Annie Boyd, today’s Guest-clacker, is a freelance photographer (and part-time blogger) in Fairfax, Virginia who has spent the last six months devoid of all things fast and most things boxed/canned. She is free to eat whatever she wants to now. And she will!
Six months ago, I took a TB skin test. Six months ago, it came back positive. Now, I’ve lived in five different countries, and visited god knows how many others. It took a meeting at work for me finally come in contact with a TB germ-filled sack of ass. Six months ago, my doctor handed me a few pieces of paper which detailed the foods I could no longer eat due to their tyramine and histamine content. No alcohol, because these meds destroy your liver. I also couldn’t eat anything pickled or smoked. No chocolate or caffeine, either. And, as I would soon come to learn, I could eat nothing with soy.
Most of these things were a “try it and see what happens” kind of thing. Everyone’s bodies react differently to meds. I managed to put some things back into my diet (tomatoes and mushrooms), but soy remained the one thing that my body, now with veins pulsing full of Isoniazid antibiotic, would freak the fuck out over. The headaches were unbearable. I tried to go back to my doctor and ask for some migraine pills, and she said no. My headaches were being caused by my blood pressure spiking. She said to quit messing with the soy, unless I really wanted to have a stroke.
Poo.
Have any of you guys out there taken a look at what you’re eating? Have you read the list of ingredients? I developed a major respect for people with allergies and intolerances. Soy is in everything. Everything. Soy lecithin, soy flour, soybean oil.
I lost 50 pounds.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I didn’t eat. I created my own delicious dishes. I made my own stews, soups, fries (those didn’t turn out too well), Chinese food, pancakes and bread (that turned out fantastic). But I still craved. Oh, did I crave. I went from picking up McD’s breakfast every other weekend to not being able to eat a simple waffle.
Tomorrow I take my last dose of Isoniazid. Tomorrow is my last day of being a slave to ingredient lists, or asking what something is fried in. Tomorrow is my last day of being forced to stay away from coffee and tea. Tomorrow…. *sigh*
My friends have asked me what my first meal will be. What will be the first thing that I put between my lips and suckle with fervent bliss?
Holy crap … what will it be?
I can’t really go apeshit on Saturday. As much as I want to. The meds will still be in my chemistry, and it’ll take about a month before my body is really free to enjoy whatever it wants to. My family and friends are planning a big 4th of July party … full of booze and cheese and strawberries and chocolate. We’re gonna call it, “Annie Can Eat Again!”
So, here’s to the past six months of living in a strange and foreign world. Here’s to the future of trying new things, and rediscovering awesome (and not so awesome) foods.
Now, where’s my margarita?
Clacked by Guest Clacker
on Jun 05, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
Going “apeshit” would shock your system anyhow and make your body think that it was being fed toxins. When the meds are you, transition slowly. Otherwise, your body might not know what hit it and, as a result, rebel.
You must be soooo happy it’s over (or at least, almost over).