rants about what i'm up against

Nutty or smart? Possible in-flight peanut ban or restrictions concern many

The federal Department of Transportation is soliciting feedback on whether to ban or restrict the popular snacks in-flight...

Jenny Kales, an advocate and mom of a girl with a peanut allergy, said some people have to be scared of peanuts in planes. But no one should be scared of a ban that would allow safe transportation of people with allergies...

"You're not going to become ill or die if denied peanuts or tree nuts for a few hours on a plane. However, if you experience an allergic reaction in-flight — and it's happened to people many times — you will get ill and can have life-threatening symptoms,” Kales said. "And all for a snack that can easily be replaced.”

...Passengers on the nation's airliners have suffered allergic reactions from accidental ingestion, skin contact or inhalation, according to a study. About one-third of the reactions have been severe, sometimes calling for medications such as epinephrine. In one reported case, the airplane turned around so the passenger could get a doctor's care.

Dr. Richard Hatch, with Oklahoma Allergy & Asthma Clinic, said a ban sounds like a good idea. But he said it first needs more research and debate on managing peanut allergies in schools and other public places, as well.
"It's an extremely sticky wicket. I don't think that it's black and white. It is important to understand, though that there are some people so sensitive that even peanut dust in the air can cause reactions,” Hatch said.

I do not have a peanut allergy. I have a tree nut allergy of unknown severity and a severe corn allergy.
I would assume that avoiding peanuts is approximately as difficult as avoiding tree nuts. I know that avoiding tree nuts is about a thousand times easier than avoiding corn. I can also tell you that having an allergy that's not in the public consciousness as much as peanut allergy is can be extremely disheartening.
Which is to say, I have an interest in this story because I have food allergies, though not an allergy to the specific food in question here. (And I'm going to bet - possibly literally my life - that almost all airline food has at least traces of corn in it. If it's processed, it's been in contact with corn. If it's fruit, it's likely been gassed or washed with a corn product. Et cetera, and I digress.)

I do not like being allergic to anything. It requires willpower and denial / disappointment. It's inconvenient to the point of hard work. It's isolating at best. When it's not best I get to feel like I do when I read comments like this:

CityGirl, okc 1 hour ago
Serious people, when will grown ups start being responsible for their own well being and their childrens? Stop taking and taking and taking. If you know you have an allergy to something wear your little bracelet that tells everyone so you DON"T get peanuts or whatever it is your allergic to. Stop taking and taking just because you have issues. Let the rest of us enjoy what little we have left. What the heck did people do in the old days? We wouldn't be alive I guess for fear of EVERYTHING in sight. This is so stupid!

SRSLY I DON'T EVEN KNOW. I don't even know how to react to this.

Then there's this gem:

joe, oklahoma city 2 hours ago
Just bring your own.

Yeah. That will really help the individual sitting next to you if he just happens to be extremely reactive to peanuts. Excellent solution there, Joe.

James, Oklahoma City 3 hours ago
We didn't have food allergies when I was a kid. I think it's all psychosomatic...

>>CityGirl, okc 1 hour ago in reply to James, Oklahoma City
I agree, like all of a sudden my mother in law became allergic to ciggerette smoke when she found the one my husbands little brother threw behind the couch when his parents came home.

Yup. That's definitely my problem. That was most certainly my problem a few weeks ago when I was in the mall and thought Hey, I haven't been to Penney's since Christmas, forgetting that I don't visit that wing because it also houses the movie theater. My little shopping jaunt turn into 45 minutes in the bathroom splashing cold water on my hives and waiting for the Benadryl to reduce the swelling in my face so I wouldn't scare (my) kids. Definitely mind over walking past a theater, there.

