first day in surgery

this might be a quick one, and no pictures; it was a long day.

I've been waking up quite early for some reason, but it's very peaceful to listen to the birds and yes, the rain. although i may strangle the rooster down the street by the end of the six weeks i'm here--i know one thing about roosters, and that is that they're supposed to crow when the SUN IS UP.

I had my scrubs and white coat going on this morning, and my host mom dropped me off so I didn't have to catch the route taxi. It's an experience here to catch one, as taxis are completely different than in the US. I walked on down the road, feeling quite conspicuous in my scrubs and coat, but a man passed me and said "Hey gorgeous" which is rather flattering. It's fairly common to be complimented walking down the street, and the men aren't usually too aggressive about it, just wanting to compliment you, so it was a confidence booster.

I had my first experience with Jamaican time this morning, waiting 45 minutes for the person to show up to introduce me to the "attending," which is not what they call them here. But we got it sorted.

[this is all medical stuff, which may/may not appeal to everyone!]

I ended up on my first surgery with one of the doctors, but i'm not sure how trained he was--if he would be our version of a resident or fellow or what, because he wasn't treated the same way as the attendings (in the plural because there are two! total!). But he asked if i've ever assisted in surgery, i said yes, so i got scrubbed in.

Which is a completely different experience here. They directed me to the scrub room, with a nurse assisting me to show me things. She offered me a bar of soap or the liquid soap. I inquired after brushes, but there is no such thing here. I took the bar of soap, sitting on the shelf, clearly used for multiple scrubs, and scrubbed the way I've been taught to find out that it's not the way they do it here, but it was sufficient. You also have to use the other hand to wash off the soap, so that was different, and the nurse has to turn the water off for you. I had to pick up my own towel, which was fine, but I'm not sure they knew what I was doing as I flipped it from one side to the other to dry each individual hand. Also, they pile your materials in a different order so that caused a bit of a disruption as I tried to figure that out. You also do this all yourself, so I'm doing the best I can, considering I've never done this without the scrub tech watching me like a hawk. I double-gloved in the same size (after having to defend the fact that I'm a 6 1/2 glove, no one EVER believes me about that, the world over!). No latex free, so here's to hoping the allergy doesn't get out of hand before these two weeks are over. The gowns are cloth and reused. No face shields, or eye protection offered at all.

And later, one of the surgeons was observing a cholecystectomy and his mask just fell off his nose and then off his mouth and no one bothered to correct him. Having your mask on in the OR is a rather flexible concept here...

The surgeries themselves are the same, so no need to bore you on the inguinal hernia repair.

I made a friend afterwards of a Jamaican medical student, so things should go smoothly. But apparently in Jamaica, I should just go into any OR and observe; I shouldn't introduce myself or expect to be introduced to anyone. Also, the school system and intern/residency is completely different here...so are start times and hours worked. I finished at 1:30 today.

I spent some time chatting with the attendings about the differences in the American medical system and the Jamaican, and I can get into the later because it was a fascinating discussion.

It's a bit dispiriting actually, to think about in toto.

Regardless, I headed out to the PA office and got to meet another American, a Canadian, and another Scandinavian, before we all headed out to meet the rest of the PA volunteers and have the PA Olympics--two teams of volunteers and one of staff. Our team was valiantly defeated, as all females and one male might have a tendency to do in sporting events. We did well in tug of war, thanks to a bit of physics theory that I can spout as how to how to win (I also did not participate in the three legged race, but it's good to know that adults have figured out what children haven't). And Jamaicans will always win sprinting events. Always.

More sunburned today, even with judicious sunscreen application. Actually, I have a red neck--interesting that I had to come to Jamaica to get the red neck for which West Virginians are known.

Off to the hospital early tomorrow--7:30. It's a very early start here!

day one

in case anyone was wondering, it's 86 degrees and feels like 96. glorious. and i'm sunburned. note to self: ALWAYS put sunscreen on in the morning.

