No Puppy Love
So I’ve been allergic to doggies since I was a toddler. Allergic as in hives if they lick me, sneezes/eyes watering/chest tightness if someone with dog hair on their sweater hugs me, and full blown asthma if I don’t get out of the room fast enough and away from any of the above. I’ve worked very hard to stay away from animals and thus stay away from unnecessary allergies and asthma attacks.
As I’ve gotten older, I thought I seemed to be less reactive, less sensitive to the kitties and the doggies. I tested this thought (hope) the other night, hanging with a cutie neighbor and his equally adorable lab mix, Apollo, both pictured here.
I hung out for about 30 minutes talking and avoiding doggy kisses, already feeling wheezy and sneezy. It wasn’t until my neighbor, who had been playing with Apollo and letting him lick his face, it wasn't until he hugged me and gave me a kiss goodnight that real trouble started.
Very quickly, my face became pockmarked with red, itchy bubbles and large swathes of hives; my right eye almost hived shut. My chest became tight, reactive; itchy and wheezy. I woke up with hives still (!) and wheezing. This is all to say that I've now had a chance to try the new HFA inhaler, which I will stay on for a few days to knock out the wheezing.
And my experiment? Empirical evidence strongly suggests I'm still quite allergic to doggies. So I can knock that off the list of things to try again for a while.
Onward!
As I’ve gotten older, I thought I seemed to be less reactive, less sensitive to the kitties and the doggies. I tested this thought (hope) the other night, hanging with a cutie neighbor and his equally adorable lab mix, Apollo, both pictured here.
I hung out for about 30 minutes talking and avoiding doggy kisses, already feeling wheezy and sneezy. It wasn’t until my neighbor, who had been playing with Apollo and letting him lick his face, it wasn't until he hugged me and gave me a kiss goodnight that real trouble started.
Very quickly, my face became pockmarked with red, itchy bubbles and large swathes of hives; my right eye almost hived shut. My chest became tight, reactive; itchy and wheezy. I woke up with hives still (!) and wheezing. This is all to say that I've now had a chance to try the new HFA inhaler, which I will stay on for a few days to knock out the wheezing.
And my experiment? Empirical evidence strongly suggests I'm still quite allergic to doggies. So I can knock that off the list of things to try again for a while.
Onward!
Comments
As soon as you mentioned licking dogs, I couldn't help think about ingredients in dog foods. I don't think a lot of people consider that if their dog is eating foods containing dairy, eggs, peanuts, etc., a licking dog will transfer that to a person's skin. Could be big trouble for those with a food allergy.
Food Allergy Asssistant
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soy is next up and the challenge went well--deets tomorrow.
this week however, i'm keeping it VERY simple since i'm so reactive, anything could set me off, i'm mean rice yogurt? i'm still stratching my head [and my mouth) on that one.
i have a mango waiting to be tried but it's gonna have to wait another week or so.
If I was to recommend a fruit for Allergy Girl's challenge, it would *not* be mango. Mangoes are a culprit in that whole oral allergy syndrome thing, may be cross-reactive for nut allergy sufferers, and are in the same family as poison ivy, poison oak, and sumac, and may cause a similar topical rash in allergy prone people.
The neighbor looked like a cutie though;)
Sounds like your "bucket" may be getting full so you are wise to go easy with any more experiments for now. Feel better:O)
and hey mrs zum, my bucket runneth over so no more challenges right now, in fact very easy eating for the next week or so.
thx for the concern everyone!
The last time I visited my father-in-law in Crete, he adopted a failed shepherd dog (who was black, too) and named him Apollo. Weird coincidence.