farmerjan
Well-known member
For anyone who has read what are you eating today, a post by @kenny thomas on gluten/wheat allergies, and lists of RESTRICTIONS of foods that can trigger this to flare up.... prompted me to comment on another "food allergy" .... Alpha gal.... a mostly tick borne disease/allergy to red meat and other things produced by mammals... including Dairy products...
Like any other farmer I know, we get ticks on us... it's in the nature of the job being around the animals, in grasses, all that... and some get attached... Have had dozens over the years... You get them off as soon as you find them...
Then came the big deal with Lyme disease... naturally, being from Conn... it became prominent and well known... my mom and son have both had it... mom in Conn, son here in Va... recurring bouts for many years. I have been lucky, never seemed to have any after effects from those nasty disgusting ticks...
Then this past spring, May, I had a couple ticks attached.... found after work on the tractor raking hay and such... took them off... same ole same ole.... Then I noticed a BIG typical BULLS EYE rash... scared me... weekend so went to the urgent care as I know that antibiotics as soon as you find it can stop the Lyme bacteria gets too bad...... kill the bacteria... and it takes some serious antibiotic treatment.. Gave me 2 weeks and said go see PCP but that it was probably nothing... too serious to worry about... FIRST RED FLAG...
Called PCP first of the week, they could see me in 3 weeks... after telling them what and why... figured if I was on antibiotics no big deal.....
Went in, did some blood work for Lyme... then wanted to do all this other "well care stuff" since I don't go to drs.... I agreed to some things... non-invasive.... but told them that I was having more headaches, and feeling more run down.... they said it was partly my overweight... according to the chart I am borderline obese according to the charts... Yes I am way overweight, but I still got around pretty good... then said my BP was high anywhere from 127/76 to 155/84 ... and wanted me to go on bp medicine... I said absolutely NOT... did a bunch of blood work for other stuff... low Vit D, B vitamins, magnesium... so went on some supplements.. all good... bone density test... borderline osteo but not disastrous... ....
Lyme comes back negative, so she blows it off...
Felt run down all summer, tired out... and back ached all the time still.. had a rash on my left ankle (total replacement 2020) and itchy lower back...
Always felt like I had a cold... some congestion, always clear "runny nose".... and cough.
Finally in late Sept., went back for 3 month check up... same complaints but now I am more out of breath than I used to be, no stamina... back ache all the time... and intermittent bouts of explosive diarrhea that I did not keep track of at first....I keep saying this all started with symptoms right after that bulls eye rash... I said, look, I have been researching the tick bite diseases... and I have all the symptoms of Tularemia except the fever (used to be called rabbit fever as people who used to hunt rabbits would get it from exposure to blood when killing rabbits, or ticks or fleas off rabbits on to people)...and all she could focus on was the "no fever" as not having the first common symptom... or I said what about ehrlichiosis.... many of the same type symptoms... oh that's not common in this area, more up north in PA and New England.... ordered more blood tests for Lyme, and Tularemia, and Alpha Gal.... started in on how I need to have a colonoscopy.... sent me for an EKG.... everything normal...
Then we got busier on the farm, late hay , corn chopping, calving fall group...company from Conn to visit... and something that the friends from Conn said really stuck with me... her dad got real sick, hospital, and almost died before they diagnosed Ehrlichiosis.... he walks for exercise ..... so I called and asked if there were any results back not long after the blood work... said no to the Lyme, but not everything was back yet... Tularemia takes time to culture... sid they would call me... and then like I said, we got busy. I found myself more and more tired out, run down... then I started having more bouts of coughing and shortness of breath and diarrhea... and paid attention... it seemed it was when I ate deep fried food like FF .... getting quick meals at Wendy's or DQ on my way to test cows and such... blamed it on the greasiness of the FF or onion rings...
Got sicker and sicker. and felt like I had a bad flu/cold without the fever/hot/cold chills... just the backache, that I can barely pick up a 5 gal bucket half full of water...
