Once in a while, you get to be on top of the world; other times, it feels like life is kicking your ass. This last week was one of those second ones.
I have never had food allergies, but Sunday I had an anaphylaxis allergic reaction to a cup of tea and half a cookie. I wound up in the hospital, on an IV, and then for four days had purple hives and couldn’t eat anything, even chicken broth or ginger ale, without my mouth and throat swelling up. Good times. It was very scary and not something I’d like to repeat. I now have an epipen and a big old bunch of allergy tests to take. It might have been the bergamot in the tea, but I’m also getting tested for everything else: vanilla, tea, milk, eggs, wheat, citrus.
Anyway, I’ve had so many health setbacks lately, I just thought – wow, I had better get going with this poetry thing. No more wasting time!
On top of the 1001 doctor appointments, I’m going to try to read some chapbooks for a contest and be an excellent thesis advisor. And try to remind people that I love them more often. And send out more poetry. Do the stuff that I need to do. Because in the end, it’s poetry and people that matter to me.
It looks like I’m going to have to port my blog as well, as blogger is no longer supporting people like me who use the FTP option, Dang! Just what I needed to mess with, along with my taxes and surprisingly complicated and expensive physical therapy bills. (California has the worst system for billing, it’s way worse than Washington where insurance billing was fairly simple, and my insurance doesn’t cover all the PT here I’ve needed like it would in Washington. Yes, one more reason I’m considering relocating to the wild wet Northwest.) See, that’s all the junk I don’t want to worry about, but the stuff that keeps getting in my face and taking up my time.
Wendy Wisner
Sometimes being ill reminds you of what really matters. And poetry is a big one! I hope you get to the bottom of this and feel better soon.
Kristin
One of my friends developed mid-life food allergies after a life of being able to eat any and everything. At first, they couldn’t find the common denominator in the foods that disrupted her life and immune system.
It turned out to be citric acid, which is in more things, both natural and factory-made, than you’d think (and in Earl Grey tea, which sparked this memory and compelled me to comment).
Her violent reactions have calmed somewhat, but she never goes anywhere without Benadryl. I thought you might find comfort in the idea that the reactions may not always be so severe. Her first reaction was the worst, and the scariest.
Good luck in your latest fight!
Carol Lynn
I used to have to keep an EpiPen http://www.epipen.com/
with me at all times- Sabrina was allergic to milk and would turn blue and stop breathing if she ever swallowed anything with mild- eventually she grew out of it- hopefully they will find the answer soon- I am so sorry for all the health issues you’ve been facing~~ you are a real warrior battling through it all…
love to you
Carol Lynn
Radish King
Come home. We love you and need you.
love,
Rebecca