The Allergist - Round 1

I've been looking forward to today, another new experience in the books!  Today was the day I finally got to see an Allergist to figure out what has been causing me to break out in hives, itch like crazy, even have an anaphylactic reaction.

I have been racking my brains trying to figure out what has caused this. The doctor I saw last week told me that it was a food allergy, or something that I ingested. So, I kept a journal of everything I had been eating, and purposely avoided peanuts because those are a pretty common food allergy and a person can develop allergies at any time. Fun, huh?

Also, this has been going on for nearly a month now, so it might be something that I'm continually exposed to?

Have I eaten anything weird? No.
Change laundry detergent? No.
What if I developed a cat allergy? Poor Atti.
Mold in the bathroom? No.
Change medicines? No.
ANY way I could have accidentally ingested penicillin? No.

So today, we got some answers and narrowed it down.

The doctor came in and talked with me, first. We discussed what had been going on, and he looked at my hands (which have been consistently in hives since this started). He ordered full boards of food, environmental, animal, and 'miscellaneous' allergy tests. The assistant came back and wiped down the insides of my arms and proceeded to prick me with the various elements.

We did this twice, and pretty much instantly I was itching. The assistant left the papers on my table, so I spent the next 20 minutes trying to figure out which allergens were where on my skin, and if I was reacting to them. I was definitely reacting to SOMETHING. 

After a VERY long 20 minutes the doctor came back and evaluated me. He gave me an antihistamine cream to help with immediate relief for my arms, and we discussed how I did. 

I passed the food section with flying colors! No known food allergies and I can start eating peanut butter again! Super excited! Also, the animal section was clear. I'm not allergic to Atti! Or dogs, horses, rabbits, or goats. 

However, I didn't do so great in the molds, trees, and grasses section. The worst reactions came from the trees they tested on me. I knew going in that I was allergic to Christmas trees, but I didn't realize I was allergic to like...7 kinds of trees. I'm also allergic to grass (which we also knew) and molds. So basically, everything in the air. That explains why my seasonal allergies are so bad. 

Unfortunately, we don't know what is causing my hives. The doctor says that, knowing what I'm allergic to now, I most likely inhaled several things while at an event we went to, which was outside in a field, and where the symptoms started. 

Going forward, the doctor wants to see me again in a month, told me to take 1 Allegra/Zyrtec daily, along with Zantac, and he spent about 10 minutes talking to me about allergy shots. They will be terrible. And expensive. If I opt to do them, I will have to go get shots weekly for a year, then every two weeks for the following 2 years. (3 years of shots)

This is what my arms looked like leaving the doctors office. 

And this is what they look like 5 hours later (now)

 

The 'trees' section on my right arm is swollen and hard. You can still see every dot where they tested me.

If I am allergic to everything, does that mean I win?