I'm not over it yet....

The Royal Wedding that is!  I am still obsessed!  I can't help it.  I did not make it to the first kiss, in fact, I'm not sure how they made it so long before the first kiss!  More power to them though!

I found out that I can still host a good ole fashioned party...corn-free even!  For dinner, I made cucumber sandwiches and artichokes.  Yes, I know artichokes aren't very British, but I was really craving for them, and they are super good, so who am I to deny myself this wonderful treat?!?!?  I also made a royal wedding cake.  It was marble with white frosting, all corn free :)  I have yet to try it though.  Ha, maybe I will have some for breakfast..haha.

Since having this allergy, I have found out that people are always looking out for you.  I can say I am craving something, and immediately I have a support group of people telling me "NO".  It's very helpful, because sometimes I forget just how much pain I was in and am willing to risk it for something super yummy that I miss!  You know, like those super yummy pretzel nuggets from Auntie Anne's....  I have a recipe, I bet I can make it corn-free....  Also, people are always asking before they give me something if I am allergic to it, which makes me stop and think twice about whether not I am, as opposed to just popping it in my mouth and seeing!  Restaurants want to be accommodating, friends don't want you to die, you know people are just always looking out!

:) I have no title today :)

It seems that healthy is contagious, which I personally find nothing wrong with!

I have quit buying bread, no more sourdough for me!  My bread came out a little lopsided last night, but that doesn't mean it doesn't taste delicious!  Oh, and it's much cheaper!  I can make several loaves for bread for what one costs, even if I shop at Costco!  I am not a fan of the butts, but I have decided to make them into breadcrumbs for my salmon meatloaf that I am going to try.  Apparently, the bone in salmon (not so sure about this) is an excellent source of calcium...I'm going to try it as a loaf...I'll let you know how that goes!

My godson's mommy called me yesterday to inform me that she found some non-corny baby powder!  She either is really looking out of me, or just really doesn't want me to miss out on that vital part of my godson's life.  I mean really, how could I let him grow up and be able to say, "yeah, well, I used to change your diapers...."!  All natural Aveno shampoo too...yes she did!  Yay!  I can't wait for my trip to North Carolina!

Something else I can't wait for (I even had dreams of this last night) is the Royal Wedding party that I am having!  I can't wait to try out my corn-free cake...I will take any excuse to make a cake! 

AHHH Easter

I feel much more human now.  I can go out to eat again!  I can eat sushi again!  I did make a couple mistakes this time though. Now that I am in comfy pants and my food is digested, I'm ready to dig in, before I dig into some more sushi for dinner!

First, I got some seaweed salad and a couple of grocery store rolls that I was going to eat at Midnight.  I couldn't wait any longer, really!  It was bad enough a week into Lent I find I have to cut my diet more than in half and I had already given up sushi!  At midnight, I started digging in.  Two pieces into my roll I realize I am eating cream cheese....CRAP....literally!  So, I dissected my roll and continued on my way.  I put the remainder in the fridge for breakfast.

I had some weird dreams last night, although, I wasn't swimming in corn, so that's good!

I had left over sushi for breakfast and I couldn't wait for lunch!  Mia and I went to Haru and feasted!  It was the best Easter dinner of my life!  Yes, I made a couple of mistakes, like didn't calculate how oysters would mess with my allergies (you have to drink soda with them...soda=corn).  Also, I didn't think anyone would know us there...we were wrong.  We had a lot of food that we ordered and that was brought out to us.  Running tally:  (shared between us) salad, miso soup, edemame, 12 oysters, Aura roll, Caterpillar roll, green tea ice cream, AND tempera oreos!  Yes, and we ate it all!  I thought we were going to have be rolled out of there!  On top of being full, my tummy was cramping and we were going to Tony's house to meet his dog...except his bathroom wasn't working....agggghhhh. 

Now, in comfy pants and relaxing on the couch, I'm a bit sleepy but can't wait for round two at Samurai tonight!  You know, after my nap!

Happy Easter!

Easter Feast!

Before I was diagnosed with the corn allergy, I decided to give up sushi for Lent.  I do not know what I was thinking!  Normally, I would eat sushi on Friday's during Lent, why would I give it up?!?  It was a true sacrifice that's why!  I LOVE SUSHI!  Not only do I love sushi, but I live in the best place in America to eat it!  I have never had better sushi anywhere else.  Once I found out I was allergic to my whole world, I realized I wasn't allergic to sushi, I was happy but sad all at the same time!  I thought about cheating and changing what I gave up for Lent to corn...but I would only be cheating myself.....

