By John Grindrod
Guest Columnist
As a by-product of the natural aging process, doctors’ offices are frequently visited by most of us. In my own case, for many years, thanks to the grace of God, I made exactly one visit per calendar year to a medical doctor. During the visit, I’d say, “Ahhh” and let him thump me with that little reflex hammer to test my deep tendon reflexes and shed a little light inside my ears, and that was it. I was good to go for another year.
However, now that I’m in those doctors’ offices on a more regular basis and filling out those papers clipped to a board, which, I think there’s unanimity in detesting, I always pause a bit when I come to the question as to whether I have any allergies to medications. While I always check the “no” box, a thought always runs through my mind that perhaps I am allergic to some sort of medication that just hasn’t crossed my path yet.
In a broader sense, I was aware of allergies from a very young age. My sis, Joannie, who grew up just down the hall from me in that three-bedroom ranch in the 1500 Block of Latham, discovered at a very early age that she was allergic to something to which her only brother has a near addiction, peanut butter.
In a famous scary sibling moment, I was with sis at a family dinner in a Chinese Restaurant in Findlay back when we were still in our 20s. Not thinking that there would be anything remotely peanutty about eggrolls, Joan ordered some, and after they arrived and she took a bite or two, she began to experience some breathing problems. Her neck began to swell, and after the waiter was sent back to the kitchen to inquire as to the food prep, he came back with the distressing news that the eggrolls were fried in peanut oil. That signaled a sudden departure for Blanchard Valley Hospital, and that’s where we spent the next two hours while Joan received treatment.
Thinking about allergies, I can’t help but think about the wonders of the human body. While the body is capable of staving off all sorts of ill effects, for some people, there are indeed those Kryptonite moments when a seemingly innocuous eggroll, a dairy product or a bee sting can send the human body into full-panic scramble mode.
Of course, there are common allergies, but there are also some pretty odd ones too. According to the website Everyday Health, there are those who’re allergic to leather. Amazingly, there also are those suffering from what’s called aquagenic urticaria, which is an allergy to water. Fortunately, so that those afflicted can bathe, there are antihistamines that can relieve the symptoms of hives and extreme itchiness. Needless to say, you won’t be seeing those afflicted around the swimming pools in our area anytime soon.
How about those who are addicted to coins? Well, some indeed develop allergic rashes on their hands when they handle coins. Like those allergic to leather, the rash that develops on the hands falls into the category of contact dermatitis.
While those who hate winter may swear they have this, there are those who are allergic to cold. While rare, for those with cold urticaria, being exposed to very cold temperatures, including very cold water, can cause a dangerous plummeting in blood pressure.
While it has been said in a figurative sense that some are allergic to work, there actually is an allergic condition whereby some are allergic to sweat. If physical activity is vigorous enough to produce perspiration, it can cause hives as well as gastrointestinal problems.
Of course, the word “allergic” has been used in a figurative sense in the world of sports. Back in the early days of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the mid-to-late 1970s, you couldn’t blame the team’s fans if they wondered if the team actually was allergic to winning. Tampa’s first-ever football coach, John McKay, may have agreed, since he was the guy on the sidelines watching the team’s first 26 games end in defeat.
As for a final thought, I’ll leave you with this. Wouldn’t it be great if we could choose our allergies? In my case, after having gone through a surgery to remove a cancerous prostate four months ago, and I’m certain for many others who have or are facing far more daunting battles with the disease, I think we’d sign up for being allergic to cancer if we could.
John Grindrod is a regular columnist for The Lima News, a freelance writer and editor and the author of two books. Reach him at [email protected].
