(top posted)
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Mark. Hopefully, you've educated
some people and changed some attitudes. I wish you didn't have to go
through this your whole life.

Carol


Mark D wrote:
> I myself have a deadly reaction-allergy to Peanuts, and particularly
> Brazil Nuts, and Cashews.
>
> It was said my first reaction occured at the age of 4 years old, at the
> Thanksgiving Table, when I inadvertently placed just a Brazil Nut
> "Shell" in my mouth, and had to be rushed to the hospital.
>
> Over the years, I have never gotten any better tolerance to this, and
> thoughout my whole life, I've had to be wary of Candy Bars, Birthday
> Cakes, Cookies, etc, and always check the labels.
>
> Yes, I've been fooled a few times with $100,000 Candy Bars, Zero Bars,
> the "phony" Pistachios that they put on Cannolis nowadays, which are
> actually dyed green peanuts, and relatives Birthday Cakes-Fruit Cakes,
> and wound up in the Emergency Ward numerous , getting injected with
> Diphenhydramine (More commonly known as Benadryl) The last trip 12
> years ago, I spent 8 hours in the hospital, and my face, and eyes were
> swollen for a week.
>
> What happens, is my entire body begins to swell. Air Passageways, and
> Eyes shut entirely.
> Without medication, I cannnot see, as my eyes totaly swell shut, I
> cannot breathe, my tongue swells to the size of a baseball, and my body
> begins to break out all over in hives, and welts.
>
> Without medication ASAP, I am a gonner. Benadryl always sits in my
> fridge as a helpful Med until I can get to the Hospital.
>
> Luckily, I am not so hypersensitive, that I am adversly affected by
> others eating peanuts in my immediate vicinity, but I do get the
> willies, and prefer not to be near those who partake in eating these
> foods.
>
> Others I've heard do have such a hypersensitivity, that being on an
> airplane can cause a life threatening reaction, and I wonder just how
> well Airplane personell are equipped to handle emergencies like this in
> mid-flight.
>
> A Peanut Allergy is actually not all that rare, and is one of the more
> common allergies amongst people. Other common Allergies would be Milk,
> Wheat Products, Shellfish, Aspirin, Antibiotics, Bee Stings, Fire Ant
> Bites, and perhaps other bites such as Spiders, etc.
>
> Knew a man in Florida who almost died, and went through 3 years of hell
> from a Fire Ant Bite.
>
> Oddly, I am not Allergic to Hazel Nuts, Almonds, Macadamia nuts,
> Pistachios, Walnuts, or Pecans. Mark D.