Allergic to the World

The Comfort Zone

We all have a place we feel comfortable. Perhaps it is where we shop, go out to eat, buy groceries, it can be anything really. We like things a certain way, it makes us feel comfortable. There is a huge component of my disease that is environmental however, my doctor believed there was more to the story. Suspecting we were missing a trigger in our home, my mast cell specialist suggested I spend several days at my parents home to see if any of my symptoms would be better. I wanted to do everything possible to make a positive difference in my health but with such an obvious difference the environment made I was not convinced that our experiment would find too much. I love going to my parents house but I also like my house, it’s comfortable, has all my stuff there, and it’s where my hubbie and kids hang out. Since I was diagnosed with Mastocytosis in 2007 we have literally made hundreds of changes to our house and lifestyle to provide a mast cell friendly home for our family. My house is my comfort zone.

Doc Was Right Again

After four days at my parents house we found I was about 30-35% better. Although it was not the stark night and day difference I had experienced in South Padre, it was progress. I was surprised. After two hours back home, the familiar zingers in the lips and throat began to return.

The Hunt is On

At that moment the hunt began. What were the differences between my house and that of my parents? We brainstormed several things and have been working wildly to make those changes.

• Allergy mattress encasement. At my parent house I slept in my fav spot… the leather sofa. I have always found leather sofas so cozy but not too hot. In some online mast cell forums participants have mentioned they had increased symptoms when sleeping on memory foam. An encasement covering all six sides provides a barrier from the foam.
• Vacuum. We had a popular allergy vacuum but found every time it was used I needed to be out of the room to avoid sneezing. We recently got the Dyson DC41 animal control and it has been amazing! I can’t believe the great job that it does. I do not sneeze when it is being used and I can do the vacuuming myself without getting sick.
• Vents professionally cleaned. Mike and his great staff at Allergy Control have always done a great job for us. It had been 2 years since we had them out and it was well overdue. They can show before and after videos of your ductwork with a tiny video camera on wheels. We had them clean the system and also do an anti microbial fogging. The smell was pretty strong and I could not stay at the house. Off to my parents house to escape the aroma.
• Granite counter tops. What do counter tops have to do with health? I had no idea but some reports show unsealed granite emits radon and other forms of radiation. Lee sealed our counters again but the fumes proved to be too much for me. Thank The Lord for my parents house. After a day the odor was gone. I don’t know if granite really emits anything but I do know we are trying everything possible to make it better here before considering a cross country move.
• Carpet removal will take place next weekend. We looked into stained concrete but we will be replacing the original carpet with wood floors.
• The dog. Our last thing to try has to do with our dog. Chance is our 13-year-old chocolate lab. We adopted him shortly after moving to Oklahoma. Although I did test for positive for allergies to dogs, my allergist said he was more of a danger from the grass, pollen and outside allergens that he brings in on his coat than to him. We did try keeping him outside for several days and that did not seem to help my condition. He has been an inside dog for 10 years. Even with him outside there is likely evidence of him in the carpeting throughout our house. So for now we are vacuuming his fur almost every day (he loves it) and bathing him weekly with a mild moisturizing shampoo as my allergist recommended. We will see what happens after the carpet is replaced. We hope we don’t have to look into other options for him.

The Biggest Difference

Almost every change we have made has been helpful. The most significant was having the vents cleaned and fogged. My swelling has gone down about 20-25%, I have a more energy, less pain, and I have been able to decrease the steroids, which is a huge accomplishment after nine months!

Humility and growth

It is easy to do what we have always done instead of seeing the gifts that moving from our comfort zone might bring us. Humans are creatures of habit. Setting aside my own preferences and getting to out of my comfort zone has played a big role in being able to move forward with this little experiment. My doctor was right again, did I mention that man is brilliant? It turns out there were unknown triggers in our home that needed to be addressed, even after 7 years of elimination. If I had been stubborn about what I, thought I knew, I would not be making progress. I would not be experiencing the gifts of better days if I had not gotten out of my comfort zone, literally. This can certainly be applied to every area of our lives. For example, we may never discover a new fav restaurant if we first don’t let go of the one we are comfortable with. We may never have our dream job if we don’t first step out in faith. God longs to give His children good gifts but sometimes it requires us to humble ourselves and let go of something first. Maybe it’s a bad habit, an attitude, thought process, or the way we see others. If we truly want to walk the talk we will let God lead us, even to places we are not comfortable. This reminds me of a verse in Deuteronomy. I have often referred to my TPN as manna. I love how God provides everything we need, he is awesome!

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Peace and Joy,

Christal