Sometimes you just really want a burger. If you’re me, that’s a pretty frequent occurrence, but it can be tricky if you have food allergies.
Regular beef burgers have been off limits for me unfortunately (at least at home) because my daughter has had a beef allergy since birth. So, we stuck to bison or veggie burgers. Then a tick bit me, giving me alpha-Gal and upending life a bit, so red meat was off the table entirely. Fortunately, there are lots of alternatives available nowadays, though finding a black bean burger that’s dairy AND soy free was a little tricky.
Enter Hilary’s Fiesta Black Bean burgers. These can be found in most grocer’s freezer section (We got ours at Harris Teeter but also available at Whole Foods and Lowe’s Foods). They come in a 4pk and can be cooked in a pan, in the oven or on the grill. Check out the video below for our taste test! Apologies in advance for the shaky camera for the first little bit 😅
TOAST Episode 4
***Current as of 11/2/22*** Ingredients: Cooked Black Beans (Water, Black Beans), Cooked Whole Grain Millet (Water, Millet), Faba Bean Protein Concentrate, Expeller Pressed Oil (Canola and/or Safflower and/or Sunflower), Sweet Potatoes, Red Pepper, Kale And/Or Spinach, Yellow Pepper, Potato Starch, Ground Flaxseed, Sea Salt, Chile Powder (Ground Chile Pepper, Salt, Cumin, Oregano, Garlic), Dried Minced Onion, Lime Juice Concentrate, Granulated Garlic.
Pros: The blend of spices gives these burgers a little kick that keeps them from being bland and boring. The outer coating gives them a satisfying bite. They’re convenient, cook up QUICK, free of 12 common allergens, and vegan.
Cons: Slightly dry like most black bean burgers but I think this could easily be remedied with the right toppings (in the name of playing it straight, we went with a plain burger), fell apart a little when flipping
Ratings: Emma – 8.5, Lauren – 8. Average rating 8.25
Common Sense Caution: The ingredients and allergen information of products featured on A is for Allergy are subject to change without notice. Always, always, always check the package ingredients and/or consult the product manufacturer to verify accuracy EVERY TIME. A is for Allergy does not provide health or medical advice and you should always consult with your doctor or allergist to ensure a product is safe for you.
Happy (almost) Halloween! Is your household a ‘buy all the candy and decorate for spooky season the second the calendar reaches October 1st’? Or perhaps a ‘grabbing whatever’s left at the store to hand out to trick-or-treaters October 31st at 4pm’ instead?
With multiple food allergies, our family tends to stock up early before the safe candy sells out. We participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project so we always have some allergy-friendly treats as well as non-food items to hand out to the trick-or-treaters, too. Even with food allergies, we still go trick-or-treating. But instead of eating what we collect, I exchange out the unsafe candy for things I know are safe for my daughter (and we pass along the other stuff to friends and family). It’s all about the joy of running around the neighborhood in an ill-fitting costume and admiring all the festive displays.
We braved the sugar rush and tried some of the many allergy-friendly offerings available for the Halloween 2022 season. Check out the video below or visit our YouTube channel to see how these treats stacked up!
We donned our costumes and sharpened our fangs to try out these spooky Halloween treats!
First, Spook Free Haunted Halloween Horror box of chocolates from NoWhey! Foods
Pros: 6 unique shapes in both white and ”milk” chocolate for a total of 12 pieces, held up well in shipping, cute Halloween-themed box, great tasting, strict allergen controls/top 8 free, vegan
Cons: at $9.95/box it’s a little pricey, sold only at www.nowheychocolate.com, not available in stores
Pros: cute ghost and bat shapes, festive Halloween bag, good sea salt flavor, come in a multi-pack, easily found in stores (got ours at Target), vegan, no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives
Cons: lots of broken chips in transit, small portions in the bag
Ratings: Emma – 8.5; Lauren – 8.5
YumEarth Organic Halloween Lollipops
YumEarth Organic Halloween Candy Mix
***Current as of 10/13/22*** Ingredients: organic cane sugar, organic brown rice syrup, citric acid, natural flavors, ascorbic acid, colored with organic concentrate (carrot, apple, blackcurrant, radish), turmeric (color)
Pros: 4 different fruity flavors (strawberry, watermelon, mango and cherry), sold separately or as part of the YumEarth Halloween mix, available at www.YUMEARTH.com, Amazon, or in stores (another Target buy for us), intense fruit flavors, special Halloween wrappers, organic, vegan
Cons: There really weren’t any…these were great and I don’t even usually like lollipops that much!
