Yesterday was a very full day as I helped out in a food pantry garden during a green festival celebration. Lots of vendors selling organic honey, organic soaps, rain barrels, solar panels, electric cars, you name it! Our table and garden made contact with over 200 adults and children in a five hour period, so I was pretty tired at the end of the day. We joined a friend and her family to celebrate a birthday that evening, and I am sure I was less than coherent throughout the meal, even with only two glasses of wine and a gallon of water.
This was the endcap to an exhausting week of hubby getting a medical diagnosis regarding a new diet and changes to what we eat. I had warned him about not being more cautious in his outdoor activities, but he seemed to just brag about his adventures.
He has been diagnosed with the "alpha-gal allergy". (It has nothing to do with any females he knows!) This is an allergy one gets to mammalian meat after a lone star tick bite. He had been having esophageal inflammation which they automatically said was acid reflux, and then they said it was probably due to the antibiotics he was on due to a mild infection he got from a tick bite, and now, after blood tests, they have diagnosed this meat allergy. There are various levels of an allergic reaction to mammalian meat products depending on your blood numbers. Some can eat dairy products without issues and others can go into anaphylactic shock and into the hospital. It is recommended that you carry an epi-pen in case.
We had heard about such an allergy and know a few friends that have it in this area, but it seems to be increasing its span. It has been misdiagnosed in the past (unless they run the blood test) probably due to the allergic reaction not happening until 5 to 6 hours after the food intake. Therefore, some people may have it and because it is a mild reaction, they did not know. Now of course, they are tracking it more carefully with this blood test.
Currently, his numbers are on the low side, but we meet with the allergist next week. I have so many questions. Wondering if he can eat chicken on a BBQ that also has also cooked steak, wondering if he can eat cheese on pizza, wondering if he can eat ice cream!!
Wondering if I have to give up eating lamb!
Oh my! I didn't know this could happen from a tick bite. I hope you find he can at least have ice cream, for heaven's sake. :-)
ReplyDeletethat's a pretty serious food allergy. and how bizarre, an allergy to mammalian meat from a tick bite. gonna get awfully tired of chicken and turkey.
ReplyDeleteAt least there is seafood.
DeleteYou have my heart felt sympathy. That's really a major change for both of you. Hope the change goes smoothly and he's well.
DeleteWow. I never heard of such a thing :(
ReplyDeleteMy sister i law has had this allergy for a few years now. Last summer she wondered if perhaps it had resolved itself and tried some steak at a cookout. No, it doesn't go away.
ReplyDeleteHave never heard of this either. Guess you can develop an allergy to almost anything. Is it possible that only certain mammalian meats might cause this reaction? Thinking about hormone treated, grass fed, etc.???
ReplyDeleteI think not as it is a reaction to a protein sugar of all things.
DeleteI read about that allergy recently. Ticks are a nuisance for sure. Hope the appointment answers all of your questions.
ReplyDeleteLamb: Use separate pans on the stove. I don't know that allergy, and I am so sorry. Please keep us posted.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's not fun. I guess we are never too old to be required to adapt to new challenges.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I've never heard of this! It's good to know though. Thank you for sharing this. I'm so sorry for all you're going through.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! Good to know. You must have very good doctors to have figured this out. I've had Lyme disease before, but no problems after the antibiotic took care of it. That was over 20 years ago from getting a tick at the Delaware beaches. The deer go on the beaches at night. Andrea
ReplyDeletePrayers. Thank you for bringing the allergy to light!
ReplyDeleteI am kind of gobsmacked as this is completely new to me. Good luck on the adjustment.
ReplyDeleteanother
ReplyDeletenever heard of this
a lot going on with this one
but guess just old fashion ailments
both of you take care
and you
rest more :)
I have never heard of a meat allergy in this country, but we don't have as many ticks, though we do have a lot of deer. Take care both of you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a thing to have happen, i hope it doesn't affect him too severely and that he doesn't have to give up eating out altogether because of possible cross contamination.
ReplyDeleteSorry about that. More and more people are developing allergies in later years. I am dairy intolerant, it took a long time to find out. Now I am completely off dairy products but, apart from cheese, which I miss, it’s not too onerous to forego them. There are enough substitutes to make up for it. I still eat meat but not as freely as before because too much red meat isn’t terribly healthy. I’d hate to be allergic to all meats though.
ReplyDeleteThis is a new allergy I’d not heard of either. Surely hope you’re able to adapt with minimal issues.
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