able to start eating any food other than meat and cheese? I can tell you’re incorporating more sensory appeal to your posts…nice! I “heard” the paper crinkle beneath you.
Hi, Meleah. Jeez, my friend, I’m really sorry you have to go through this. I don’t know how you manage to write a gently humorous post under these conditions. I guess that’s proof positive that above all, you’re a writer. I’ve been very lucky … almost no allergies and no restrictive diets. My son, on the other hand has what he thinks is IBS but he won’t go to the doctor. Yes, I know, he should. Take care, OK?
Yikes, Brooke!
I know that jello, popsicles, and chicken broth “diet” all to well. And yes, you lose made weight, but holy hell it sucks!!
xoxox
YES!! I’m so glad you heard the paper! Woot!
And, I’m really working on my action voice too!
Um..well, as far as food goes, I found out what I am allergic to.
And it’s VERY upsetting. I will be updating my blog this Sunday with the details.
And I literally only ate a plate of bacon for dinner last night.
🙂
Aw. Thanks, Bud.
That’s a really wonderful compliment.
In fact, you made my day.
🙂
And tell your son to go to the doctors!!
I actually have a list too, but I don’t know where it is. I stopped reading after “garlic” because I WILL NOT LIVE WITHOUT GARLIC. OK I actually did read the whole thing, but I don’t have reactions like you so I kind of let things slide.
Is he going to seriously send you to a nutritionist? Will your insurance cover that? You need to go to one who can help you plan out meals… keep a card file of things you can make so when you are at a loss you can go through it for ideas. Also, you are carrying your epipen EVERYWHERE, right? Even on your scooter? 😉
Hang in there chicky… Never EVER forget what a strong woman you are!!!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!
Thank you so much, Katherine.
I am REALLY going to miss garlic. A lot.
And yes, I have to carry TWO Epi-Pens everywhere I go.
Apparently one is not enough for my stupid body.
My co-payment was $145.00. That was a little tough to swallow.
But, I think I am slowly coming to terms with things.
xoxoxo
I’ve been following this via your blog and Facebook. I guess cheese and meat sounds exciting for the first few days, but if you can’t have that cheese with french fries and gravy, then you have my deepest sympathies! Hang in there, I get the impression your allergist gives a shit about you, which is nice vs. Mean Doctor who just wants you to “move along!”
I am very lucky to have a good doctor on my side.
But, this is still all too shocking!
Hey! I scoured the list and where did I fine wine, beer, Scotch, …? Nowhere. So what’s your problem!!!!
Grapes. I’m allergic to grapes. NO WINE for me.
Hmmm.. What is SCOTCH made of?
* googles *
Holy crap. I love food way too much for a restrictive diet. I’m so sorry you can only eat meats and cheese! But at least there are a lot of varieties of each. Cheddar, mozzerella, american, swiss… and you can fix them a variety of ways. Maybe melt the cheese over the meat. Can you have milk? You could have cheese cereal. And there are tons of different meat. What about buffalo or frog legs? Or kabobs? You could join the cheese of the month club! See! there are perks 🙂 At least you aren’t limited to something really awful..like if you were only allowed to eat celery. At least meat and cheese have calories that will fill you up. Hang in there!
True. Although, I never thought I’d MISS celery.
I guess my body always wants what it can’t have!
At least I love cheese.