New Diet Adventure

Another Alpha Gal issue! I thought I was over the Alpha Gal problems but maybe not. This may be a bit TMI but for those who have this allergy or have loved ones with it, you may find some of this interesting.

First, she told me about the Alpha Gal Info site and suggested I spend some time there.There’s a lot of info there that I didn’t know. But, until connecting with this natureopath, no doctor I had seen had evern even acknowledged that alpha gal was real. As a bit of background, after about a dozen trips to the ER over a 10 year period, I figured out on my own what was causing my anaphylactic reactions (thanks to Google), got in touch with Dr. Platts-Mills, who had just recently figured it all out, he put me in touch with an allergist in Austin, TX who had worked with Dr. Platts-Mills and I got a diagnosis. This is the honest truth: I printed the info, took my results in to the P.A. I was seeing in Texas. He looked at it, laughed and said . . I have never heard of that and tossed all the paperwork. Never saw him again! But, even here, 10 years later and it being a fairly common disease/reaction, the doctor I see here has probably heard of it but has no interest in any of it.

There have been reports of people “progressing” to the point of being able to eat mammal products without problems. Of course, there have been more reports of it getting worse. I really felt that I was doing so much better, and I may be. There was a point when I couldn’t eat any ground beef and could only have very lean cuts of meat but I never had problems with butter, milk, ice cream, etc. Some people have serious reactions to ALL mammal products so I’ve always considered myself to be one of the lucky ones . . except for getting the initial tick bite(s) that started it all.

I had sent my latest blood work results to the naturopath we see monthly. She was concerned about a couple of the numbers. Yesterday was my monthly visit with her. I know there are excellent doctors but so far, neither of us have met them here. I am so thankful for the naturopath here and a doctor we have found in Arkansas.

Anyway, when the naturopath reviewed the blood results, there are two numbers that concerned her. One is eosinophils and the other is an “inflammation” reading. As you all know from all the whining I do here, my feet have been a real issue. They have gotten better since I stopped crossing my feet when I sit but there are still problems. She did some research, or may have already known, that alpha gal can cause arthritis, or arthritis like pain, as well as some of the gastric issues I’ve been having so . . as soon as a couple of new supplements arrive, probably by Monday, I will go on a diet with zero mammal products for 30 days, have the blood work done again and see if those levels have come down.

This means no milk, butter, yogurt, sour cream, beef, pork, lamb. No gelatin (which includes supplements that use gelatin capsules); no meds (Rx or OTC) that use any mammal products. I will become a label reader for sure but . . it’s just for one month and if that is not the cause for the increased inflammation and eosinophils, then I can go back to eating the yogurt, sour cream, butter, etc.

We went by Aldi yesterday and I picked up ground turkey, turkey bacon, turkey sausage, vegan cheese. I also bought almond milk and oat milk.

I’m kinda sad that this will put a damper on my holiday baking. Cookies without butter?? Looking on the bright side, I may lose a few extra pounds or maybe, at least not gain weight during the holidays.

Also on the bright side, I can still eat bread (the homemade bread I make has no milk and I can use coconut oil instead of butter). I could live on tuna salad sandwiches. I love fish and scallops.I can still eat pasta but no cream sauce. I’m sure I’ll be happy to saute mushrooms in coconut or olive oil, add garlic and onions and eat that over pasta. Vince can still have meatballs and marinara.

I look at it as a challenge and if it does help my feet, I’ll be very happy to give up whatever I have to give up to be able to live relatively pain free without taking meds for the inflammation and pain.

Of course, I will post any significant changes/findings as this goes along.