Maggie, Oklahoma City 3 hours ago
Seriously? You know, it is getting so ridiculous. Banning peanuts or peanut butter in some schools, and now the airlines. When I was growing up, I knew several friends that were allergic to certain foods. Their parents and physician made them fully aware of how dangerous the offending food was by the time they reached school age....so they knew, an d matter-of-factly told people they could not eat certain foods or snacks.
They didn't feel left out, or get up in arms, or ban others from enjoying it. They got an ALTERNATE snack. People just want to find a way to either sue or make others suffer. "I'm allergic to peanuts, but the airline was serving them, so I ate them anyway...."
I have also never heard of somone going into anaphylactic shock because of the minute "dust" of the dinky little peanut bags on a plane. If they are that bad-off, then their physician should have them carry epinephrine (because they are gonna have a problem in any restraunt or grocery store ), or take a big dose of benadryl before the flight...

I matter-of-factly tell people I can not eat so. many. foods. Maggie, you better believe I feel left out. I WANT SOME CAKE WITH FROSTING, DAMMIT!
And "I'm allergic to peanuts, but the airline was serving them, so I ate them anyway...." HA! Hahahaha! You know what? Sometimes I eat foods with trace amount of processed corn in them (citric acid, for instance), because it's so. hard. to avoid and I get wanty and hungry. But I take responsibility for that, and there's no way in hell I'm eating nachos unless I'm feeling suicidal. I've been in the emergency room with blue fingernails, and lemme tell ya, Mags, stomach cramps worse than labor pains (which I went through after my epidural wore off, so I can compare) and a blood pressure of 70/40 is not my idea of a vacation. Having my face swollen for several days isn't either. I'm a bit vain for that.

Mike, Oklahoma City 6 hours ago
This country has become the biggest bunch of whiners in the world. Wouldn't it be easy for the airlines to keep some epenephrine on board? I bet they already do. The masses are being bent every day by some half-brained whiner of something. One in how many thousands have a problem with peanuts on the plane and everyone else has to say.. ok.. I understand you aren't able to not open the bag of peanuts even though you know you are allergic to them. Let's cover for your stupidity. duhh.. grrr..

Mike, nuts aren't being (considered to be) taken away from allergic individuals. They're being (considered to be) taken away from others who may open them and therefore exposing the sensitive to nut protein in the recycled air in the jet. (Though of course Maggie doesn't think that anyone can have a reaction from the minute "dust" of the dinky little bags.)

eddie 8 hours ago
i'm alergic to fat people in the seat next to me on an airplane.if you can ban peanuts on airplanes why not heftys?as they pin me up against armrest i break out in a sweat.

>>CityGirl, okc 56 minutes ago in reply to eddie
Or stop people from wearing perfume, deoderant, depends, lipstick, lotion, eating breath mints, wearing socks or underwear. See this is just stupid.

OK, first, Eddie, you're a jerk. Very insensitive and intolerant. ALSO I'M SICK OF PEOPLE SAYING "ALLERGIC" when they are just bitching about not liking something. (I think I'm allergic to you using the word in that manner. :P)
Second, CityGirl, you need to learn to spell.
Third, I'm allergic to half of that stuff because of the corn involved in making it.
And I'm not asking anyone to discontinue using items to which I'm allergic, though I can't tell you how much I appreciate it when it's not in use in my immediate area. Sometimes the most innocuous stuff makes me feel so incredibly miserable; discombobulated, tired, with a throat that feels like I'm coming down with tonsillitis or strep. I know I'm just one versus "everyone else." My goodness, I don't want to impose! But when I'm around cardboard or someone chewing gum, for instance, that's an imposition on my health.

For the record, at this point, I'm not certain that certain foods should be completely banned - in fact, I think that in some cases, society has been conditioned to overreact (which, in some cases, may then set someone up for a massive health scare due to a "cry wolf" effect.)
But I think it's just common sense to eliminate as many traces of peanuts or nuts as possible on a flight if it's known that an allergic individual will be flying on it. People with severe allergies may be a small minority, but they've just as much right to travel in comfort and safety as anyone else.

rights and responsibilities for the food allergic

Here's a question for you, and I ask because I honestly do not know what to think. Where do one individual's rights end and the rights of others begin?