I made it here safely, though the journey was not without its own difficulties. but this view out my front window is worth it:

I may not have said that when I got up at 3:30 yesterday morning; it wasn't like I had really slept well the night before, thinking about had I forgotten to pack anything (most definitely no!). It took about two minutes to check in and check my bag! I told Mom she better not forget to pick me up in April, and that was that (anything more and either one of us would probably have started crying). In security, I was randomized into the check your hands for explosives line (!) but the nice thing about that line is that you don't have to take your shoes off, put your toiletries in the bin, etc. So that was beneficial since I don't always wear socks (I've had to walk barefoot through the airport before and that just grosses me out).

The most ridiculous thing was that this was for a flight to Dulles. It's handy to go through Richmond because of the abovementioned quickness, but the ascension and immediate descent in Washington was silly. I think it was 39 minutes total. 

There was a problem in Dulles though--a connecting flight from Chicago with 30 people on the flight to Montego Bay was delayed, so they delayed our flight. The plane was there though, so we loaded and got out only an hour and a half late. I ended up next to a pair of honeymooners, and we chatted as we got closer to Jamaica, so that was nice.

The views flying over the Caribbean are unbelievable. Suddenly it's turquoise, not blue. And the little islands! They pop up, little spits of sandy shapes. The underwater ones are absolutely the most beautiful though--you know how sand dunes get when the wind's been blowing, partially golden and then partially black where the wind's been? The underwater islands are like that, except aqua instead of golden.

Immigration...mmmmm, herding cattle. The couple behind me joked that it was 27 degrees when they left Milwaukee, and 27 degrees arriving in Jamaica--a play on the difference between Fahrenheit and Celsius.  I talked with them a little, and it was super cool--they had been talking about Doctors Without Borders, and the conversation came around later to the fact that I was doing something similar and they thanked me! It was different. Cool. Like I was a military member offering service to country, except I'm not as awesome as the soldiers.

I got through after awhile, but hundreds of sweaty bodies have a distinct smell, particularly when it's not sticky hot but just hot. Cell phone use was strictly forbidden, which lends its own distinction to a crowd. It was nice. 

I had a driver from Projects Abroad waiting--he shook my finger, which was cute--I had my passport in one hand and was pulling my suitcase in the other. There were two other Americans being picked up too, so we all trudged out to the car in the heat. Jamaicans drive on the other side of the road, and the driver's side is not where we all assumed, as we piled into the car--the girl in the front did a stop and start when she started towards the car.

It's a 2 and a half hour drive through the mountains to Mandeville, in the center of the country. Mountainous like West Virginia, but imagine--no guardrails, no signage to guide you that you're approaching a switchback, and potholes in washed out roads. Also, no giving room to pedestrians or cyclists. It was like riding the Knight Bus from Harry Potter. My hair was blowing everywhere since there's no a/c, and I felt like a bobblehead. Lots of eyes closed moments as we approached pedestrians or other cars with not enough room (although there was always enough room!). The irony of all this was that leaving Montego Bay airport, there's a sign with the number of traffic fatalities over the last few years...with their driving style, I am absolutely shocked there aren't more! 

But we made it. We also drove through the Bamboo Avenue, which I couldn't get a picture, but it's a broad highway with bamboo trees the size of Redwoods on either side of the road, and they grow over the road and make an archway over it. Fabulous.

Also spotted along the route--Mormons. Recognizable the world over. Enjoy your mission in Jamaica, elders!

I made it here, and my host family is very nice. Ingrid, my host mom, showed me around, and I met Earl, the host dad, this morning. His accent is much stronger than hers, but we'll get along well. I have my own bedroom, for now, and bathroom too. There's another American coming next week, so I'll have a roommate soon enough.

I passed out asleep not long after getting here and unpacking, because between it all, I was exhausted. I also lost an hour--they don't have daylight savings here.

Would you have all laughed to know I woke up to the sound of rain? Sunny, sunny Jamaica! Also, a rooster. A ROOSTER.

