Finding out you have a food allergy can be devastating.

Finding out you have a food allergy can be devastating. I think my first thought was, "What does that mean?" You ask your doctor and he says just avoid that food. It's just a skin test. They aren't entirely accurate.

I am going to attempt to give you ideas and recipes on how to avoid corn. It can be quite the challenge.

Sorry that my blog is evolving into a little bit of everything in life.



About me

Finding out you have a food allergy can be devastating. I think my first thought was, "What does that mean?" You ask your doctor and he says just avoid that food. It's just a skin test. They aren't entirely accurate.

My food allergies changed 3 times in my life since I was 23. Each time I got depressed, lost weight, and tried to figure out how to cook all over again. The first time was making food for 2 small kids, and husband without tomatoes, dairy, peanut, and sunflower. The second time was 10 years later all the above plus no corn. I didn't do very good at the no corn thing and had to start all over again 5 years later, when the allergy suddenly got worse, and landed me into the hospital because I was having trouble breathing. I now carry and epi-pen. If your allergies give you breathing problems ask you doctor about carrying an epi-pen too.

Now that I have better eliminated corn I have found I have a couple other allergies: wheat, spelt, cane sugar, legumes, and olive oil. Apparently corn allergic can also have other grain allergies. I have also noticed having issues with products that may contain mold or yeast: agave nectar, dried tea, grains and potatoes can be moldy depending upon how they are stored.

Life
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area.  I thought I had seasonal allergies.  At about 14 or 15 I started taking allergy pills.  I started having migraines when I was around 18.  Blurry vision, light sensitivity, major head pain.  As I got older I found that if I took an allergy pill and ibuprofen at the start it wouldn't be so painful.  I would put ice on the top of my head.  That felt real good and sleep.  By the time I was 23 I had 2 children.  I also had dandruff and a spot of in the front of my scalp there was extra flakey rash spot.  I was using the tar shampoo and the cortisone drops on the rash spot.  It helped.

Around 1990 I got allergy tested.  I was allergic to grass, weeds, trees, and mold.  I got shots for those.  The doctor also stated I seemed to be allergic to tomatoes, peanuts, sunflowers, but skin tests are not that accurate, but I should try taking those things out of my diet.  That was devastating.  I have always been thin, but I had actually been up to about a size 7.  I was back down to a 5 trying to figure out how to cook all over again without tomatoes.  They were the main ingredient in my diet.  I was having milk problems.  I would burp after having cereal in the morning.  I took milk from my diet too.  I found I could tolerate cheese and some bread with a dairy pill.  Oh I also remember being constipated all the time.  I attributed it to too much sugar.  I was drinking a lot of coke.  I switched to diet.  The caffeine at least helped the migraines.

1997 the marriage was going no where.  I wasn't happy.  We just didn't get
along.  I started smoking again after 8 years and I lived on wine and tortilla chips for weeks.  I moved out and had a migraine that lasted a week.  Now that I look back they subsided after I started eating right again.  I remarried in 1999 saw an allergist again.  Got back on shots, because I was having constant sinus infections.  I saw an ENT.  He decided I had a deviated septum.  I had surgery to correct it.  The sinus infections got better, but I would still get them from time to time. 

Moved to Fort Worth, TX 2002.  My allergy's got worse.  Sinus infections started up again.  It was scary because I would have to be on antibiotics for almost 3 weeks to get rid of it.  I found an ENT/ allergist.  I started shots again, but I was still having sinus problems. 

2005 the ENT/Allergist suggested I go on an elimination diet.  It's basically meat for the first week and then you could add in certain veggies and so on.  I tried a small piece of loose candy from a dish.  Instance reaction.  Bingo....CORN.  I found the http://www.cornallergens.com/ website.  I sort of avoided corn.  At least I thought I was.  I was still taking allergy pills.  I wasn't getting the sinus infections, or migraines, and the dandruff went away.  I could actually use regular shampoo and conditioner.  I was getting a rash on my neck off and on and didn't know why. I tried eating out.  I would basically get a hamburger with cheddar wrapped in lettuce.  It didn't seem to be a problem, heck just take another allergy pill. 

2007 moved to AZ.  I was taking diphenhydramine 1 -2 pills every 4 hours.  I was still smoking, and the cigarettes seemed to give me a problem but I wasn't willing to admit it was that bad.  I would just take another diphenhydramine.  My husband liked going out for breakfast.  I did refuse, because there isn't a thing on the menu I could eat that isn't fried with some kind of corn oil.  I found I could go to Cracker Barrel and order just oatmeal.  I don't think I can do that now.

2010 moved to TN.  While driving across country for 4 days, I had a can of tuna in water.  Read the label and realized it’s not just water.  They put in broth.  I had to check their web site to see what was in vegetable broth tomatoes and other things.  July 1 I went to the ER having problems breathing after eating Great Value packaged sliced cheddar cheese.  I had eaten Sergio sliced swiss without a problem.  I was starved living in a motel room for 2 months and ended up eating something I should not have.  We closed on our house the next day.  2 weeks later the steroids wore off, and my husband wanted me to quit taking so much allergy meds.  As many of you here know my life just turned upside down.  Everything bothered me!  I have now come to the realization I have to change my lifestyle.  I have been in denial for over 5 years.  I quit smoking for August 7, 2010.  The reaction I was getting from cigarettes was worse than the joy I got out of it.  (Now I think that's funny)  Diphenhydramine was also bothering me.  I found a new doctor and got compounded diphenhydramine.  I am now shopping at farmers markets and health food stores.  I am in the process of looking for a freezer and meat.





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