Highly Allergic
Here I am, January 17th, 2021. Our pink Christmas tree still glows in the corner of our living room surrounded by what some would describe as "too many" house plants--they would be wrong. We're 10 months into a pandemic, the is world burning around us. I'm 3 days out from my 3rd endoscopy in twice as many months. An endless amount of COVID swab tests & 3 months of gluten & dairy elimination only to find the eosinophils are still there. Next stop, top 8 elimination diet. My partner, Mike, just walked through the door from his final patch testing appointment, stack of papers in hand explaining the 7 allergens that have been causing his contact dermatitis for the better part of 30 years ("You're allergic to pocket change & the rivets in your jeans?!") We lay a blanket on the sofa to protect his skin from the chromium used in the tanning of the leather, crack a bottle of prosecco & cheers. We have good cause to celebrate--we finally have doctors who are getting to the bottom of our decades long battle with symptoms! There's a terrifying amount of information laid out in front of us, but we're finally getting answers and that feels truly amazing.
I log into the contact dermatitis database & start fervently researching hygiene products he'll be able to use. I join contact dermatitis support groups, he joins EoE recipe groups. A slight smile creeps across Mike's face as he begins to think about the creative challenge my elimination diet will pose to his amazing home chef skills. We're still climbing this mountain, but we've finally found the path & we'll get there together. We are the highly allergic duo!