Tonight, at midnight, I plan on feasting!  I will have supermarket sushi, but sushi all the same.  I will have an Easter feast fit for a sushi loving fool!  I will have lunch at Haru Sushi and dinner at Samurai Sushi and it will be the best Easter ever!  You guys all have fun with your ham, green bean casserole and all those goodies I used to think I could eat.  It's okay to admit you're jealous ;) haha

This is going to work....

I went to the dietitian and that was a waste of my money, plus it was an hour in a half of my life that I will never get back....  Oh well, I know now!

Yesterday I spent the day in the kitchen.  I made some rice to make into fried rice.  I made a loaf of bread (and it's so much better than sourdough!).  I made some brownies, a blackberry and raspberry smoothie, oh and some really yummy steak fajitas!  I have a ton of food for the rest of the week, which makes working as much as I do a lot easier.  I haven't made the fried rice yet, but I will and it will be the best rice ever!  I made tacos tonight with homemade seasoning (yes even the taco seasoning has corn!).  I found some cheese that melts (!) and shredded that up.  I thought once upon a time that I would have to kiss Mexican food goodbye, but it turns out I can still have it, just a differently is all.

I found some vodka distilled from french grapes last night at Brown Jug.  They had potato vodka too, but the bottle for the grape stuff was much more pretty!  It doesn't taste at all like grapes and is very potent stuff!  I was pretty much wasted off of two shots!  I chased it with some Orange Juice (not so sure it was safe, it was Simply Orange though).  I felt fine last night, well....okay, I felt really good!  When I woke up this morning, I did not have to spend the entire day on the bathroom floor like drinking would have made me do before.  It all comes back to those beautiful yellow delicious kernels! 

My life isn't over, I am going to do this, and it will be completely worth it, especially now that I know I can still have food and alcohol ;)

Ready to Confess...

I'm ready to admit that Saturday, before my long road trip to get my antibiotic (again in Wasilla, not Anchorage), I ate McDonalds.  It was not good at all.  I can't believe I ever considered it food!  I did have two big cups of corny caramel color in the form of Diet Coke though and that was delicious, even better than I remembered even!  You should have seen this girl cooped up for an hour drive out to Wasilla after not having caffeine for over a month...  just be glad you weren't stuck in the truck with me!  Pour CoCo!  In case you're wondering, my stomach did hurt, I did have some digestive problems, and over all it was miserable, except for that heavenly Diet Coke!

Yesterday, when I got home from work, I was starving.  I reached for a banana (need to get rid of those leg cramps anyway).  I am pretty sure I was tested for banana allergies (since I have the rubber/latex one and they are in the same family), but who knows what happened there....  I got terrible acid reflux (from one banana)!  I tried to lay down, I got heartburn and a pinching headache right in the middle of my forehead that brought tears to my eyes.  I took some Excedrin migraine, some allergy medicine, and some acid reducer...it was a long night.  The total reaction lasted about six hours...from one banana!  I will not be trying bananas again anytime soon.  It was comparable pain to the pain I was having when I ate subway, which resulted in my gallbladder removal!  UGHHHH.  I'm claiming banana sensitivity and not eating them anymore!

I go to the Lifestyle Coordinator today.  This should be good...I'll let you know how she likes her new title!

I CAN eat out!!!

Last night, I really wanted a steak.  This is weird for me because up until a couple of months ago, I did not like steak.  I ate it a lot growing up, and could not tolerate it anymore!  Alas, I wanted steak.  I have some steak waiting for me to cook up into fajitas, but it was late and....I wanted steak.  You get the point!

So, Friday's here I come!  I ordered a water, how boring...actually my whole meal was a bit boring, but it was good.  When the waiter asked to take our order, I told him I had some menu questions and he might want to get comfortable.  He told me "I will lie the best I can".  I begged him not to.  He asked my allergies and got the "allergen menu".  I never even knew restaurants had this sort of thing!  Of course, corn was not one of them listed, but it was a good help in the way of cow's milk.  I ended up getting the sirloin and shrimp minus the buttery goodness they put on everything.  The sides, just as boring, I got two orders of steamed broccoli. 

I had to say no to appetizers and dessert, but who really needs all those extra calories anyway, right?!?!  At least I got my steak!  And, I can eat out, I just have to be careful.