Pros: bat and fang designs, 3 tasty flavors in the mix (strawberry, peach, and apple…maybe?), sold separately or as part of the YumEarth Halloween mix, available at www.YUMEARTH.com, Amazon, or in stores (another Target buy for us), special Halloween packages, organic, vegan, strict allergen controls
Cons: a little overly chewy
Ratings: Emma – 9; Lauren – 7
And lastly, from the YumEarth bag, Giggles! If you like Skittles, you’ll definitely like Giggles.
Pros: bright colors, five different fruity flavors (green apple, lemon, orange, grape and strawberry), just the right amount of chewiness and flavor, organic, vegan, no artificial colors or flavors, strict allergen controls
Cons: some of the colors were a bit spotted/distorted but not by too much, lemon flavor reminiscent of cleaner
Ratings: Emma – 8.5; Lauren – 8
Choco NoNo’s Minis Halloween edition by NoWhey! Foods
NoWhey! Halloween Choco NoNo’s minis
***Current as of 10/13/22*** Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Rice Syrup Powder, Unsweetened Chocolate, Sunflower Lecithin (An Emulsifier) Gum Arabic, Carnauba Wax, pectin, Spirulina Extract (color), Fruit and Vegetable Juice (color), Salt, Natural Vanilla, Natural Flavor
Pros: excellent chocolate flavor, NoWhey! really nailed the candy shell on the NoNo’s, passed the ”melts-in-your-mouth-not-in-your-hands” test, slightly bigger and rounder than M&Ms so you get even more sugary goodness, top 9-allergen free, strict allergen controls, vegan, no artificial flavors or dyes
Cons: colors are a little washed out, especially the yellow and orange (blue looks excellent though!), not found in stores (but you can purchase here)
Ratings: Emma – 8.5; Lauren 6.5
Time to switch back to a savory snack and rest our sweet-fangs!
Utz Bats & Jacks Halloween Pretzels
Utz Bat & Jacks Hallowen Pretzel mini bags
***Current as of 10/13/22*** Ingredients: Wheat flour, Salt, Vegetable oil (corn oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil), Malt syrup (derived from corn and malted barley), Sugar, Yeast, Baking soda
Pros: 40 bags included in the multipack making it an affordable treat to hand out on Halloween, free coloring card, made in a peanut and tree nut free facility, great Halloween designs on the packages (2 different designs), the pretzels themselves are shaped, won’t melt, easy to find in grocery stores (thanks Food Lion!)
Cons: Rold Gold or Synder’s probably have them beat taste-wise on the pretzels, made in a facility that uses sesame seeds
Rating: Emma – 6; Lauren – 7
And lastly, NoWhey! Foods’ Ghoulish Graveyard Cream Filled Chocolate Coffins! These are an excellent Halloween treat, especially if you like Cadbury eggs or any cream filled chocolate.
