Allergy Testing

Soooo I started allergy testing two weeks ago. Was pretty interesting. Started with all the environmental factors. Then this week starts the 48hr process of food testing. Little nervous for the food stuff, but very excited to start a new chapter in my life, hopefully with a new agenda on what I can and can not eat besides gluten. The dr was amazing and one of the best I've had so far. Caring, understanding, sympathetic... Everything I was looking for. She went over my extensive medical history and kept calling me fascinating and one of a kind. And that's not the first dr, and I know it won't be the last. I should be dead, literally. But I'm not. I'm here fighting daily.

Anyways.... :-)

During my first session I got a glimpse into the reality of my allergies. I've always had seasonal allergies. Started when I was about 12, ironically that's when my milk intolerance started. I always remember how sick I would get each season with no help from Allegra, Claritin, and Benadryl. It kinda all makes sense now after talking to the dr. On a scale from 1-4 I was a 4 on everything except dogs I was fine, and cats I was a 3. But apparently I am a 4 on 4 different seasonal trees, grass, ragweed, mold, mites and 3 other things. They are going to go over all of it on Thursday.

When I was getting pricked with the needles..by the time he got to the last one the MA said "WOW! You're what we call dermagraphic!" I then replied "and that means??!" He explained it meant either I had really sensitive skin or I was allergic to everything and chuckled. But went on to say "but that's highly unlikely."

Well after 10 minutes had passed (a total of 15 minutes for the test to fully set) he came into the room panicked, alarmed and very concerned. He screamed as he first came in. I knew what was up after feeling like I wanted to itch my skin off 8 minutes prior. He quickly started wiping everything off and cleaning my back. He said he need to get the dr and there was no need for the last 5 minutes, that it was already clear and I didn't need to be tortured any longer. He then got the dr and she did the same thing when she came back in...screamed a yelp as she first caught a glimpse of my back and came over quickly and started reading off my results...and she was chuckling as she was reading them..."well here we go...4..4...4...4...4...4...3...4" She also went on to say she hasn't had someone react like that in some time.

She said after everything I had been dealing with, with the celiac and EOE she wasn't surprised. And she said she anticipates the food ones coming back just as clear. Again, I'm looking forward to it! I'm so tired if being sick and being scared of 99.9% of things that enter my mouth.

Here's a few pictures from my experience .... The red one of my back was taken 15 minutes after everything was cleaned off and the swelling started to go down. Ouch!