Anchorage, we need to talk....

Tuesday, I cut my  hand and had to go to Urgent Care, as I told all my loyal readers.  Well, yesterday, when I was at my accounting job, I realized that my hand was really really hurting.  I thought maybe it was the pain I was feeling all along but didn't notice because of the pain from the tetanus shot (I had sever arm pain, a low grade fever, nothing over 100.8, and a huge red bump on my arm).  So, I dealt with it for a couple of hours and went about my work.  It wasn't until I was opening the mail, that I couldn't take it anymore.  I had to take the tape off and find out why it hurt to open envelopes!  When I took it off, I realized how swollen my hand really was.  I had sausage fingers!  My size 4 finger was about a 6!!!  I was almost normal!  The bad thing was my ring was pretty much stuck on my hand.  I was not going to go back to Urgent Care like that, they would cut it off in the hack saw job that they do and then I would have to have it reshanked...yadda yadda yadda.  So, before I left the mall, I decided it was coming off first.  I had my co-worker at the other job spray some lens cleaner on it, and we got it pulled off, but that was the end of wearing a ring yesterday!  My hand was also super red and very warm.  I knew it was infected, and it was time for some antibiotics!

I went to the urgent care, I was seen, treated, sent on my way, and was back to work within a hour!  Talk about express service right there!  It was a good thing too, I only had an hour before I had to clock into my other job!  I had the stitches taken out (I may have been reacting to them), I was prescribed a lot of antibiotic (it appears I have an infection in my hand and I should have gotten some to begin with), and was told to come back on Monday night whether it was better or not.  Okay, so I am waiting to check out (no co-pay because they coded it as a follow up...yay!).  I noticed the pharmacy listing on the wall next to the check out.  Well, since I live in Anchorage, there was no where to fill it after I got out of work on Saturday, no where to fill it before or after work today or Monday.  I didn't want to lose my hand (okay so I am not that dramatic, but it does hurt and I didn't want my finger to become a size 8) I had to go to the only pharmacy in the state that is open 24 hours....in Wasilla!  Wasilla is over an hour away, and is a small town, but they are the only Walgreens in the state that is 24 hours, so far.  I explained to the pharmacy that I drove in FROM town, not TO town like I normally hear from people, and then I told her about my allergies to medications.  She said, "I really hope this one works for you, because if it doesn't, there is literally nothing else you can take".  Wow, thanks!

Not much of a corny entry,  but I am not ready to admit what I did before the trip to Wasilla....let's just say it was really in poor judgement.  We'll discuss that at a later date :)

What are you doing for the next 5 years??

Today, I was told what my plans are for the next five years of my life.  Allergy shots.  Five entire years of them.  This time, I would like to thank my Daddy!

I went in for venom testing today.  After 23 pokes to my arms I was declared allergic to hornets and wasps.  I told the doctor from the beginning that I did not want allergy shots.  She tells me I have a choice, spend the next five years getting a shot of venom, or possibly die if I get stung.  Now, living in Alaska, this is really important to think about.  We have a lot of land that is miles and miles from the nearest hospital.  What would happen if I went out gold panning and got stung.  The epi-pen can only slow down the "impending doom" (no kidding, a consent I signed said that!).  So, I made the right decision, the one to have my next five years planned out for me. 

The first 15 weeks I have to go once a week.  The first 6 of these shots are an hour and a half long!  I get three shots altogether and have to wait 30 minutes in between, to make sure I don't meet the "impending doom" *knock on wood*.  Weeks 6-12 are an hour long and weeks 12-15 are only a half hour long.  After week 15, I only have to go once a month, for the next five years of my life!  Yippee!  I do have to keep remembering that hopefully after these five years, I will not die if I get stung.  I joked that they should start up a dating service for their allergy shot victims, it's now being put in the allergy news letter *eye roll*

My breathing has gotten a bit better (apparently, people really can blow out air for three continuous seconds, with one breath.  I am a disbeliever), although, I did have to get a new rescue inhaler.  I am also on 6 weeks worth of prednisone.  Maybe by the time I go back in, I will be able to breathe out for the minimum of three seconds.  The doctor wants me to shoot for 12...yeah right!

Oh, and I finally have an appointment with the lifestyle coordinator who forgot about me a week or so ago....just wait until I tell her her new title!

Come on...even a tetanus shot....

