Da Goddess

Apparently the people who catered last night’s opening reception for WPPI had the crazy idea that photographers have good eyesight. That’s the only explanation for the teeny tiny signs placed in front of the food they were serving. I didn’t see the sign that said “Ziti with Lobster“, all I saw was ziti looking yummy. I hadn’t eaten more than an apple and two bites of some cajun chicken earlier in the day, so I was starving.

My friend and I got in line for food, grabbed our little servings, and began to eat. There was something different about the pasta, but it wasn’t anything I could identify. It was good. I kept eating. K had the white version to my red and I asked how her’s was. “Pretty good, except the mushrooms. But I figured mushrooms were easier to avoid than lobster.” I was befuddled. And then it dawned on me. D’oh!

Guess who’s allergic to shellfish?

That would be me.

I was a little concerned, but then I figured that I wasn’t experiencing the reaction I normally have when I ingest something to which I’m allergic. Usually, my tongue starts tingling right away. Then I start feeling very congested and my breath becomes a bit ragged. I grabbed a few glasses of water and pounded those down. I also ate some turkey (good, good turkey). I was feeling okay and I thought maybe, just maybe, I’d outgrown this allergy.

An hour and a half later, it was apparent that I was quite wrong. My chest was getting tight, I started itching, things were feeling weird. I dug into my water supply and started downing as much as I could, figuring I’d dilute what I could.

Obviously, I didn’t die. I’m okay. I’m still a bit wheezy and a little itchy, but the reaction I had was nothing like I’ve had in the past (can you say fire department showing up at your little girl’s kindergarten picnic because there were tiny shrimp in the pancit? Yeah, that kind of fun) and for that I’m grateful.

I’m still a little irritated that the signs for the food weren’t bigger. Things like shellfish and peanut/peanut oil (not one of my allergies, but there are enough people…) …those are things that can take people down very quickly. They should be labeled very clearly. I go out of my way to ensure food (like eggrolls and fried won tons) at restaurants don’t contain shellfish. I don’t like to take chances with such things. I prefer to breathe. (Note: My biggest “I don’t want to die this way” is suffocation. I think it would be the most ghastly way to expire.) Breathing is good. Breath = life. Simple stuff. So I do hold a little ill will toward whoever made up those signs with the itty bitty print.

I stayed home from WPPI today. I slept quite poorly. Funny how that whole breathing thing gets in the way of sleep, huh? I missed out on a freebie class I wanted to attend, but am glad I recognized my limits and took care of myself. I’ve not died. I’ve eaten. I’ve been drinking lots of fluids. Took enough Benadryl to dry up the entire state. And, I’ve managed to sneak in a little sleep here and there. Buster’s checked in to ensure I’m still alive every now and again. So far, so good.

Now I must get back to work on an article I’ve been laboring over for a week. Perhaps the lack of oxygen at various times last night have cleared my mind enough for this thing to write itself. Sigh. Probably not, huh? Ah, well. If I’ve learned nothing else in the last 24 hours, it’s that photographers are NOT always the most observant people and that reading labels becomes even more important if you want to do more than just live a healthier life. No, you should do it because someone might be slippin’ you the ultimate mickey if you’re not careful.