Pros: chocolate is excellent, cream has a great texture and flavor, cute ”coffins”, 5 in a package, vegan, strict allergen controls, fun package design, don’t have to wait til Easter to get your cream filled candy fix
Cons: have a glass of water handy because these are SO SWEET, a little pricey at $4.95 a pack (but I still think they’re worth it)
Ratings: Emma – 10; Lauren – 10 🚨***PERFECT rating alert***🚨
Phew, that was a lot of Halloween treats but what a perfect way to wrap up this MONSTER edition of TOAST! Have a happy and allergy-safe Halloween! 🎃👻
It’s been a bananas busy December for us in the A is for Allergy household so this is a VERY LATE posting! I’ll come back in the coming days and do a full write-up on the episode, but for now, please enjoy our gingerbread house fail 😆
These crispy bite-sized little stars are organic, gluten-free and top 8 allergen free. They remind me a lot of the original Goldfish crackers, but a little smaller. MadeGood has nutrients from vegetable extracts ‘hidden’ in their products. You can’t really taste them in these crackers and likely wouldn’t even know they were there if it weren’t splashed across the packaging (and of course, we food-allergy folks are always checking labels, right?!).
***Current as of 10/25/22*** Sea Salt flavor Ingredients: Flour* (Cassava Flour*, Oat Flour*), Tapioca Starch*, Sunflower Oil*, Palm Fruit Oil*†, Sea Salt, Baking Powder, Yeast Extract, Vegetable Extracts (Spinach, Broccoli, Carrots, Tomatoes, Beets, Shiitake Mushrooms), Salt, Turmeric*. *Organic.
Pros: MadeGood produces their snacks in a facility free of peanuts, sesame, soy, dairy, tree nuts, egg, wheat/gluten, fish & shellfish. They are vegan, a good source of vitamins C & D, organic, and non-GMO. They have a great crispy texture, fun shape and just the right amount of salt. Their small size makes them a great addition to your favorite bowl of soup or simply eaten by the handful and shoved in your mouth. You also get a generous amount of crackers in each serving. The Pizza flavor crackers are a lovely shade of red and colored from natural sources.
Cons: Not the greatest smell upon opening the bag, can be hard to find in stores, Pizza flavor was very underwhelming and bland, could be a choking hazard for very small children
Ratings: Sea salt flavor: Emma – 7, Lauren – 6. Average Rating: 6.5
Pizza flavor: Emma – 2, Lauren – 2. Average rating: 2
If you’d like to try MadeGood Star Puffed crackers, we were able to find them at Ingle’s, Whole Foods, Amazon and MadeGood’s website.
Welcome to Episode 1 of TOAST – Trying Out Allergy-friendly Stuff Together! For our first installment, we taste tested Honey Cinnamon flavored Seed & Nut Flour Sweet Thins by Simple Mills. Sweet Thins are NON GMO Project Verified, gluten free and grain free. With no artificial colors or flavors and sweetened with coconut sugar, they’re basically a paleo-friendly version of a graham cracker.
The package states they are “made with watermelon seed flour for a light and crispy crunch” which is certainly unusual and not something I’ve ever seen before. But, there are so many different types of flour these days so why not? The seed and nut flour blend also includes sunflower, flax and cashew, so heads up if you have a nut allergy! The flour blend is non-gritty and very mild tasting so the honey and cinnamon flavors really get to shine through.
Watch the video below or visit us on YouTube to check out our official taste-test.
TOAST – Episode 1
A 4.25oz box will set you back a little over $5. Available at Simple Mills, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods and Amazon.
Common Sense Caution: The ingredients and allergen information of products featured on A is for Allergy are subject to change without notice. Always, always, always check the package ingredients and/or consult the product manufacturer to verify accuracy EVERY TIME. A is for Allergy does not provide health or medical advice and you should always consult with your doctor or allergist to ensure a product is safe for you.
Pros: packable/good for school lunches provided nuts are ok (contains cashews), good portions, dippable, fun shape, robust honey and cinnamon flavor, strong crunch factor
Cons: a little overly sweet to me (kids might not think so!), have a beverage handy!