Yesterday, I hacked my finger open at work.  When I finally got the bleeding under control (oh, I did not care if the band aids were corny/latex/rubber, I just wanted to stop bleeding all over the floor!), I tried to take it easy while I waited for my relief to come in.  Five hours later, I was on my way to Urgent Care.  I had called ahead, told them that I was allergic to rubber/latex/corn and asked if that would be a problem.  If it was a problem, I would go somewhere else (Anchorage doesn't have much, but they do have an Urgent Care or 7).  The nurse told me I would have to discuss that with the doctor when I came in....REALLY??  I wanted to give them a heads up and let them make the call, they wouldn't let me.

I had to be careful with my hand because anytime I hit it, it would open up and bleed all over again.  I filled out my paperwork and was called back to triage.  I told the nurse repeatedly that I was allergic to corn and that corn was sometimes in medicine/IV's.  She assumed me I would be fine.  One nurse washed my cut out and had me sit and wait for the doctor.  He took a look at my hand, decided I needed to wash it again, and then he would "throw a couple of stitches in it."  While washing my hand again, for three minutes, I started feeling very queasy.  I was hot.  I was ready to throw up.  The nurse was concerned, had me sit down...yadda yadda.  She then told me it was because of the pain, well, since it's my finger, I can tell you that it wasn't all that painful, but she tried over and over again to convince me it was!

After all of the stitching and such, another nurse came in with the tetanus shot.  She told me that I was going to wait for a couple minutes after the shot because of my extensive allergy list.  She scared the crap out of me, not with that statement, but rather, I looked at her before the shot and all I see is her hand cocked way back.  It was like she was going to jam that needle into my arm with all of her power!  I turned white, she told me not to look.  Well, she did an okay job, until she tried to put a latex "pretty cool" band aid on my arm....come on now!  Not two minutes later, the corn was kicking in.  I had to get a steroid shot to get my lungs and throat back to working order...SCARY!

Now, my finger hurts (a little) but my shoulder is killing me!!!  Oh and just so we are all clear on this, the tetanus shot used to be every 10 years, but it was changed to every 5....so go get one!

MMMmmmMMM Good!

The day before yesterday I cut peeled 10lbs of potatoes!  It was an astronomical amount, but to be honest, it was half of the 20lbs bag that was about ready to replant itself!  I filled a quart sized pot with cubed potatoes for mashed and cut the rest in strips for french fries.   I ended up putting seven bags in the freezer.  I made a pretty awesome dinner and had plenty of leftover potatoes for my next meal project.

Yesterday, I made the decision to clean out the cupboards so I could put my food away, I was finally ready.  Since becoming corn allergic I had accumulated quite the array of food.  I am so happy I found out shortly before Passover, it has made the transition much easier!  I had two garbage bags full of stuff I could no longer eat.  The worst part was throwing away the baby corn :(  I love the baby corn!  But that's okay, because I made up for it a couple hours later.

I had bought some baby shrimp, so I fried them up in some EVOO and a bit of fish sauce, they turned out yummy!  Then I cut up some peppers and made up a recipe for potato pancakes.  I was a skeptic on how well they would turn out.  Holy Cow!  They are delicious!  They are better than Big Boy's potato pancakes!  They do not even require sour cream or apple sauce!  Speaking of apple sauce, I was going to make some of that last night too, but I decided to hold off on that for a bit.

I cut up all my veggies and made a huge container of lettuce/spinach.  I also took a recipe from my corny experts and made a really yummy avocado salad dressing.  I can't wait for lunch!!  I also cooked up a couple of sweet potatoes.  My fridge has never looked so healthy before!

KING CORN!

Sounds scary, huh?  Well, it is!  It's a documentary on Netflix about these two guys from Boston who move to Iowa and plant an acre of corn.  First, they go to a scientist who cuts their hair to see what is the main ingredient in their bodies, he finds corn of course!  So, these two guys set out to the grocery store to find things without corn.  Ha, they are certainly not in the practice of looking at labels, they found less than I do.  The thing is they weren't even looking for the odd little names that corn hides in, rather they were looking for the obvious, the ones that say CORN.  Either way, it was an eye opener, even for the girl who can't eat corn anymore.  Afterwords, I didn't even want corn!  Watch it!