8 am, got picked up and taken on a taxi to the Projects Abroad office. The thing about Jamaican taxis is that they're called "route taxis" and they follow a specific route, so you can pick them up at a specified place around your house and go to the town center, and vice versa. But since fares and whatnot are set (and no tipping!), they cram as many people in them as possible. As in four grown adults in the backseat of a Toyota sedan. I was luckily the first one in, and I managed okay by shifting my shoulders and hips as best I could when the others got in. The taxi driver quipped "Welcome to Jamaica" when we expressed concern over getting a fourth adult in the backseat.

We made it, got a tour through the town center, walking around and pointing out landmarks. Changed some money--$100 USD gave me $10,500 Jamaican. It's baffling to do the conversions. A taxi ride costs $100JD. Approximately $1USD. 

Made it to the PA office, where we took pictures and got debriefed.

This is me and Helena, a journalism volunteer from Sweden. Just finished walking across town, so forgive some of the flushing. I soon got taken to the hospital, where the PA staff member walking with me and I got sent to the matron's office, because they thought I was a nursing student. Meanwhile, I was shocked to walk in the "emergency" entrance, which clearly wasn't like any ER I've been in. It was a vestibule of sorts, and filled with people with casts, in wheelchairs, on crutches, and even one man on a gurney. Absolutely filled with sick, poor people. It was rather heartbreaking, an exquisite reminder of the developing country I was in. We eventually got sent along to the right person, and I'm starting tomorrow. Scrubs and white coat, which I am apparently quite safe to walk through town in (though I probably won't wear the white coat until I get in). I was already hit on multiple times; as a white person, you stand out exactly for what you are--not Jamaican. But there's apparently a bunch of American medical students who started recently, so I'll make some friends.

Speaking of making friends, apparently the PA volunteers from all over Mandeville spend their afternoons, after finishing work, at the "food court." I was confused a little by this term, but it made more sense this afternoon when we ate lunch there. It's an open air mall, with a similar type of mall food court like you'd see in America. Not American food...I had saltfish and ackee, and I was not a fan of the ackee. Also, boiled bananas and boiled potatoes, which don't taste nearly the way they do in America (maybe it's because we don't boil bananas in America?). Also, fried and boiled dumplings. Those were good. Something made me nauseous, but I'm kinda hoping it was the ackee, since I don't plan on eating any more of that.

But so the plan is to head to the food court in the afternoon and make friends, because that's how you travel out on the weekends--with the other volunteers. As the only hospital volunteer right now, I was a little concerned, but we'll figure it out. Regardless, tomorrow is volunteer vs staff Olympics, so I'll meet more people anyway. 

 Despite the rain this morning, it has definitely cleared up. My face isn't too sunburned, since my light makeup has SPF in it, but my arms are. I may end up looking odd by the end of this, if I get a scrubs-based tan. On Friday, we're heading to one of the local beaches to clean it up (as a PA project, not a medicine-volunteer project), so I'll get a different kind of tan there.

Either way, the freckles on my nose are already starting to stand out.

and oh yeah, trying to explain the match to Jamaicans was impossible. I had NO cell service, so had I even wanted to turn the data on my phone on to check it, I couldn't've. I eventually ended up on a computer in the office, about three hours after the news had been released, and checked in. Matched!

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone--a nonexistent holiday here!

themes

I took this week as vacation in order to prepare for Jamaica, but it turns out I didn't have that much preparation left to do. There's been a lot to do, but I've been chipping away at it for the longest time that it didn't end up being too bad this week.

It seems that more than anything, I've been listening to music this week. The things I am doing keep triggering songs in  my head--I got my hair cut and my nails done, so Destiny's Child's "Jumpin' Jumpin'" was stuck in my head.

I went downstairs to pack my suitcase. See...there was this mess.

 I had been carrying things downstairs and throwing them in my suitcase. Or thinking, "oh, this might be good to take" and tossing it in there. Our dining room is empty right now, so it got to be where my giant suitcase was stored. The cats would investigate new scents as things kept piling up...up...and up. So I finally got myself together, put my iPod on and began to pack. It made me laugh to be packing to Michael Buble's "Come Fly With Me."