So as you can see, the pros outweigh any cons with the Honey Cinnamon Sweet Thins. I gave these a 6/10 and Emma rated them as a whopping 9.5/10 for an average rating of 7.75
From 2011-2016, the esteemed Michael Ian Black and his (good) friend Tom Cavanagh hosted a magical podcast called Mike and Tom Eat Snacks or MATES for short. The premise of MATES was to rate snacks using the PER System: Pick a snack, Eat a snack, Rate a snack. Fortunately in August 2021, (after a brief hiatus of over four years), MATES came back and us die-hard MATEYS were over the moon to once again have regular episodes. You can listen to new episodes wherever you listen to podcasts and the archive of all the original episodes is on Matescast.com. ***Be warned that, while hilarious, it is definitely not family-friendly.***
Mike And Tom Eat Snacks
Why am I bringing up MATES? Well, like many people who suffer from food allergies or have children who do, I have wasted A LOT of money on foods I thought would be tasty, but turned out to be terrible. And, since I make 99.9% of our meals from scratch, I have a lot of experience on what ingredients can be safely substituted and still get as close as possible to the real thing. Therefore, I’d like to dedicate a section of this website to trying and rating allergy-friendly snacks, recipes and body-care products. The working title is Trying Out Allergy-friendly Stuff Together (TOAST for short)–we’ll see if it sticks.
The goals are to (hopefully) keep you from wasting money on less-than-tasty packaged snacks and prevent recipe fails when all you really want are some safe brownies that don’t taste like cardboard.
Each product gets rated by myself (alpha-Gal sufferer for nearly 4 years; no prior allergies) and my daughter (multiple food allergies since birth). While I have generally eaten healthily(-ish) over the course of my life, I certainly know my way around an Oreo. I can offer lots of perspective with regard to how close to the “original” the allergy-friendly version gets. My daughter is a typical kid – brutally honest. If it tastes horrible, she’s going to tell you. She has a pretty open mind with regard to trying new things though. In addition to an overall rating, I’ll post where you can buy the item (and include a link if possible).
I think it will be fun! And if you have suggestions, or are looking for a particular allergy-friendly item/recipe, please feel free to let me know in the comments or email me lauren@aisforallergy.com. Stay tuned!
Armed with my new diagnosis, it was time to do the work of analyzing my diet for mammal products and making the necessary changes. If you’ve never had a food allergy, you may be surprised to learn that ingredient packaging is far from transparent when it comes to labeling rules. In addition, many ingredients originate from sources you wouldn’t expect. Since I had extensive experience navigating this world with my child’s multiple food allergies, I figured I’d be fine. Boy, was I overconfident.
Unlike most allergies to a protein in a specific food, Alpha-gal allergy is a reaction to a sugar (specially galactose-α-1,3-galactose) found in all mammals except humans and other great apes. So technically, I guess cannibalism is still on the table.
Being as alpha-gal is not a “Top-8 allergen” as defined by the FDA (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans), many of the ingredients that could cause a reaction are not specifically and clearly pointed out on the labels of packaged foods.
Some of the luckier ones with alpha-gal only need to watch out for eating actual meat/fat from mammals. Unfortunately, I do not currently find myself a member of that group. It’s unclear what causes some people to be more reactive than others, but there is a correlation between the likelihood of reacting and a person’s IgE number, which is determined by a blood test. The higher the IgE number, the more likely a reaction is to occur. It does not, however, tell what exactly that reaction will be, nor the degree of severity.
I started out just avoiding mammal meat as recommended by my doctor. He advised most people could still tolerate dairy. Over many months, I learned what I could and (more often) could not tolerate through keeping a food diary and trial and error. So many errors.
Below is a list of some substances that can be derived from mammals. Again, some people are able to tolerate things that others cannot. I’m not a doctor and I’m simply relating my personal experiences with this allergy, not dispensing medical advice in any way. Talk to your allergist and make a plan to determine what things are safe to include in your diet and always, always check the label. Find a pharmacist willing to work with you to double-check for mammal in prescription medications with the manufacturer. Consult your doctor/pharmacist before receiving vaccines as many contain or are cultured in mammals.