I went grocery shopping again.  I bought lots of organic veggies.  I spent a good portion of my night in the kitchen cutting them up.  I cut up 10lbs of potatoes (they were part of a 20lbs bag, and were going bad, so I had to do something with them).  I cubed some for mashed potatoes (the left overs will be made into potato pancakes), the rest I sliced for french fries (I was starting to miss them.  Did you know they put citric acid in frozen french fries to make them brown up more?).  I then cut up two sweet potatoes, which are waiting to hit the oven.  I cut up some peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, and romaine lettuce.  I was on a roll today! 

I also looked through my cookbook to see what else I needed to buy from New Sagya and the Kosher store.  I'm thinking I will hit them up tomorrow or Tuesday and see what else I can add into my lifestyle. 

I forgot to buy batteries for my scale though, so I am not sure how much weight I have lost yet, but I know it has to be some, my clothes are much looser! 

Fashion Faux Pas or Life....

Decisions, decisions...

I guess I am to the point where I need to look into having a medic alert bracelet or the liking.  Since corn is in everything, I have to make sure a paramedic knows not to give me an IV with dextrose.  Also, I guess it is good for them to know (should something happen, knock on wood) what I am allergic to medication-wise.  Here is my problem, I can only have SS or 14K gold.  My body eats stainless steel.  I don't really want SS since it tarnishes, but I do have unlimited access to Tarnex.  With the price of gold where it is, I don't really want to fork out all that cash just for a bracelet that I am not going to love.

I love my jewelry.  I have a slight obsession with it.  I had a dream last night about my rings being stolen and woke up screaming and in a cold sweat!  I have more sets of pearls than all of my grandma's combined!  I do not want to wear an ugly medic alert bracelet!  I have been looking into some designs.  We have lots of catalogs at work, and I would get the wholesale price.  I would have a co-worker who is learning engraving take a stab at the engraving.  So, this ugly "piece of jewelry" won't cost me nearly as much.  However, here is the problem, I am too picky!  I have looked at the catalogs, I found one, but for some reason unbeknownst to me, it's a design that cannot be engraved!  What is the point?!?!  I have looked through every catalog at work, nothing else has caught my eye. 

I found some sites tonight and got to thinking.  Why can't I make several bracelets and have a charm that hooks onto them?  Not as dork...but will the allergies all fit on one charm?  I have several bracelets that I have made and love, so this might work!  Who says a medic alert bracelet can't be a pearl bracelet?!?

I will look into the charms tomorrow at work.  I also need to remember to take my star sapphire in so I can have my ring made :)  Yay!

Corny inhailers....

I have had asthma all my life.  Up until I was diagnosed with my allergies, I was taking four inhalers daily.  I know, right!  FOUR!  I had pneumonia last year, and that was the end result.  I never got my full (I say that loosely) lung capacity back.  I continued to take all my inhalers (okay, not completely on schedule though....I would have been taking one every 2 hours, and 2 times a day, I would be taking all 4.  Have you ever taking an inhaler?  Do you know how shaky ONE makes you?) .  The allergist couldn't understand why I was taking the medication that I was.  She performed the necessary breathing tests, then told me, while my lungs really sucked, I was on the wrong medications.  She took away two-three (I'll explain that) inhalers, but added a new steroid.  My lungs should be like Arnold about now.  She took away one-two of the inhalers due them being for COPD, which I do not have.  She told me I could keep one as a rescue inhaler, which also has a steroid in it.

The  past couple of days I have had a tightness in my chest, this morning it was more tight than usual, so I was going to take a puff or two.  As soon as I took it, my chest got instantly tighter, I couldn't stop coughing, and I couldn't get a breath in!  I was scared!  It was more scary than an asthma attack!  I thought for sure I was going to have to use my epi-pen.  Instead, I calmed myself, as much as I could, and tried the other inhaler.  While the other one helped me breathe a bit better, I still had a tightness in my chest, and still do.  I am afraid, however, to use my rescue inhaler again.  I think I will deal with the tightness for now!  Soon enough, I will be back at the allergist and I will ask her what I should do.

Today, we had inventory at the 5th Ave. store.  It might be the first time, I sort of felt sorry for myself.  We always get breakfast (at Burger King and eat it together for the first 20 minutes or so of inventory).  I brought my breakfast this morning, two banana muffins and thawed strawberries.  While this was delicious, it was not greasy amazing not so good food!  I did make it through though, and the good out weighs the bad...right?!

I think it was the movie, not the soda!

Monday night, I had my first movie going experience...corn free!  I, of course, snuck in my own snacks.  I had some Kosher for Passover marshmallows and dark chocolate.  I also snuck in a bottle of Sierra Mist Natural, thinking it was safe.  Well, you can see where that is going, I said "thinking it was safe".

