My Donor May Not Have Been So Bad After All

No ice cream, or die: an unimaginable predicament and I wasn’t even given the choice. My bone marrow donor unknowingly transferred her milk allergy, which began affecting me six months after my transplant, leading to frightening episodes of hives, mouth swelling and chest tightening. I visited an allergist who administered a skin prick allergy test. Milk protein resulted in a 10-millimeter reaction, while just a 14-millimeter reaction would have indicated potential anaphylaxis. I had to give up milk products forever.I dealt by going through the classic stages of grief: denial (read: ER visits), anger, bargaining (read: brainwashing myself into thinking that soy is great), depression and acceptance. I achieved acceptance after understanding the relationship between allergies and health. Eliminating my allergies and receiving seasonal allergy shots cured my eczema and reduced my ear infections by 90%.Last month I visited my allergist for my annual seasonal allergy testing. “Has any progress been made in developing shots for food allergies?” I asked the nurse, an annual inquiry in which I know the answer. “No, unfortunately. But, we can test you again. It’s been about seven years since your last milk protein test.”“Sure, why not!” I said.The nurse pricked my arm with pollens, molds and milk, and my allergist came in later to see the results. My milk reaction had reduced from 10 millimeters to one. “Many people outgrow their allergies and you may no longer be al...
Source: I've Still Got Both My Nuts: A True Cancer Blog - Category: Cancer Tags: living habits Source Type: blogs