Gelatin (often pork or beef derived; fish gelatin is an acceptable substitute). Gelatin is in some really unexpected places. For instance, many medication tablets (including Benadryl) contain gelatin as well as certain vitamins, cereals, marshmallows, and candies. Gelatin is even sometimes injected into shrimp and an included ingredient in imitation crab. Many wines are also strained using gelatin. Barnivore.com is a helpful resource for determining if your alcoholic beverage is vegan and safe.
Magnesium stearate (can be animal or plant based; call the manufacturer for each individual product). This is another ingredient in so many medications. Most labels will not specifically state whether it is sourced from plants or animals, so a call to customer service or to your pharmacist for prescription medications is a must.
Natural flavors (can be beef or pork derived). These are in many processed meats, soups, flavoring packets, etc. A call to customer service will be necessary to determine whether they are mammal-derived.
Collagen (can be from beef, pork or sheep) – often in processed meats like sausage casing, hot dogs as well as some cosmetics
Tallow (beef fat) – found in some processed foods, soups, and soap
Vitamin D3 (sourced from sheep). This one took me a long time to figure out. Every time I ate Cheerios, I was having a reaction. Turns out, it was the D3. I had no idea it came from mammals! This is a very common ingredient in cereals and other vitamin-enriched products. There are several vegan cereals you can switch to in order to avoid this ingredient.
Lanolin (sourced from sheep). Commonly found in a wide variety of cosmetics, lotions, lip balms, soap and baby products.
Dairy (any type of mammal milk or derivatives like lactose, cream, whey, casein, hydrolysates, curds, milk protein, butter, ghee, milk solids, yogurt, some lactic acid, malted milk, lactoglobulin and more). Again some AG+ people can tolerate dairy. This is different than a milk allergy (which is an allergy to the protein) in which symptoms will show right away. For alpha-gal, the reaction is delayed by several hours. The higher the fat content, the higher the concentration of alpha-gal in the product. So, while ice cream and heavy cream might be out, some fortunate people can tolerate lower-fat or baked dairy options. This is best worked out with your allergist.
So, as you can see, avoiding mammal products isn’t always easy. I’ll be showcasing some of my favorite alpha-gal and other allergy-safe finds soon.
Be sure to always check the ingredients on every packaged food – every time!
I was out of the hospital with a fresh Epi-Pen prescription, but no clue what it was that I was allergic to. Since I had eaten fish the night of the ER visit, I decided to forgo any fish or seafood until I could get testing done. Fish wasn’t something I consumed on a frequent basis, so perhaps it was responsible? I also tore my bed apart and inspected every nook and cranny to make sure a spider or insect was not lying in wait for me.
I want to stress just how clueless I was about what had happened, despite knowing waaaay more about allergies than the average person (due to my daughter’s unfortunate plethora of them). Throughout the weeks of waiting to see the allergist, I was still experiencing awful stomach pain, diarrhea and just a general lack of energy.
When the day of my appointment arrived, I recounted that evening’s events and he told me bluntly that I had alpha-Gal. I knew what it was, but explained that while I had been bitten by several ticks a few months back, none had actually attached, so SURELY there must be some sort of mistake. He, of course, ordered a blood test for confirmation, but said that he was so sure I had alpha-Gal that if it came back negative, he’d tell them to run it again. Dang.
The rest of the appointment went by pretty quickly. I was told to avoid mammal meat (beef, pork, lamb, venison, etc), beef stock and other high-fat mammal derivatives because alpha-Gal is a sugar/carbohydrate molecule rather than a protein. Feathers and fins = safe to eat.
My allergist seemed rather nonchalant about the whole business. He said it would probably make me healthier in the long run to avoid red meat. Strict avoidance of mammal meat and future tick bites would keep me from the ER again.
I felt devastated. I am by no means a huge meat-eater, but taking barbecue away from an eastern NC native is criminal. Not to mention steak, pepperoni and bacon. Sigh.
He mentioned that there is some evidence that alpha-Gal allergy can fade with time for some people, provided one manages to avoid all future tick bites. Additional bites can raise IgE levels (a type of antibody produced that indicates an allergy to a particular substance), and that means starting back at square one.
