On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 19:51:30 +0900, "Rona Yuthasastrakosol"
>
>That's my mother! :-) My mother is also a once happily married Filipina
>(now widowed) with children. She hasn't changed her hairstyle since the
>70's and wears very little make-up (foundation and sometimes lipstick). And
>(here's the connection) she'll eat things she knows she's allergic to. She
>loves shellfish but sometimes gets hives from eating it (it depends largely
>on the freshness), loves peanuts but sometimes gets hives from eating them
>(probably has something to do with preservatives), and loves tomatoes but is
>allergic to nightshades, too. Why does she do it? Just because she loves
>them, and she's not going to let a little thing like possible death keep her
>from them. She keeps around antihistamines and has only had a very very bad
>reaction once (about 20 years ago, and it was the first time she had ever
>had a reaction to shellfish--prior to that she had no problems with them).
>
>rona

i remember a woman quoted as saying 'i'm not gonna let my stomach
dictate to me what i can eat.'

your pal,
blake