"pod-peopled" is a good verb. Poor doctor. I've also been the patient who stumped the poor doctor. The allergist ended up handing me every free sample of allergen-free lotion and shampoo that she had because she felt so sorry for me and didn't know what to tell me. (Years later my GP suggested I stop eating gluten and that, plus quitting tomatoes, seems to have quelled all the bizarre eczema and itching and weird symptoms.)
Tomatoes—wow. It’s not often that I hear that as an allergen. I think I need to gear up for a gluten-free diet as well as seeing a specialist. I don’t have celiac (confirmed by a test) but too much bread/gluteny stuff makes me feel foggy. I’m just reluctant to do hard things 😳.
According to my doctors I'm not technically allergic to wheat and tomatoes, they just inflame my eczema. There's some kind of technical difference that I don't quite grasp. My sister also has had to stop eating both, though.
I too am reluctant to do hard things. But my hands were itchy and rashy for more than a year and things got worse and worse culminating in a terrible rash that inflamed my whole face. In desperation I decided to try to give up wheat and then tomatoes and sadly the rash went away pretty quickly. And then every time I try to eat them since then the rash comes back. Being able to see a clear connection between what I eat and the way I feel is the only way I could give it up.
Except for the time I had to give up a bunch of stuff when my youngest was nursing and started reacting to everything-- I nursed her until after she turned three, the only one of my kids who nursed that long-- and for the final year and a half I was avoiding dairy, eggs, wheat, corn, peanuts and most tree nuts because she tested positive for all of them. She finally grew out of her allergies and is able to eat them all, only to have me have to give up wheat again. Looking back, I think going cold turkey on wheat probably sensitized me to it. I think it started bugging me when I went back to eating it, but I just ignored the way I felt for years because I love bread so much. I still do indulge in bread occasionally, but less and less often as I notice more and more how terrible I feel afterwards.
Wow. Now you’ve got me wondering about my kids as well. Only one has been allergy-tested (no allergies), but most of them get horrible eczema on their hands for most of the cold months (it tends to clear up in the summer).
I recently heard someone on a podcast describe their (male) doctor giving them the diagnosis of adenomyosis (which I also have), chuckling and calling it ‘the elephant in the womb - we know even less about this than endometriosis’. I felt like rage incarnate.
A fellow perimenopausal friend and I frequently talk about how jealous we are of menopausal women. I know there are new challenges with that phase, but oh my goodness. I’m typing this in front of a wide-open window in an attempt to calm down the current hot flash.
Thank you, Kym. I need to buckle down and start making appointments again. Some of this is just me being cranky about figuring out the time to fit all this in (and to advocate for myself, which is hard).
Despairing poem but effective, similar to the 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
A true compliment indeed 😉.
"pod-peopled" is a good verb. Poor doctor. I've also been the patient who stumped the poor doctor. The allergist ended up handing me every free sample of allergen-free lotion and shampoo that she had because she felt so sorry for me and didn't know what to tell me. (Years later my GP suggested I stop eating gluten and that, plus quitting tomatoes, seems to have quelled all the bizarre eczema and itching and weird symptoms.)
Tomatoes—wow. It’s not often that I hear that as an allergen. I think I need to gear up for a gluten-free diet as well as seeing a specialist. I don’t have celiac (confirmed by a test) but too much bread/gluteny stuff makes me feel foggy. I’m just reluctant to do hard things 😳.
According to my doctors I'm not technically allergic to wheat and tomatoes, they just inflame my eczema. There's some kind of technical difference that I don't quite grasp. My sister also has had to stop eating both, though.
I too am reluctant to do hard things. But my hands were itchy and rashy for more than a year and things got worse and worse culminating in a terrible rash that inflamed my whole face. In desperation I decided to try to give up wheat and then tomatoes and sadly the rash went away pretty quickly. And then every time I try to eat them since then the rash comes back. Being able to see a clear connection between what I eat and the way I feel is the only way I could give it up.
Except for the time I had to give up a bunch of stuff when my youngest was nursing and started reacting to everything-- I nursed her until after she turned three, the only one of my kids who nursed that long-- and for the final year and a half I was avoiding dairy, eggs, wheat, corn, peanuts and most tree nuts because she tested positive for all of them. She finally grew out of her allergies and is able to eat them all, only to have me have to give up wheat again. Looking back, I think going cold turkey on wheat probably sensitized me to it. I think it started bugging me when I went back to eating it, but I just ignored the way I felt for years because I love bread so much. I still do indulge in bread occasionally, but less and less often as I notice more and more how terrible I feel afterwards.
Wow. Now you’ve got me wondering about my kids as well. Only one has been allergy-tested (no allergies), but most of them get horrible eczema on their hands for most of the cold months (it tends to clear up in the summer).
I recently heard someone on a podcast describe their (male) doctor giving them the diagnosis of adenomyosis (which I also have), chuckling and calling it ‘the elephant in the womb - we know even less about this than endometriosis’. I felt like rage incarnate.
Well, I’m back from rage-googling that. I say this sincerely: WTF? How are our bodies still a freaking mystery when we are HALF THE WORLD?????
Also, thank you. I’ve never heard of this but it sounds completely familiar and I’m going to bring it up when I go to a specialist.
That was me for years. Menopause was a delight in comparison.
A fellow perimenopausal friend and I frequently talk about how jealous we are of menopausal women. I know there are new challenges with that phase, but oh my goodness. I’m typing this in front of a wide-open window in an attempt to calm down the current hot flash.
the ending is so powerful.
Thank you so much, Beth 💛.
So good Margaret. I wish there was a solution for you!
Thank you, Kym. I need to buckle down and start making appointments again. Some of this is just me being cranky about figuring out the time to fit all this in (and to advocate for myself, which is hard).
Ugh I hate lots of appts too!
!!!!