This is much more manageable right? I shouldn't tell you how long it took. Also, my mom pointed out that everything I brought down was blue...so I had to start from scratch. The scrubs have to be blue or green, but not everything else! It was a big attempt of trying to find clothes that are multipurpose--dress up, dress down, beach ready, etc, and enough for six weeks. Luckily, the temperature in Jamaica isn't too variable--lows in the 70s, highs in the 80s.

How many people in the US are snowed in right now? :)

The other thing was that I got an email from the Projects Abroad people saying that on April 1st they're having an International Day type festival, so if I could bring flags, pictures/postcards, snacks, small musical instruments, or ethnic dress, that would be great. Okay, it's a great idea, I wholeheartedly agree with that. But oh my, do I have to represent the ENTIRE US?! Hopefully there will be other people from the US there. That's why you can see there US flags and the Christmas lights (which are not actually Christmas lights--they're red, white, and blue!) tucked in my suitcase, raided from the outdoor Fourth of July decorations. Also, the Phillies cap--multipurpose in good for the beach and as a sun visor, as well as representing the great sport of baseball. Other than that, I go armed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's cd of "The Spirit of America" (also awesome that it's the MoTab too-- very American!) and my history degree from the venerable historical institution of The College of William and Mary. Plus I'm from Virginia, so I can ramble on about American history quite well...Jamestown to Richmond in the Civil War...etc.

Can I take my piano? Does that count as a "small musical instrument"? :)

So in addition to the other songs in my head, I've been listening to the Star Spangled Banner et al, as I cull through my photos of trips to various landmarks--Times Square, Hollywood, the Capitol.

Other than that, I'm making my list and checking it twice. Counting out my meds to make sure I have enough (I do), checking for the spare contacts and making sure I have my glasse...making note to ask how safe the tap water is. I'm down mostly to deciding what books to take, and downloading free ones from Project Gutenberg onto my nook. Preparing for London as I add Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Much Ado About Nothing...

Listening to music, going over my list, and coming to a fairly zen-like state considering it all. As long as I have the essentials, it'll all be okay. I'm really not nervous--Saturday I may be, but not today.

Another song deserves mention because I've been listening to it over and over since I first heard in a few weeks ago. Kristin Chenoweth has done some solo albums, and I finally got to hear them after all those times I listened to Wicked. It's called "I Was Here" and I think the chorus really personifies the answer to why I'm going to Jamaica, why I was originally planning to go to South Africa.

"I wanna do something that matters

Say something different

Something that sets the whole world on its ear

I wanna do something better

With the time I was given

I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life

Leave nothing less than something that says

I was here."

We have been given so much, growing up in America, the land of opportunity. I've known from when I first got into medical school that I wanted to go abroad--I wanted to see what medical care and the culture was like elsewhere. The original plan, considering my love for infectious diseases, was to go to the forefront of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. That became impossible due to circumstances beyond my control, and instead I get to go to Jamaica. I'll spent two weeks each in surgery, OB/GYN, and general medicine. 

I have no idea what it's going to be like, but I always want people to know--the patients have the power to affect me just as much as I do them. So like Kristin sings-- "I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life." I want the experience, I want to see it firsthand, I want my horizons broadened and my perspectives altered...

Next time I posted, it'll be from Jamaica! I leave Sunday, very early to arrive noon-ish in Montego Bay, and then it'll be about a three hour drive to Mandeville. Sunday will be a long day, but I'll gain an hour somewhere along the way--no daylight savings! So much for trying to adjust this week...

And my suitcase currently weighs 51 pounds. Will they forgive me the one pound, do you think? :)

Trip preparations

I think international travel is testing even my OCD organizational skills.

There's Jamaica (via Projects Abroad, or PA if I abbreviate it) from March 16-April 26th. That's six weeks in a medical clinic, finishing up my fourth year electives and actually, the end of my fourth year curriculum and as such--medical school overall! When I come back from Jamaica, I'll be done with school!

I'll be in the US for three days before jetting off to the UK on the evening of April 30th--arriving in London on the morning of May 1. I'll be returning from London on May 15 after touring London and Scotland.

So in total, it's two months. Six weeks in Jamaica and two weeks in the UK, or March 16-May 15. Leaving the country for two months is a bit challenging.

