Christine, Horrible Warning

I get more emails than I do comments on the blog, I think the comment blocksmay look too small for what most folks with a corn allergy have to say. Ifyou've gotten tired of telling your partners and friends about how thisallergy is taking over your life, you can always comment here or send and email to cornallergy at gmail (dot) com. It is bit of a relief to talk tosomeone that already gets it, for me too. It may take me a few days to respond, the one thing I can guarantee is that you have both my sympathy and my empathy. It's okay to vent or whine a bit, we all do it and I've said more than my fare share of "How the [string of creative expletives deleted]
did they get corn in that!"

I've been having a really interesting conversation with SushiQ (yes, you canchoose your own blog name) who was just diagnosed a few months ago and ismaking great progress in changing her diet to cut out hidden corn, even taking her own food to events (and having people steal it off her plate since her food is better than what is being served!). With her permission, I bring you some of our conversation:

Christine,
...You are in the back of my mind as my "horrible warning" when I eat. (that
doesn't sound right, but you know what I mean) You have really helped me get
a better understanding of what a corn allergy means. For you it is a
disability. I am truly hoping that I can maintain my life as-is. When I
fall off the wagon my reactions have been...not life-threatening. I do
think of you when I do it...makes me feel not so alone.

-s

SushiQ,

I had to laugh when I read about being the horrible warning; one of these
days I'll be a good example. Ha! I think the horrible warning is much more
effective.

Years before a food allergy was ever suspected I started to think I had
problems with sugar because whenever I had something sugary, like cake or
soda I'd start to feel flushed and ill. Sugar in my tea wasn't a problem but
most sweet foods were making me sick; I now know that I was reacting to all
the processed corn syrups. This was just after I had returned from several
years in Asia where I was not getting a lot of corn sweetened foods or
general corn in my diet. So, that was the point where a diagnosis (perhaps)
could have stopped me from getting to my current point of super caution with
food.

Easy to see in hindsight, but I was in grad school and far too consumed with
studying to pursue it other than to avoid foods that were making me really
sick. I didn't figure it out and eventually got to busy to pay attention to
what was going on with my health; work, work and more work. I escaped the
American food system 2 more times with work in India and Nepal and now that
I think about it I noticed problems with food at home after being out of the
country for few months. Taking that break from corn was enough to make me
aware that I didn't feel right after eating a lot of processed foods. But I
never made the connection with a real food allergy till I had my first
anaphylactic reaction. After that, I started to become the horrible warning.

If it helps you move through the learning curve for avoiding corn faster
than I did (it took me YEARS) or makes you think twice before eating
something iffy, then being the horrible warning is well worth it. You are
not alone, there are more and more of us diagnosed with some level of corn
allergy or intolerance every week. Don't be like Christine isn't much of a
slogan, but I do hope the idea that no matter how severe your reactions
are this allergy is manageable, comes through on the blog.

We're in this together and I'm on your team!

-c

It seem to me, SushiQ and all the rest of the corn allergy people, that there are more of us every day and we certainly are on the same team. I'm still hoping to have one of those perfect moments at a function where I am standing around with a glass of mineral water while everyone else is eating and drinking. I can see it perfectly -- I look across the room...there is someone else with just a glass of mineral water... and an allergy bracelet...our eyes meet...across the crowded
room...we say in unison "CORN ALLERGY!" The ensuing hysterical laugher may disturb the rest of the guests, but I plan to introduce myself as "Christine, Horrible Warning."