I yam what I yam

About this time last year, I had a severe allergic reaction to soy. It happend on a Sunday night. On Monday, I went to my allergist still having difficulties breathing. After they had given me epi and several breathing treatments, they decided it would be best if I went to the emergency room. So I was transmitted from the clinic to the hospital in the ambulance. After an afternoon in the emergency room, they sent me home. They felt all my levels were 'normal' enough for me to be sickly in my own bed. By Wednesday, I had been to the ER three times and had to be admitted to the hospital for the rest of the week.

During the week, I developed a pretty good relationship with my allergist. While I was in the hospital, she would come see me two or three times a day. This impressed me because she is the only doctor at a very busy allergy and asthma clinic. When she saw me wearing LSU attire, I found out she was from Louisiana. So we were also able to bond about the Tigers.

So over the past year I have been seeing this allergist, she has developed an interest in me and my health (or lack there of). She is intrigued by the number of autoimmune diseases and the severity of my allergies at my age. She seems to have a desire to figure out why I am plagued with Crohn's disease, Interstitial Cystitis, and bad allergies. I just decided I was a sick kid cause God made me that way. I didn't think there were any deep medical mysteries behind all my diseases. But apparently, I was wrong.

The last time I went to see her, she told me she wanted to do several different blood tests. A week after they sent everything off, they called me to tell me they had all the results. The nurse said, "We have your results. We don't want you to worry, but we would like for you to make an appointment to discuss everything with the doctor." So I made an appointment. The next day, the doctor called me herself. She was calling to see if anyone had called to talk to me about the results. I repeated to her what the nurse had told me. She told me I had some levels (of some cells I can't remember) which we low but they were commonly low in adults. One was tetanus and the other had something to do with yeast. She asked me if I had problems with yeast, and of course, I had to say yes. She told me the low levels of this whatever explained why. She then told me she found other things which were abnormal but they were 'funky' so she would rather talk to me in person.

So yesterday was my appointment. She was hoping to find out if all of my problems were somehow linked together. Especially since Crohn's is an inflammatory bowel disease and Interstital Cystitis is when the lining of the bladder is inflammed. When she came in, she gave me a copy of the report/summary she had typed to send to all my other doctors. With all the things she had tested, she was hoping to find levels suggesting I have common variable immunodeficiency. She wasn't so lucky. All of my levels were the exact opposite. This wasn't good news (or bad). She informed me, "It just means things with you aren't normal, but there is no name for it."

Well isn't this just the story of me and my entire existence for 23 years. I am not normal. There is nothing we can blame or label. I just am the way I am. I don't think I needed a doctor to tell me that. Oh well, at least now she knows what my family and I have known for 23 years.

Aren't you jealous you aren't me?