I asked about the dangers of cross-contamination, touching and preparing pork for my daughter to eat (she’s allergic to beef, so that was already off the table), and the risks of eating out. He said I would probably be fine, but give waitstaff a heads up and maybe stick to chicken restaurants.
A week went by, and the results did indeed come back positive for alpha-Gal. While I had by no means made peace with my diagnosis, I did find some solace in at least figuring out the cause behind many months of discomfort.
However, I was not prepared in any way for how much my life would change with alpha-Gal. Despite avoidance of all mammal meats immediately post appointment, I was still having symptoms, though certainly less life-threatening.
Enter my trial-by-error introduction into the world of mammal-based derivatives in places you’d NEVER suspect…
Before that fateful middle-of-the-night ER visit, I had been having a great day. After work, I had plans to meet my sister for dinner out and head to an outdoor venue to enjoy some live music from one of my favorite bands afterwards. Top it all of with a few hours of sleep before heading to the beach to visit friends and family for several days–what could be better?
My sister and I chose to go to a nostalgic favorite–K&W Cafeteria for an early pre-show dinner around 4:45pm. If you’ve been to a K&W, you’ll understand that 5pm could be considered late due to the geriatric nature of their typical diner. (The timing here is pretty crucial to the diagnosis and, therefore, bears mentioning.)
We selected several dishes from the fast-moving cafeteria line with plans to split them to achieve the perfect variety to fullness ratio. We ended up with trays loaded with fried chicken, fried okra, fried fish (notice a theme?), hamburger steak, cucumber salad, cornbread with bacon, and unsweet tea. AND IT WAS ALL DELICIOUS!
Next, we headed to Saxapahaw (no, you didn’t just have a stroke) to hear John Howie Jr. and the Rosewood Bluff play some tunes. We sat on a blanket beneath the trees, and enjoyed the music into the sweltering Carolina summer evening. I capped off my feast with a blueberry biscuit from Rise, then bid everyone adieu to finish some packing and last-minute tasks around 8:30pm.
I went to bed around 11pm, feeling tired but fine–nothing out of the ordinary. Less than an hour later, I woke up itching. At first, it was just on my feet. I figured I must had gotten some mosquito bites outside earlier and didn’t think much of it. As I tried to fall back asleep, the itching spread and intensified. Now my stomach, hands and feet were on fire. I turned on the light and noticed my skin was kind of pink. I pulled back all the bedcovers to see if something was biting me, but found nothing. Even though only a few minutes had elapsed, the itching had spread to my entire body–my scalp, my eyelids, it even felt as though my actual blood were itchy.
At this point, I’m convinced some insect or maybe a spider has bitten me. I decide to hop into the shower and see if that would help. It 100% did not. I caught a glimpse of my skin in the mirror when I got out; I had inadvertently scratched my skin bloody in several places. I knew immediately that I was having a serious allergic reaction. Because I’ve been dealing with my daughter’s severe allergies since birth, I at least knew what to do. I quickly downed some liquid cetirizine (gag) and set a timer to monitor the worsening severity.
I was alone and it was the middle of the night. Anyone I could think of to call was too far away to be of much help, even if they did answer their phone. Time was not on my side.
It was now about 1am and I had a decision to make. Even with insurance, my high-deductible plan meant I’d be hit with a crippling bill. However, I didn’t want to die; I was going to the beach, remember?
My itching had subsided slightly, but my lips were beginning to swell. There was also an intense, sharp pain in my stomach reminiscent of labor pains.
I took a dose of liquid diphenhydramine (Benadryl; double gag), then headed to the ER parking lot only minutes away. My plan was to wait in my car and, if I got worse, I’d at least be the right place. I lasted in my car about 5 minutes before deciding to go in.