There's little things like packing. It's not too bad on the clothes front because the very disparate climates. I can theoretically pack my suitcase for the UK before I depart for Jamaica, because there will be very little overlap (plus I probably have enough clothes regardless). There are a few necessities that will switch suitcases, but that's small things.

There's things that you have to think about--the electrical converters, for one. I don't need it for Jamaica, but I do for the UK. How extensive of a first aid kit/medicines do I need to take. It's obviously more comprehensive for being gone for six weeks--my mom even came up with some ankle braces for Jamaica "because I know you," she told me. I probably am more likely to need them in London, for the walking, but who knows.

Or the money--I'll convert US dollars to Jamaican dollars in Jamaica, because our dollar is stronger than theirs, it'll be a favorable rate. Versus the pound is stronger than the dollar, it'll likely be more favorable to switch that currency here. Plus I don't want to waste precious time in London to wait to convert my money over. There's also the little fact to find out if your credit card company charges international fees; mine doesn't, but that took a few minutes of research to find out and an email to track down the real information. I also went into my bank to find out that there's the usual ATM fees if I use one internationally, plus a change of currency fee at the ATM. I can only imagine how high that one is.

Cell phone use is another--we tend to think of everything as "free," with our limitless plans. I remember the days of having limits, and this is vaguely reminiscent. There's a fee per minute of telephone use ($1.99!), text sent or received ($0.50 per!) and also data usage (per KB). So needless, I'll have it for emergencies but not use it--so don't text or call me!

As such, it was a blessing to find out that my host family in Jamaica has internet! (And a washing machine! Living the high life! But really, this is awesome.) So hopefully I'll be able to stay in touch via emails and blogging.

There's also figuring out the itinerary--not so worrisome for Jamaica, because I'll be in the clinic. There'll be weekend outings, but things will be a little more free flowing. In London, there's a plan of attack to conquer the city as best I can and see as many things as I can. Same goes for the trip north to Scotland--and what can I see in Northern England on my way there? I have spent countless hours working out these things, plus operating hours, train schedules, etc to see if it's possible to do what I want. So far, so good. :)

Plus there's things here to not forget--I had to get the oil changed on my car, and we have to figure out what to do to keep the battery from dying while I'm gone for two months. My mom doesn't drive a manual, so I have to see if one of my siblings can maybe drive it around a bit.

Also, hair cuts. I need one. I want to get a pedicure before I head to the Caribbean (this makes complete sense to me!). There's also the logistics of the fact that the match is happening the first week I'm in Jamaica, so I'll find out where I'm doing my residency while I'm gone. I have to be set to find housing when I come back from the UK--I have a brief period of time before graduation (May 31) and starting residency--more information will come after I match. I had to make sure I had my taxes and financial aid stuff done--taxes are due in April while I'm gone, and financial aid stuff had to be done by May 15--the day I'll be flying back from London. Also, stuff for graduation has to be done by May 15.

See how this is taxing my organizational skills? It's getting there though. I have one week left on rotation here at home (medical examiner's office--tons of fun, not how it looks on tv!) and then I'm taking a week of vacation to get everything sorted before taking off.

Keep this bookmarked--this will be where I do my most frequent updates. I'm also a big picture taker, so hopefully plenty of pictures will get to make all of you jealous--Spring can't come fast enough for so many of us in the US!

cooking without recipes

There's little things, like adding chocolate chips to the pancake mix. That's just a matter of how many chocolate chips you want per pancake (a lot, if you're me). Or dried fruit or whatever else you want.

I have a banana about to go bad--toss it into a pan with a little butter and brown sugar, allspice, maybe some nutmeg (or cinnamon if you're not allergic like me!), cook it until it's soft.

It is so easy in this day and age of pinterest and other recipe repositories to find something that may strike an idea. But it's not always the same thing as what you're going for--but you should be able to go off script for a bit. How many great things come from ad libbing?

I was rooting through the freezer the other day, bypassing all the meat my mom has stocked up (and considering the concerns for losing power last week, I can only imagine how much meat would have gone bad!) and found a package of dumplings. It looked like something Mom had found, was allergen free, and was thus purchase and somehow migrated to the back of the freezer. I had no desire for dumplings, so I continue rooting around.