There was a large group of us watching Insidious, which was super scary!  I am good on scary movies for at least the next six months!!!  Since going to the movies, I am pretty sure I am now allergic to horror movies, and have been all my life, ha!  After waiting for everyone to get their favorite concessions (I was missing popcorn, Icee's, oh and then there was the coupon for Sour Patch Kids....), we headed to into the theatre.  I was sitting next to Walley, who happened to be eating popcorn.  You have no idea how much I wanted some....but I resisted.

By the end of the movie, my stomach was in pain.  I will again spare you of details, but it wasn't good.  I made it home, turned on EVERY light in my house, and took a shower.  I had a hard time falling asleep, not only because I went to a horror movie or because every light in my house was still on, but because my stomach was killing me!  According to my panel of experts (my corn forum is my safe haven, and since they are all allergic to corn or are the mother's of someone who is, they are my experts), after you become so corn free the popcorn in a theatre will bother you, or living in the middle of a corn field, or even to the point of the cow you are eating bothering you if it had been corn fed.  I wasn't 100% sure if it was the popcorn in the air, or the soda that turned my stomach, until tonight, when I decided to try the soda on it's own.  It was the soda!  After just two drinks (no need to drink more than that if I am going to react) and about 15 minutes I could feel the difference, which means I have no safe soda anymore...Oh well....I shall be super skinny, and water isn't all that bad anyway!  I think I might be allergic to horror movies though, I better cut them out of my lifestyle!

I promise I do eat :)

It has been brought to my attention that I have no really mentioned what I am eating, just what I can't have.  Well, let me assure you, that I am still eating!  Even if I wasn't, I am far from wasting away, so I would still have at least three weeks left on me...  Although, I have been dropping some pounds :D

Going forward, in this post, when I mention a food, it is a food source that is safe for me ( I get sick of mentioning it's safe over and over again). 

The other night, I made some banana muffins, they were super good by themselves, but I took it  a step further.  I thawed some strawberries and the next morning I had some banana strawberry shortcake!  It was amazing!  I also made some guacamole, instead of sour cream I used tofu.  I also didn't use tortilla chips with this, I used baked pita chips...yummy!  I also added some crushed red pepper to give it a little more taste.  My corny friends even enjoyed it!  I have had spaghetti, breakfast burritos, peanut butter and jelly, chicken quesadillas, I found a lot of Kosher for Passover foods. 

I have two cookbooks full of options, but I haven't really had the ambition just yet to do more than look through them.  I will though, and I will cook enough to freeze so I can cook on my days off and have food for the rest of the week!  I haven't gotten a call back from the Lifestyle Coordinator (dietitian), but that's okay, I think I have somewhat of a handle on this...you know when I remember to read the label and see CORN starch!

Speaking of the corn starch, I woke up with a sore throat full of phloem, blisters on my arms (just little ones), stuffy nose, and eyes swollen shut!  Stupid corn!  I also took a nap (all my energy was drained) and I had a not so pretty dream involving my nose and allergies...I will spare you the details!

Well, today is my day off and I plan of cleaning out my chest freezer of all the bad...I wish food pantries would take frozen goods...

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!

Last night, I was so tired that I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (all with safe products), which meant that I would not have any leftovers for my lunch today.  Saturdays, I work 11 hour days, so breakfast usually doesn't tide me over for that entire time.  My stomach was already hurting a bit (but not like it did before I cut corn!!!), so I took some carrots and goat milk veggie dip for my lunch. 

Around 2ish I was getting pretty shaking and hungry, so I went to the back and began chowing down.  Let's just get this right out in the open, Karma....she's a filthy little girl!!!  I guess since I wrote a blog title about  not being allergic to corn, she had to punch me in the gut!!!!  I started really feeling like crud.  I took a look at the label, and sure enough (I really don't know how), there was CORN starch in it.  How did I miss one of the most obvious CORN's??? 

I got so frustrated, that I almost ate corny food just because I had already been exposed, so why not continue and at least get my cravings out of my system.  I, however, was a good girl and did no such thing.  And boy oh boy am I glad I didn't, who know what would have happened if I would have succumbed!

I will spare most of the details because they were not all so pretty, but I will tell you this, I cannot believe I lived with that pain for so long.  I have no idea how I functioned!  A week with relatively little pain, then I go and eat a bit of corn, and I can tell the difference.  There were a couple times, when I was doubled over in pain today, where tears were almost brought to my eyes.  I still have no idea how I did it before.

