Five Years and STILL Allergic

It has been 5 long years since I found out that I was allergic to shellfish, after eating it my entire life. I can still remember the thrill of a freshly cooked crab with a squeeze of lemon and a dip in butter. And I often fondly remember my trips to Mexico and eating freshly caught lobster with homemade tortillas and guacamole. Every time I see a photo of caramelized scallops, my mouth waters. And lately I have been missing all of these foods so much I have thought of doing a food challenge to confirm that I am still allergic. But now those dreams have dimmed.

Last night we ate at our favorite Chinese restaurant. I felt like eating light so I ordered the chicken salad and hot and sour soup. As I ate the salad, covered in crispy won ton papers, I began to get that funny feeling in my mouth. If you have food allergies, you know what I am talking about. Then little bumps appeared at the back of my throat. Since I had not consumed something that I know that I am allergic to, I wrote it off as an injury from eating a scratchy food. Until hives started appearing everywhere. I took a large dose of Benadryl and went to bed hoping that the drugs would sedate me enough that I would stop itching. I woke up in a daze this morning. The hives have gone down, but many still linger. UGH! My guess is that the restaurant cooked the won tons in a pan or oil that had also cooked shellfish, because this is not a major reaction. Just annoying.

But because I love Asian foods so much, it is still worth the cross contamination risk. So I will not stop going to such places. But why, oh why, do those damn scallops still call to me? Thankfully, it is Easter and I will now turn chocolate for satisfaction!