We also had some sweet potatoes my mom had been begging me to finish off before they went bad. I wasn't in the mood for potatoes.

But I was watching the USA/Russia hockey game on Saturday and idly searching pinterest for some new recipe before I went to the store. I didn't see anything in particular, but I did see a recipe for ravioli. Mmmm, ravioli. Did you know that most ravioli have eggs in them? If not in the dough, often in the ricotta mixture as a binder. Or the other ravioli have meat. Regardless, I haven't had ravioli in forever.

I did have these dumplings...and sweet potatoes...So I cobbled together some mashed sweet potatoes and allspice, folded into dumplings, and boiled until tender. They weren't fabulous because I didn't do a great job pinching them shut due to the precut shape of the dumplings, but it's a start. The dumpling texture is surprisingly like pie crust, so is there any particular reason I should try something similar with piecrust dough?

Now I know that my allergies are the mother of all inventions. I have tried all sorts of ridiculous food combinations and replacements--tonight was crushed crackers (verified safe) in place of breadcrumbs...that one works. But you know when you're standing in your fridge, just looking in, trying to find something? I'm SURE there is something good you can try. You just have to think about it. I challenge you to try it next time you're looking for something to eat and can't find anything...I bet there's something there!

That's how my delicious lentil soup came into being...I wasn't sure what I was doing, but I tossed a bay leaf in and that made all the difference.

And I never have to worry about the banana going bad after I tried that trick with the butter, brown sugar and nutmeg. In a pinch, I just roast it with a little brown sugar. Done. Sweet and nutritious...maybe ;)

As a side note, this is the last food related blog I can imagine having the time to sit down and write before I take off for two months out of the country. I don't leave until mid-March, but it is time consuming to settle everything here and pack up for six weeks in Jamaica. Then I'm going for two weeks of vacation in the UK--mainly London, but also venturing north to Scotland. That has to be planned myself, so that's been rather challenging to put together. So needless to say, commentary on food will be turning over to the travel related.

At the very least, there will be more pictures. :)

pillsbury seamless dough sheets

Happy Groundhog Day everyone! It's supposed to be in the mid-sixties here today, so I'm really doubting the whole six more weeks of winter prediction, but who knows. :) I also started off my day with chocolate chip pancakes, so all is well in my world.

So I remember the days pre-allergy when I would blithely troop around the grocery store and generally buy the same things for the same meals. Occasionally I would venture forth and buy something new or interesting, but I'd settled into specific habits. As, I've reason to believe, most people shop. By necessity, I now have two methods of grocery shopping: the in and out, refuse to look at anything because I can't eat it, or the leisurely scouring of shelves looking for new things to try. Thus the mango lemonade that I had with my chocolate chip pancakes today.

I've encountered that few people have exploring the Pillsbury dough section. You know, the ones that come in tubes and you get to pop them open. First off, I love them because they have no yeast in them! I can easily come home and have biscuits--wheat, corn, honey butter (which is awesome), and the new blueberry ones (although I don't eat those because I can't have blueberries, but they're still new!). That's in addition to the classic homestyle and buttermilk ones. That's a fabulous selection right there, and let's not forget their utility in making casseroles and whatnot.

Pillsbury has also branched out in the cinnamon rolls land, and recently added some orange rolls for breakfast and I think another one but I don't remember those because I can't eat them. They also have tubs of gluten free dough to use. This is an oft-ignored section in the store and it's so useful I can't imagine why everyone is ignoring it (although, this is the most frequent part of the store where men hit on me...)

The whole point of this is there is a somewhat new creation which is the seamless dough sheet. It's basically the croissant dough without the seams to separate them and roll into croissants. The utility is endless!

First off, they make hot pockets with whatever entity you want inside. For example, I spread ranch dressing on it, sprinkle cheese and fake bacon liberally on it, roll it up, cut it in half, and cook for 20 minutes or so at 350. Easy and delicious.