Next Saturday, I vow to not eat something I am allergic to, as it happened the Saturday before as well.  I am done making  a habit out of it!

Not allergic to corn...

HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!!!  hahaha  I wish the above was true! 

April 1st brings some fond memories for me.  My grandpa was always a prankster, he got me every year.  One year, I got him though!  I bought some fake ants and flies at the gift shop at my grandma's nursing home/hospital.  My grandpa always went to bed earlier than I, so  I was able to hid my insects easily.  The hard part was keeping it from him!  I put 5 ants in the sugar bowl and I put 5 flies under the plastic wrap that was over the cooked potatoes (he was making his world famous potato salad!).  Oh, I sure heard it when I woke up!  My grandpa had almost thrown away 10lbs of cooked potatoes!!! HAHAHAHA!

Another memory is the best joke ever played on me!  In college, my roommate had hidden my car from me.  I had parked my car in front of our apartment, she had, late at night pushed (yes she pushed it) around the building to the carport!  I walked out to go to work and realized my car was missing!  I stood in the empty spot for a minute or two wondering who would steal a  Cavalier?!?!?  Then about 5 minutes later, I realized the day, and found my car!  The not so nice part of that day was, I didn't even work that morning and I told my boss about the trick.  On my way to work, my transmission blew and I had to wait for a tow truck for 1.5 hours!  He thought I was trying to pull one over on him! 

I hope everyone plays some fun tricks today.  Get your fool on!

Bandaids, pencils, toothpaste, eyelasher curler....what next?!?

These a few of the recent developments of things that just do not sit right with me now!  Okay, bandaids haven't sat right with me for a while.  Even when I would put a latex free bandaid I would still have a reaction.  I came to the conclusion that I was allergic to the adhesive.  I could never not have a bandaid handy though.  For one, I am a huge klutz.  I remember not too long ago when I was at a friends house cutting some watermelon.  I may or may not have been drinking at the time of the slicing... Either way, I was chopping up the watermelon and my hand got in the way.  I had a small cut on the palm of my hand from the tip of the knife.  The watermelon, however, looked like it had been murdered.  This is common for me.  I bleed...a lot!  I tried to stop it with a couple of paper towels, but after a half hour, this wasn't working and we needed to head out.  So, I settled with a latex ridden bandaid or 4!  Now, I learn that not only am I allergic to latex/rubber, but the adhesive, of course that is made from CORN!  I mean, really, why wouldn't it be? 

I joined a forum for those allergic to corn last week (it took me almost 3 entire days obsessing over it to find one).  I asked them about the bandaid issue.  I guess I am supposed to visit my Amish roots (I don't really have Amish roots, but the town I grew up in was Amish ridden) and tie pieces of fabric around my appendages until the bleeding stops.  Again, I would like to thank the American government for "enriching" my life and my flour and my pencils and toothpaste....

Which brings me to pencils.  I used a normal #2 pencil for a second or two today while making changes to my schedule.  Since I was making changes to the schedule I was also using the rubber eraser.  Yes, rubber eraser, of course, I should have realized.  The pencil though?!?!?  What if I needed to take my SAT's....how would I manage?!?  I was burned by the pencil.  Who gets chemical burn from a #2 pencil?  Oh, that's right, I do... go ahead corn, sneak into something else simple...

Oh yes, you have!  This brings me to my toothpaste.  Nothing with a corn allergy can be as simple as it once was.  I had to switch toothpastes and I really really am pretty anal about my toothpaste.  I was not thrilled to find one of those fancy corn hiding words located in my toothpaste.  This could explain my swollen gums and sensitive teeth though.  So, I changed my toothpaste.  I dread brushing my teeth, they do not feel fresh!  I can't even go organic because there are usually cranberries in that....Who complains this much about toothpaste? 

Just when I thought there was a constant in my life, I realize in my paperwork of allergens, they have my eyelash curler mentioned.  Of course, rubber you are not my friend.  Are there all plastic/metal eyelash curlers?  I am afraid to research what minerals are in my bare minerals make up.  I don't want corn invading that too.  I am cool with whale blubber in my lipstick, I do live in Alaska after all and people eat that!  I am not cool with corn in my foundation though.

Tomorrow makes one week allergen free, let's see what that brings!