Had another 3 month scheduled "check up" and went to that a couple weeks ago... I am so worn out, sick, weak that it hurts to do most anything... clear mucous nose running... not like a sinus/typical cold bug... I called the dr office a couple days before, said that I was not coming for a 3 mo check up again, but was coming because I felt like I might have walking pneumonia.... since I was already scheduled...
She sent me for x-rays, because I said that I couldn't lay down and sleep because I felt like I was going to suffocate or drown, cough constantly.... then she asked if I had asthma as a child, how bad was it.... ???? WHAT are you talking about.... I never had asthma as a child... but that explains the shortness of breath, not getting "enough air"....
Then she said you didn't follow up on the allergy tests, and I said no, I didn't go have any allergy tests, and you never called me to tell me I needed to have some and the call I got from some company that said they wanted to schedule allergy tests wouldn't tell me anything else; I never heard from you so wasn't going to just give out information and schedule any tests without your direction... she said well the alpha-gal came back positive... way out of range... so I wanted to have more allergy tests done... AND I PRACTICALLY LOST IT.... 3 months they had these results, could not be bothered to call me and leave a message at least.... they didn't have the results when I called shortly after the dr visit in late Sept.... but do they NOT CARE????? I have been suffering for 3 more months, real sick, weak, worn out exhausted... FOR NOTHING???
I had a bit of a sinus infection, some inner ear fluid, and some bronchial issues, so put me back on an antibiotic.... but said I needed to see what I could tolerate with the alpha gal ....
REALLY?????
In the meantime, I jumped on the Alpha Gal thing... causes, reactions, symptoms, everything...Cut out all red meat that day... didn't realize that the dairy was a big deal... anything mammalian sourced.. so a couple days of milk and stuff and then cut it all that I could possibly think of... Researched it and talked to a dairy farmer friend who's brother in law was just diagnosed in Dec because of a rash and hives that would not clear up on top of the nausea and other things...
Found online research on clinics, and called one that is a couple hours away... Left them a message and they said they would call back next day.. it was after hours... And bright and early at 8:15 the next morning they called... and spent an HOUR with me on the phone... they gave me an appointment within a 10 day time frame... weather permitting it will be this Monday ..... will do the SAAT treatment that @SmokinM mentioned...
Had no idea that it was sooo Prevalant.... it's a real B%$#& to deal with... and the more sensitive to it, the worst... because BOVINE and other mammal derived products are used in everything....
I am a beef farmer, that works in the dairy industry, and drinks milk and eats milk products like they are going out of style... this has been a real miserable 2 weeks....
BUT at least there is a "REASON" ... none of this "you're getting older" crap.... like after 70 you are supposed to become the frail failing little old lady that can barely get around and not do anything that taxes your energy....
Hoping to get a handle on it and start to feel better.... Spring calving starts in March... then before you know it we will be in the hay fields...
Anyone else?????? Experiences, thoughts????
Like any other farmer I know, we get ticks on us... it's in the nature of the job being around the animals, in grasses, all that... and some get attached... Have had dozens over the years... You get them off as soon as you find them...
Then came the big deal with Lyme disease... naturally, being from Conn... it became prominent and well known... my mom and son have both had it... mom in Conn, son here in Va... recurring bouts for many years. I have been lucky, never seemed to have any after effects from those nasty disgusting ticks...
Then this past spring, May, I had a couple ticks attached.... found after work on the tractor raking hay and such... took them off... same ole same ole.... Then I noticed a BIG typical BULLS EYE rash... scared me... weekend so went to the urgent care as I know that antibiotics as soon as you find it can stop the Lyme bacteria gets too bad...... kill the bacteria... and it takes some serious antibiotic treatment.. Gave me 2 weeks and said go see PCP but that it was probably nothing... too serious to worry about... FIRST RED FLAG...
Called PCP first of the week, they could see me in 3 weeks... after telling them what and why... figured if I was on antibiotics no big deal.....