Let's say that someone developed a severe food allergy, and the symptoms increased over time. When the person was hired for a job, the allergy did not impact the work s/he was supposed to do. Gradually, however, it did. Concessions were made, and this person still continues to perform as many duties as possible and pick up slack if other workers have to assist with any allergy-related issues.

Let's say the allergy increased in severity to the point where it was difficult to tolerate beyond the bounds of the worker's office. If the allergen was anywhere in the (large) building, the worker would react. Reactions, however, so far have been mild, though they have been increasing in intensity.
Let's say the allergen is exceedingly common.

Let's say the building houses at least 100 people.

Do you think that those 100 people should or should not be asked to refrain from bringing in that food for themselves?

I ask this because I'm currently suffering painfully swollen lymph nodes and very mild hives on my neck because someone popped popcorn in the lounge, which is at the far end of the hall. I mean, I'm at the other end of the building. My throat started to swell and I noted it but didn't have a connection until my boss came in to tell me that someone had popped popcorn. Ah. That'd explain it.
Then I had to go to the bathroom and the only bathrooms are in or just outside of the lounge. So I had to walk down there and I really tried to hold my breath, but you try holding your breath while walking through a large library, relieving yourself, washing your hands, and walking back to your desk.
So then I got hives.

*Sigh.*

"Banning" corn and corn products beyond this office has not come up.
Purchasing an air filter has.

At what point should an allergic individual be required to wear a mask and deal with anything else? What if dealing means (and it hasn't come near this point, in my thinking, but it easily could) not working? I am no longer comfortably employable in many places I'm qualified to work because of the allergy.

I'm not asking to beg for a "poor pity me". I'm asking because I'm genuinely flummoxed. This is such a weird issue. I'd like to get the point of view of educators (who may be familiar with peanut-free schools), lawyers, managers, and everyone else. You have an opinion. Please post it.

what's so hard about a corn allergy? (a story in 8 pictures.)

What's so hard about a corn allergy? (A story in 8 pictures.)

Today I felt like wearing my food allergy awareness shirt. Nothing could stop me from wearing my food allergy awareness shirt! Corn is a particularly difficult allergen to avoid, particularly if you are extremely sensitive, as it's used in far more than food products.

Hrm... let me think...

It's not that I don't like corn. I used to love corn! And corn products!

It's not that I'm a little bit sensitive to corn.

It's not that corn makes my eyes water.

This - as well as other mild digestive and respiratory symptoms - do happen when I'm exposed to corn products. But if I'm exposed to enough corn, I have an anaphylactic reaction.

If I am exposed to too much, I could die.

We interrupt this broadcast...

Whoops! Miss Minnalouche Tristessa Kinky June the Mighty Huntress found a lap!

Also you can see my old lady chin fat. Ugh. I need to get rid of that.

Breaking news...

Awww, Minna in my lap!

Now, where was I?

Oh, yes. What's so hard about being allergic to corn?

I'll show you why it's so difficult!

In order for me to be as healthy as possible, as comfortable as possible, I have to avoid ALL OF THIS STUFF.

Oh, my goodness!

Yes. That's a lot.

And that is just potential food items - ingredients that could be ingested.

Since I'm so reactive, corn is also an environmental allergen. For instance, I can not linger around cardboard. Did you know corn was in cardboard? What about band-aid adhesive? The wax on paper cups? New carpet?

It completely changes your world.

It's more than avoiding nachos & corn on the cob.

I can no longer go to the movie theater. I get physically sick if I am around certain perfumes and cleaning products. I have to scrutinize what's in my toothpaste, shampoo and lotion. I can't stick my nose in paperback books unless I want to have a swollen throat and breathing problems.

Having a corn allergy has completely redefined me.

But I still plan on having a life.

