Poultry allergy

Hi Sherry and thanks for the welcome.  When I eat any form or poultry I get an itchie rash, as well as having my throat fill with a thick mucus and it's hard for me to breath.  The same is true for eggs.  If I touch uncooked poultry or eggs of any kind then my hands get itchie and swell up. I get a similar reaction with dairy products, but also have terrible stomach cramps. With my egg allergy, it makes my asthma kick up if I even smell them cooking.

My allergies were discovered when I was very young.  It was always hard not being able to eat my own birthday cake as a child, and some of my friend's parents use to think I was just being a pickie eater.  Thank goodness, people are a little more aware these days.  It does irritate me though when some manufactures put chicken broth in things like frozen veggies.  I mean does a veggie medley really need chicken broth in them?!  On a positive note,  I am  happy that  some restaurants are starting to list ingredients either on their web sites or in the actual restaurant.  I am not sure if Uno's is a national restaurant or just in my part of the country, but they have an awesome computer like machine in the front of their waiting area that list food allergens in their foods and also gives food suggestions if you do have food allergies. 

I think breakfast is the hardest meal for me, and forget eatting breakfast out.  Just walking into an IHOP is an attacking waiting to happen. 

It's not the lactose, because Lacaid and other products like it don't  take the reaction away. As an adult I tried those products hoping it was the lactose or that I had "out grown" the allergy enough to just be intolerant.   With the eggs and the poultry I know it's the protein that I am allergic, too. 

I think one of the worse things, is when people give you "the look" and then ask, well what DO you eat???  While dining at a Crackle Barrel on a road trip I had asked the waitress a question about ingredience and this lady from the table behind us, turned around and looked at me like I was an alien!  I'm not sure which is worse, the Oh you poor thing or the man you are werid looks.

Hi Mary,

I just found this site not too long ago as well. It is nice to hear other people have the same problem. I'm the butt of a lot of jokes around my friends - not that it bothers me.

I haven't tried the free range chicken, but probably will at some point. I guess I have it better than most, I can eat eggs without incident and can handle raw/cooked poultry without it causing a reaction (which is good - my wife LOVES chicken). My reactions started when I was pretty young usually consisting of swelling of my throat and chest pains. Nausea is a crap shoot, sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't. The chest pains are by far the worst for me though.

If anyone has tried the free range, please let me know!

S2

First, sorry for calling you Sharon in my last post.

I think my allergy freaks my friends out more than it does me.  I am use to it and the behavior is just second nature.  They seem to think I am gonna die if i drink water. lol

I do have an epipen.  It has been a long time since I used it.  Actually the last time was after having a sip of a margarita.  I now know I can't have triple sec for some reason.

I wonder what it would be like to go someone where and just order ANYTHING and not worry what was in it or if it was cross contaminated.  I have never been able to do that.  I do feel grateful though, I know things could be worse so I try and count my blessings.

suggested that since I was worried, I should try giveing the chicken at his office in the waiting area, that way if one of the children did react I would be right there.  I did that and all went well.  My sister has some food issues, but nothing like I have.  I hope your child is spared.  Also, just a word to the wise, be careful.  A slight allergy can go full blown at any times so those wings might not be worth a chance.  It only takes one bad reacation to change everything.       

Again I want to say, don't fool around with your allergy.  I am not sure what your reaction is, but EVERYTIME you are exposed to the allergen you have a chance of having a very bad reaction.  Just think you went for 20 yrs with no problem and then bam now have an allergy.  That shows one day things can work one way in your body and the next it's totally different.  Eating chicken, tuna, turkey and etc shouldn't be so important to your life that you are willing to risk it.  I have been allergic my whole life so I don't know what I am missing, but I do know living to see my kids have kids is more important to me that eatting wings on Sunday with my husband, having eggs with breakfast, or having ice cream instead of sorbet.  Hey, I am a woman who can't have chocolate.  If there is a magic pill out there I don't know about it, I wish there was, but I also know my allergies could be worse.

Goat is an excellent source. It's high in protein and very low in fat, and it also tastes good!

Ryan and pujims, Welcome to HealingWell.  I get sort of the same thing when I say I'm allergic to milk.  People will say, "Oh, you mean you're lactose intolerant."  I have to repeat that I am actually allergic to milk.  I have other food allergies also.  Sometimes I think people without food allergies who can eat or drink anything they want, just don't get it.

I will say that in the last 10 - 15 years, restaurants have come a long way, when you ask a server if a certain ingredient is in something you are considering because your are allergic to it. They actually go and check.  I can remember the day when they would just say, "No, I don't think so."  That's when I would ask for the manager.