Category: Just me being me

Quick recap: I’ve been diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE), a chronic immune system disease where certain foods can cause your esophagus to become inflamed. Back in June, I had a bad flare (you can read about it here) and connected the dots to determine that gluten was the/a culprit. I went low gluten, but that didn’t 100% solve my issues. So, I went to an allergist (back in November) who scheduled me for a food allergy prick test at the end of the year.

Ok, all caught up!

So, in mid-December I was so excited to go into that appointment and finally get some answers to what was making me sick. I was 98% certain that gluten would cause a reaction, but I thought maybe there might be something else too that I had been overlooking.

The allergist had already determined that I don’t have a “food allergy” in that I won’t need an epi pen, but I most likely have food intolerances. By doing the allergy prick test, they poke you with tiny amounts of various allergens and if your body releases histamines you’ll get an itchy reaction bump. If a food causes the bump, you have an intolerance and you may want to reduce or avoid it in the future. So, by the end of the appointment, I would FINALLY have some answers.

So, I whipped my top off, laid down on the table and let them scratch me with all the stabby things.

Here’s all the foods they tested me for:

And here’s my “I’m trying not to complain about the itchiness” face:

Finally, I got my results. And I reacted to:

• Soy
• Sesame
• Hazelnut
• Lamb
• Pork
• Cherry
• Carrot

All were ‘mild’ reactions. And ALL were not things I’ve ever noticed having a reaction to in the past. But the most WTF of it all… is that I didn’t react AT ALL to gluten.

I feel like there should be a word for happy-disappointed-mad. Maybe something in German?

I mean, it’s great that I’m not allergic to gluten or intolerant to gluten from an allergy perspective. BUT, I know for a fact if I eat gluten after 2pm-ish, I will wake up between 12pm – 1am and vomit.

The allergist recommended I return to the GI doctor for another upper GI scope, but that was pretty darn expensive last time and didn’t really give me any great clarity. So, I’m going to pass for now.

But here’s what I do know:

• I do not have Celiacs Disease
• I do not have a food allergy
• I do have some mild food intolerances
• If I eat gluten after 2pm, I get sick

And I’m done. I’m done searching for answers, when honestly it doesn’t really matter WHAT the answer is. What it really comes down to is that it appears that I can control the EOE flare and vomiting 90% of the time if I avoid gluten after lunch. So that’s what I’ve started doing. I’ll eat the occasional gluten at breakfast or lunch and then do no gluten for the rest of the day. I’ve been doing this for a few months now and have only vomited once, so I’m planning to stick with it.

And as frustrating as it is not to have the answers I was craving, as long as I can keep this issue mostly under control… well, that will need to be enough for me.

Way, way back… in 2018, I did a pinup photo shoot. You can read all about it here: Feeling Like a Rockstar: My Pinup Photo Shoot. I followed the photographer on Instagram and Facebook, so every so often when she posts about a new set offer, I’m intrigued.

On a related/unrelated note, Taylor Swift launched Life of a Showgirl with some absolutely fabulous imagery. Like every single photo she dropped was perfection. In addition to giving us all an album of absolute bops, she was SERVING as the kids say.

So, when I saw that Atomic Cheesecake Studios had a set that was showgirl adjacent, AND she happened to have an open slot on my birthday, I decided it was time for me to get caked in makeup, stick on some false lashes, and have my own *Showgirl* moment.

Here are some of my favorite images from the shoot:

Are there a few things I wished I could change just a smidge… sure. However, when someone else is in charge of your look and the photos, you have to give up control. All in all, it was a fun way to spend the morning of my birthday and it was very fun to have a bit of my own Showgirl Era.

If you’ve been following along with my food drama, you know I’ve been dealing with some sort of mystery food issue. For months, I’ve suspected that an undiagnosed food allergy is tied to my EoE because every so often my body decides to freak out after I eat something. And sometimes not freak out when I eat that same thing. So, it’s super fun.

Anyways, I finally got an appointment with an allergy doctor and I was SO EXCITED because I would finally get some answers! And then… we talked.

That’s it. We just basically rehashed everything I had already put in my intake forms. Sigh. No magic wand. No diagnosis moment where someone kicks the door down yelling “IT WAS THE GLUTEN ALL ALONG!” Nothing.

Anyways, the allergy doctor doesn’t think it’s a food allergy (which means no EpiPen needed). However, she does think it is a food intolerance.

It could be gluten or a combination of foods. She said that we can narrow down the culprit with a food allergy prick test. Basically, they poke you with tiny amounts of various allergens. If your body releases histamines, you’ll get an itchy reaction bump and you’ll know which specific food(s) triggered the reaction.

I had it done long, long ago on my arm for non-food allergies back when I was in college (I’m super allergic to cats and pollen). It’s uncomfortable, but you get instant gratification, and I’ll know EXACTLY what foods are causing reactions by the end of the appointment so I can avoid them.

So, obviously I was like, HELL YEAH, lets stab me with pokey things!

And then she told me the next available appointment was in January.

UGH.

But I put myself on the waiting list and thankfully got moved up to an appointment in December. So… yay. Kind of. I mean, I still get to spend another month not knowing what’s actually triggering me. Which also means I get to go into Thanksgiving avoiding the delicious lineup of stuffing, rolls, cookies, and pie.

I mean, I could eat the stuffing. But I don’t know what the exact magical amount is that my body will tolerate, and what amount will have me up at midnight vomiting. Will I chance it? Probably.

So anyway, that’s the update. The silver lining is that I should finally have answers next month!