Shirt from Zazzle.

intro

Hi. My internet identity is Gienah Ghurab.

When I was a child, I did not like eating corn dogs or Cheetos. I thought they tasted great, but they made my mouth so uncomfortable; my tongue and the insides of my cheeks would sting and swell. However, I thought that everyone had this reaction. I didn't think anything of it.
At approximately age ten, I began to have occasional anaphylactic "attacks". My family knew I was allergic to something, but no one realized that they happened after I ate certain foods. At first these episodes were fairly light; they consisted of wheezing and hives and were usually over within an evening. As I aged, they became more frequent, lengthy and severe.
I didn't realize I was allergic to corn until I was thirty-five. I had planned to visit a relative in the hospital and stopped for a meal at a Mexican restaurant across the street. I ended up in the emergency room. I was wheezing, swollen, and had hives. My fingernails turned blue and my blood pressure was 70/40. I had abdominal cramps so bad that they eclipsed my labor pains.
The emergency room staff discharged me with the instructions that I needed to visit my doctor, who referred me to an allergist.
I underwent a skin-prick test; approximately a dozen possible culprits were dotted down my arms. I didn't react to any but one: I had a spectacularly bright, raised, red itchy splotch that signalled I was allergic to corn.
This diagnosis was confirmed by a RAST blood test. My allergist advised me to eliminate corn from my diet. A nutritionist was on staff, but my insurance didn't cover the visits, so I declined them. I tried to educate myself via the Internet and books.

After forgoing corn, corn syrup, and the like, my health began to improve. I lost weight. I felt less pain. Feelings of depression lifted.
But it was so difficult to avoid corn! Not only did I have to watch for "corn" on ingredient listings, but also caramel, dextrose, malt and many other items on a list.

I started slipping. I'd buy yogurt that had corn-derived ingredients. I ate several bites of popcorn at the movies. I didn't have an "attack" from these meals. I knew I was still allergic - it just took a taste of a tortilla to cause my tongue to tingle - but I was, I said, grateful that I had a higher threshold than some of the people who had nut allergy horror stories.
I could handle some corn.

Or so I thought. Last week we wanted to celebrate my husband's forty-first birthday. He chose one of his favorite restaurants - Mexican. I made certain to order a menu item that had no corn in it. However, I did not inform anyone that I had a food allergy. My flour tortillas were served on top of a tortilla made of corn. I did not know this until I cut into the food with my fork, placed a bite in my mouth, and instantly suffered a burning, swelling sensation. I could taste the delicious, forbidden food, and I felt a sinking feeling.
Uh-oh.

My eyes, ears, face and chest started itching. I could feel my throat starting to close. My eyes started swelling shut, as well as the sinuses in my nose. I broke out in hives. My chest and torso turned redder than any sunburn.
My Epi-Pen had expired. I took some Benadryl and we left the restaurant. I probably should have visited the emergency room, but it was my husband's birthday. I didn't want to go to the hospital!
I was unable to return to work the next day; I was still incredibly swollen, and that was only the most obvious symptom.
I didn't start feeling better until forty-eight hours later, and even then, I wasn't well. It took me approximately a week to return to "normal".

It is, perhaps, a new "normal". Due to my prior laxness, we had very little truly corn-free food in our home. Every meal I tried to eat made my mouth tingle to different degrees; several caused me to break out in mild hives. These were items that the uninitiated would never think of as containing corn, such as biscuits and chocolate. I took a Maalox one afternoon and my tongue swelled and burned.

I do not know if my hightened reactions are temporary or permanent. I do know that I have to be more vigilant about ingesting corn.

But... a bowl of Raisin Bran Crunch isn't going to kill me, is it? A plate of nachos, yeah, but... surely I can have popular brands of ketchup and salad dressing from time to time?
Do I really have to be so dramatic? Must I actually cause everyone around me to change our entire lives? It is frustrating. It requires so much effort...