It also works for desserts. While I don't recommend using actually fruits like cherry, you could pick up some pie filling or even just preserves, slice them into pinwheels, cook for maybe 12 minutes at 350 and then glaze them. Voila, appetizers for your parties!

I'm sure I could come up with a lot of other uses for these, but you get the idea. In an era where we could all benefit from more home cooked meals that are healthier for us, don't forget the utility of the Pillsbury doughs.

Also, there are frequently Kroger coupons for them. Another advantage. :)

allergist

So I've been meaning to update recently, but have been distracted by real life stuff. What is it about life interrupting? ;)

The reason I wanted to update at first was because it was my two year anniversary of my diagnosis. It's around the New Year, so it's a handy thing to remember and mark. It's like the ultimate New Year's Resolution--a complete and utter change to the way you eat. And the way that I look at food.

It's completely true to say things that way too--I've basically become a foodie without really meaning to. I can talk food with real foodies--I spent the morning discussing gastropubs and the latest fads in food (does everything need to be garnished with bacon? I like it, but still! You take vegetarian dishes and un-vegetarianize them!)

It's also a mark for me this year of some big things. First off, a bit of de-vegetarianizing for me (yes, i made that word up and then proceeded to use it twice). I absolutely cannot have beef or chicken, but I'm anticipating some travel here--you may have seen that in the last post! Six weeks in Jamaica and twoish weeks after that in the UK. It greatly opens up possibilities to eat things like sausage and bacon. Also, in Jamaica--goat. It has to be a gradual process because my body no longer produces those enzymes and will have to relearn them. When I've eaten meat, it sits in my stomach--the enzymes aren't there to digest it. So a gradual readdition of some meat to my diet. It'll be temporary because when I'm back in the US, things are a little easier.

The other reason why I had held off posting with the New Year is because I knew I was going to see my allergist today. I didn't know what the outcome was but it is so interesting to talk to another physician on the same level, despite being a patient. He tried to convince me to go into allergy and I will not deny that I find it fascinating (for rather obvious reasons) but we did get down to brass tacks after a bit.

It breaks down to the fact that I was (apparently--and maybe that should be am, in the present tense) a genetic time bomb--my allergies were there and just needed enough exposure to be a problem. It's very common in women in their early twenties, apparently. It's also very much a matter of cross reactivity--I'd had so many seasons of doing fine, but then as another spring and fall passed, things started getting worse. Thus the time bomb analogy. It's also why they've been getting worse recently--more seasons have passed.

It was an interesting thought and it leads to some more interesting things to ponder. Which I will get to.

It was also funny to put more of the puzzle together--I knew that I couldn't eat beef or chicken and was told it was because of the moldy grains that they eat. It's also the reason why I can't eat a good number of grains myself--the molds. However, if you think that through, chickens eat corn. I'm not allergic to corn and it is, in fact a major staple of my diet. I am allergic to the grass smut that grows on the corn. Ta da! Answer for that. Also, allergy to chicken means allergy to eggs.

Mostly I'm allergic to summer grasses and fall weeds, with a healthy addition of molds to cover everything else. It's all cross-reactivity, which is the hot new topic in allergy research.

The good news is that there are ways to band-aid cover my allergies and worsening food reactions for now. Key being 'for now.' The ultimate end to all of this is desensitization or allergy shots, in the common vernacular. Which I have to say I saw coming and was in denial. Maybe not so much denial but in the can't wrap my head around the logistics of that right now so I'm ignoring it. The other thing about all of this is that because I've passed two years since my allergy testing, and the eight seasons that go along with that, I have to be retested before doing desensitization, to make sure it's done properly.

So there was both good and bad news, but I ultimately so enjoyed the conversation with my allergist and the frankness of the way that we can talk physician to physician, it's all good for now. Plus I flat out told him--I can't do desensitization right now. There are so many reasons starting with insurance and ending with I don't have time now. It would be of great benefit to be able to freely eat as I travel, but desensitization is a years long process so there's no benefit to starting before I go anywhere this spring. Plus there's other things going on in the next few months that mean desensitization is far from my mind.

In the meantime, adding some new medications and trying to patch things through here for a bit.