The intake staff took one look at my skin and swollen face and ushered me to the back immediately to get vitals and history. My blood pressure had plummeted and I was freezing cold and shaking despite wearing a hoodie in the middle of a hot, humid summer night. My voice was a bit raspy, but I was still able to speak. I gave them a rundown of my symptoms and onset timing as well as the names and amounts of medications I had taken.
While it was clear I was having an anaphylactic response, the cause was very much unknown. Penicillin and sulfa drugs were my only known allergies and of course I hadn’t taken those. An allergic reaction to a food happens within minutes.
The staff got to work immediately by injecting me with doses of epinephrine (synthetic adrenaline) and steroids through the IV they placed in my hand. I also received additional doses of Benadryl.
As with any allergic emergency, I had to remain at the hospital for a minimum of four hours to ensure I would not have another rebound reaction when the drugs wore off. I was exhausted and struggled to stay awake. I felt chilled to the bone, likely due to the blood pressure drop and the epinephrine. The nurses brought in warmed blankets to ease my uncontrollable shivering. My body felt racked with fatigue from the ordeal, not to mention the sleep-inducing effects of the Benadryl.
Around 6am Sunday morning, I was discharged with a written prescription for Epi-Pens and a week-long dose of steroids. Unfortunately, the ER doctors had no clue what had brought me there in the first place.
But life marches on, and we went to the beach. First thing on Monday morning, I scheduled an appointment with the same allergist that oversees my daughter’s care. The first opening they had was more than a month away.
Imagine having a life-threatening allergic emergency with NO CLUE what had caused it. How comfortable would you feel eating? Obviously one has to eat, but for me, each meal felt like a game of Russian roulette.
Worse, six nights a week, I am the sole-caregiver for my child. What if this happened again? What if I didn’t get to the hospital in time next time? I had been extremely lucky, that much was clear. But how do you keep yourself safe when you don’t even know what to be on the lookout for? Talk about anxiety.
You’ve likely heard of Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, but ever hear of Alpha-Gal? It may sound like a great name for a butt-kicking female superhero, but unfortunately it is a life-altering allergy to mammal meat and byproducts brought on by the bite of a Lone Star tick. In other words, a major bummer. Ticks suck.
Female Lone Star Tick NIAID / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
I live in the Southeastern United States, do a lot of hiking and have a dog, so tick protection has always been a must. However, I wasn’t prepared for an onslaught of tick bites I received over several weeks during the spring of 2018 in a friend’s yard. One bite on my knee seemed…angrier than the (many) others. It itched like crazy and remained red and puffy despite ensuring the entire tick was removed and applying cortisone cream.
While I was bitten multiple times over the spring (despite wearing insect repellent), none of the ticks actually latched on for more than a few seconds, so I wasn’t super concerned. Disease transmission usually occurs after several hours of attachment.
I had been bitten a couple times growing up. The sneaky thing about ticks is that they can be attached somewhere (think under a sock or the waistband of your pants) without your even knowing you’d been bitten. This was different though. Now, when I was being bitten, it HURT. I could find the tick immediately, and it was never actually attached. Just biting and trying to find a better spot to latch, I guess. And these ticks were tiny nymphs–about the size of a poppy seed.
I switched from natural, essential oils-based and low-DEET formulas (7.5%) to the high concentration “deep woods” types when we would be in their yard–even on my daughter. Tick checks became a regular thing. No more shorts, even in the brutal North Carolina summers, and I tried to stay out of the grass as much as possible. These precautions seemed to help for the most part, so I continued to go about my life.
But later that summer, I noticed something wasn’t right. Historically, I’d never suffered with any sort of intolerances or digestive troubles and regularly ate spicy food with no ill effects. But now, I routinely felt like I was suffering from food poisoning or multiple and long-lasting stomach viruses. For several weeks, I would feel bloated and have intense cramps at seemingly random times of day. I’ve always had a fairly regular cycle, so I was pretty sure it wasn’t period-related, but something just was not right. So, I planned to make an with my GYN to discuss my concerns.
Buuuuut, I never ended up needing that appointment after all. In July 2018, I ended up in the ER.
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