Cats, Bees, and Sulfur! Oh My!

Add another allergy to my list. This time it’s to sulfur, or at least sulfa antibiotics.

Finding out I’m allergic to sulfur/sulfa was just as much fun as finding out I’m allergic to cats and bees. All three times, I found out by having dramatic reactions.

OK, discovering the dust mite allergy was no picnic, too. But, the reaction wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity of life threatening.

Why do some of us have allergies and others don’t? Why are some serious and others not? I have no idea.

The cat allergy hampers my life the most, and the dust mite one is the most annoying.

I can never go to someone’s home that has a cat. I miss out on parties and get-togethers, can’t visit certain friends and relatives, and sometimes can’t pay shiva calls (visit mourners’ homes).

I’m not sure why, but it seems that a lot of people have cats these days. I tried desensitization, but the cat allergy is so severe that I would need an indefinite amount of time to continue treatment without any guarantee of success. For nine months, I received weekly shots and almost always had allergic reactions during the treatment without making any progress. I gave up . . . at least for now.

Relatives, friends, and camp counselors were more afraid of my allergy to bees than me. After the first reaction, during a hike at sleep-away camp, a doctor told me these calming words, “Don’t worry. Do what you need to do, and if you’re not dead within the first two minutes, then you’ll be fine.” Sure, you may think this was a little bizarre to tell an 8-year old, but it worked.

Now, I can add sulfur/sulfa to my list. What a painful, ugly way to find out that one’s allergic to something. Swollen, burning lips. Burning eyes. Shortness of breath. Coughing. Wheezing. Aches. Fever. Chills. Rash. Blotches. Lightheadedness. Muscle pain and weakness. You name it; I had it.

For those who know me, it’ll come as no surprise that I always read the pharmacy instructions and precautions with every prescription. It doesn’t matter if I’ve already had that particular medication or how mundane the situation. I read every word on those slips. During the time I was on the medication, I was able to decipher between common side effects and serious reactions that required medical attention.

Don’t get me wrong, I also owe a great deal of thanks to my mom, my boss, and some good friends and colleagues for pushing me to get urgent care. Thank you all!

And, what’s another allergy at this point? At least it’s not to ice cream, cheesecake, bread, steak, or potatoes.

I’m adding this to the strange chapter of health-related concerns of 2009, which I hope to close and never revisit. I’m fortunate each incident ended well, but I’m looking forward to a healthier, uneventful 2010.