Over the next few weeks, my reactions got fewer and fewer as I learned about cross-contamination and became diligent about reading the contents of every food package I bought. I spent hours grocery shopping. It turns out my allergens were in everything.
Soon a few successful reaction-free months passed, and I thought I had made it. I rarely had stomach or bathroom issues. I was feeling good, better than I had my whole life. Little did I know my worst reaction yet was coming.
The day I had my worst reaction started like any other I made eggs for breakfast decided I needed a treat, so I made myself allergen-free cookies. I had plans that night of going out to a bar after the gym and an excellent homemade dinner. It was after dinner that things started to head south. I felt the tell-tail signs of an allergic reaction coming on. My mouth started to ich; I broke out in hives and got severe stomach pains. I popped 3 Benadryl (not the doctor recommended two. Please don’t do this; it could kill you) as I headed to the bathroom. After 30 mins of pooping my guts out, I started to get dizzy. I remember getting up off the toilet to crawl into bed, taking my clothes off because it was too painful to let the fabric touch me, then falling against the wall. The next thing I felt, as all I could see was black, was my body convulsing against the cheap laminate floor of my bathroom. I blacked out again, and when I came too, I sat straight up, unsure how I got on the floor. I vaguely remember using the wall to hold myself up.
At an earlier point in my reaction, before I went into shock, I should have injected myself with my epi-pen and called 911. I was not in the right state of mind during this reaction, and to be honest, I had reasoned out not going to the emergency room like I usually do. The ambulance ride costs $500 minimum; then admittance to the emergency room is another $500 pus; a new epi-pen can be anywhere from $85- $800, and I could still breathe, so I was fine staying home.
I could barely move the next day, but I still went to work pondering what I ate. After several hours of re-assessing everything in my diet, I concluded that I was allergic to coconut. Everything I had eaten that day was mostly meat, veggies, fruits, and eggs, except the cookies I made with coconut flour. I had a reaction to a coconut face mask earlier that week, and I should have eliminated coconut then, but I just didn’t think I could have another food allergy, But I did. I had one more food allergy to add to the list, coconut.
Since then, I haven’t had any more allergic reactions from food not on my allergen list (here is where I knock on wood that my luck continues). I consistently reflect on the day I had my worst allergic reaction, and I genuinely consider myself lucky to have survived that ordeal.
If you ever feel like you’re having a severe allergic reaction, please do not follow me. I have been dumb with my risks. Please call 911 at the first sign of a severe allergic reaction.
My food allergy journey is not over yet.
It is a journey that will continue on for the rest of my life.
Explore with me.
Explore with Me
Disclamer: I am not a medical professional there for anything I say or do on health, mental health, fitness, or anything medical related. None of the information or advice should be seen as advice from a certified medical professional. Only a certified medical professional can advise you on what’s suitable for your health. Anything you do or try after reading this site and blog, you do at your own risk, and I am not liable for it. Please seek the advice of a medical professional on everything medical, health, and fitness related.
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