I hve never been in a chat room before but I need some support I
guess. I have had a latex allergy since 1993, diagnosed after an
anaphylactic reaction while at work. The hospital I worked for
basically ran me out. I have had varying jobs over the years...
College Health at my Alma Mater, administrator for home care company,
head nurse for new dementia unit( a very proud accomplishment),
recently, visiting home nurse and my proudest accomplishment of all,
Wife and Mom. My allergy was so in control. I had it figured out, I
thought. I gave birth to two kids and avoided a latex reaction. I
researched all products before purchasing them or bringing them into
the house avoided all contact with gloves, powdered or otherwise, no
chewing gum, no rubber bands etc etc etc. Then my present employer
forgot to tell a new hire about keeping gloves bagged and separated
from dressing supplies that would be left in the patients home for
use by all visiting nurses to provide care and I got re-exposed in a
major way. Life has not returned to "normal" for a year. I am
beginning to wonder if this is my new normal. Last year I spent 10
weeks never knowing how long it would be before my body figured out
how to get past the myriad of meds I was taking and launch another
full blown anaphylactic reaction. I did it big... swollen mishapen
face, closing airway, dropping BP, racing heart rate. They said they
didn't know how to stabilize me, my body just insisted on being in
anaphlaxis. Over a 10 week period, I had 12 epi shots (3 separate
occasions I had to self administer while waiting for an ambulance...
once on the side of a road. Finally, they added Singulair to the
list of meds and things calmed down. But will it ever be "normal"
again. Does this ever stop? It seems that I am so sensitive to
latex now and it doesn't ever fully settle, like it did 11 years
ago. There doesn't seem to be an acceptable level of stability. I
have been in the ER from touching pictures that a photo tech counted
while wearing a latex finger cot. Most recently, a trip to the
local school for kindergarten orientation sent my allergy nutty and
I'm back on prednisone again. The Doc considers these successes
because my airway did not close and I made it to the ER on my own
steam, not in the back of an ambulance. I take singulair and
allegra... when things start to cook, I take cimetidine and benedryl,
then prednisone and if they still don't settle, its off to the ER.
On hand always is a nebulizer with albuterol, epinephrine, and now
glucagon. Glucagon to alter the cell walls so the Epinephrine has a
better chance at working.... last time it took three shots from the
Advanced life support crew to get me to the ER breathing. I make
everything from scratch that we eat to avoid cross contamination, I
sew my own bras and undies, get only cotton/Lycra blend socks (not
easy to find), I will be making my first attempt at sewing a bathing
suit... maybe next week. Does this ever end? Does it ever get
easier? I don't know what else to do to avoid exposure. I feel like
a freak. There isn't one restaurant in town that is latex free.
When you try to provide education about latex allergy, they think you
are a nut. Even many local MDs are resistent to accepting latex
allergy. One idiot wanted to find a latex glove and "challenge"
me... that was upon arrival to the ER after the three shot ride.What
is wrong with these folks? Has anyone found a better way to live and
manage the allergy? Has anyone had any success in providing
community awareness successfully without being labeled the
neighborhood nut? Does it get better? They say life is going to be
managing me from one crisis to another, that I will never be med free
again, and that unless labeling regulations and rubber usage changes,
this is it. I am 35 years old with two very young children. I am
having a hard time accepting what they have to say. Is there anyone
out there that can give me some hope with their story? Thanks for
listening... Kate