Today I took my parents to airport and picked up my friend Nicole to be my next babysitter 🙂 Update on a couple of weird new things going on. The smell of food cooking over the past year has either been neutral, meaning not good not bad, or has instantly made me start gagging, usually depending on the exact food. Over the last few days food has started to smell good to me. Then today , for some reason, I am craving Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Although I know good and well from past experience what will happen to me should I give into these temptations I think it is a good sign that my body is beginning to see food a little differently. Hopefully it is preparing itself to start working again.

Prednisone update 14.5mg/day

Travel Accessories

I have received many questions about a couple of the items I brought with me to the beach, specifically about my air purifier, the masks I wear, and my vacuum. I am completely aware of how strange it sounds to most people that I travel with an air purifier but I live with a strange disease that make it a necessity. Many of the questions I have received are from others who have a mast cell disorder and have been unable to travel for years or from people who just want to live a healthier life. Many of you are planning trips to the beach and other locations to see if it improves your health. I will be doing an end if trip review and FAQ post at the end of the beach experiment so send me your questions and I will try my best to answer them. For today I will talk about these products that make travel possible for me and I hope in sharing this that you too will be able to travel soon.

Triggers

We have already talked about the importance of clean water in our first in an ongoing series on reducing chemical exposure. You can read about that here if you missed it. As a mast cell patient I need to control any and all known triggers. Triggers are anything that can cause the mast cells to dump their hundreds of chemicals into the blood stream. Everyone has mast cells, they are part of our immune system. When you come in contact with something that you are allergic to or your body thinks is an invader, your mast cells get agitated and that is when the chemicals are released. Once the chemicals like histamine, heparin, tryptase, and prostaglandins flood your system you have allergic type responses such as sneezing etc. When you have too many, like I do, or they are hypersensitive this chemical dump can make you very sick and it can even be dangerous; think peanut allergy. Avoiding triggers is of primary importance.

Feels like this to come one with a hyperactive immune system.

Clean Air

Last year, after experiencing anaphylaxis for no apparent reason that did not resolve, my doctor ran all sorts of tests. Something like 13 vials of blood were taken. Among the tests various environmental allergies were tested. A couple tests came back positive only one of which is a problem in Oklahoma, the dreaded cedar! Cedar is unusual as it pollenates in the winter, typically November through March where I live. As Cedar season was approaching and knowing how bad the preceding years had been, we knew a change needed to be made. We needed to order an air purifier but which one.

Types of Air Purifiers

I researched and read reviews until I thought I would go cross eyed. I knew from the past that there are several types of purifiers.

• Ozone- not so good for myself or other mast cell patients I know.
• Ion- very expensive but quiet and had good reviews. I ordered one of this type first. From the moment I turned it on it made me sick. Literally, I became very nauseated. After repeated attempts with the same response, we sent this one back.
• UV lights- mostly designed for whole house central air and heating but some small portable units. I found inconsistent reviews as to their effectiveness.
• Filtration- These varied greatly from standard air filters, HEPA, HEGA, charcoal, and so on. This is what has really worked for me and my family.

And the Winner Is…

I chose the Austin Air Jr. as it was going to be in our bedroom. I love it!!! Filter costs were reasonable. This little guy is amazing and has made a big difference. We have taken it on trips with us “just in case” and have needed it every time. I won’t travel with out it. I love that it has 4 different types of filters including one for fragrances which had been a life saver in hotels where there was a heavy smell of cleaners, perfumes, etc. you can read more about it here

Or here

http://www.achooallergy.com/austinallergymachine.asp

Right now Achoo allergy is having 10% off with code fall14
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They also offer a bigger unit if you have more square footage to purify.

Masks

I have a love hate relationship with masks. I love that I can get out more when I use them and I love that I don’t usually get additional swelling when I wear them but I hate that people point and stare. I just had to choose to let that be their problem. I try to use those moments as educational teaching moments when the times arise. Surprisingly, I get a lot of questions about if I am a prepper and it’s the end of the world or if I’m going to rob the store? What?? I need a funny ice breaker in those instances. I’ve thought about “No, I’m a superhero and this is my disguise”. I use these N95 masks they are rated as surgical, they have a vent which makes them TONS cooler on your face, and filter 95%.

Vacuum

I vacuum everyday at home. It really helps keep the allergens down. Here at the beach and with my pooch miles away at home I don’t have to vacuum everyday but every couple for sure. I don’t normally take my vacuum when I travel but being gone a month I knew it would be needed. The biggest thing about vacuuming, you need to make sure you are not just recycling the dust. By this I mean you suck it up, it goes through the filter, then it comes out of the back of the machine to simply become airborne again. I have had a lot of different machines specifically made for allergies over the years. My Dyson is the best, hands down, and I will never own another brand again! My family used to have to vacuum for me while I was gone or on the other side of the house. With the Dyson I can do it myself with out sneezing and it is very light. It is very powerful. When I got it, I did a test. I ran my old vacuum first and then ran the Dyson. In theory the floors were clean so I should not have picked much up. I filled the tank one and a half times. I was happy and grossed out all at the same time.

These products have been an investment in our health and my whole family has noticed a big difference. The first thing people say to me when they see the price of these items is that is too much money. It has taken sacrifice to make these purchases and we have had to go with out a lot of other things but we made the choice to try and improve my situation and it works. I use them at home and travel.

Hope and healing,

Christal

The information contained on this blog is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. This is my experience and for informational purposes only. Please seek the advice of your physician regarding treatment for any medical condition.