Went in, did some blood work for Lyme... then wanted to do all this other "well care stuff" since I don't go to drs.... I agreed to some things... non-invasive.... but told them that I was having more headaches, and feeling more run down.... they said it was partly my overweight... according to the chart I am borderline obese according to the charts... Yes I am way overweight, but I still got around pretty good... then said my BP was high anywhere from 127/76 to 155/84 ... and wanted me to go on bp medicine... I said absolutely NOT... did a bunch of blood work for other stuff... low Vit D, B vitamins, magnesium... so went on some supplements.. all good... bone density test... borderline osteo but not disastrous... ....
Lyme comes back negative, so she blows it off...
Felt run down all summer, tired out... and back ached all the time still.. had a rash on my left ankle (total replacement 2020) and itchy lower back...
Always felt like I had a cold... some congestion, always clear "runny nose".... and cough.
Finally in late Sept., went back for 3 month check up... same complaints but now I am more out of breath than I used to be, no stamina... back ache all the time... and intermittent bouts of explosive diarrhea that I did not keep track of at first....I keep saying this all started with symptoms right after that bulls eye rash... I said, look, I have been researching the tick bite diseases... and I have all the symptoms of Tularemia except the fever (used to be called rabbit fever as people who used to hunt rabbits would get it from exposure to blood when killing rabbits, or ticks or fleas off rabbits on to people)...and all she could focus on was the "no fever" as not having the first common symptom... or I said what about ehrlichiosis.... many of the same type symptoms... oh that's not common in this area, more up north in PA and New England.... ordered more blood tests for Lyme, and Tularemia, and Alpha Gal.... started in on how I need to have a colonoscopy.... sent me for an EKG.... everything normal...
Then we got busier on the farm, late hay , corn chopping, calving fall group...company from Conn to visit... and something that the friends from Conn said really stuck with me... her dad got real sick, hospital, and almost died before they diagnosed Ehrlichiosis.... he walks for exercise ..... so I called and asked if there were any results back not long after the blood work... said no to the Lyme, but not everything was back yet... Tularemia takes time to culture... sid they would call me... and then like I said, we got busy. I found myself more and more tired out, run down... then I started having more bouts of coughing and shortness of breath and diarrhea... and paid attention... it seemed it was when I ate deep fried food like FF .... getting quick meals at Wendy's or DQ on my way to test cows and such... blamed it on the greasiness of the FF or onion rings...
Got sicker and sicker. and felt like I had a bad flu/cold without the fever/hot/cold chills... just the backache, that I can barely pick up a 5 gal bucket half full of water...
Had another 3 month scheduled "check up" and went to that a couple weeks ago... I am so worn out, sick, weak that it hurts to do most anything... clear mucous nose running... not like a sinus/typical cold bug... I called the dr office a couple days before, said that I was not coming for a 3 mo check up again, but was coming because I felt like I might have walking pneumonia.... since I was already scheduled...
She sent me for x-rays, because I said that I couldn't lay down and sleep because I felt like I was going to suffocate or drown, cough constantly.... then she asked if I had asthma as a child, how bad was it.... ???? WHAT are you talking about.... I never had asthma as a child... but that explains the shortness of breath, not getting "enough air"....
Then she said you didn't follow up on the allergy tests, and I said no, I didn't go have any allergy tests, and you never called me to tell me I needed to have some and the call I got from some company that said they wanted to schedule allergy tests wouldn't tell me anything else; I never heard from you so wasn't going to just give out information and schedule any tests without your direction... she said well the alpha-gal came back positive... way out of range... so I wanted to have more allergy tests done... AND I PRACTICALLY LOST IT.... 3 months they had these results, could not be bothered to call me and leave a message at least.... they didn't have the results when I called shortly after the dr visit in late Sept.... but do they NOT CARE????? I have been suffering for 3 more months, real sick, weak, worn out exhausted... FOR NOTHING???
I had a bit of a sinus infection, some inner ear fluid, and some bronchial issues, so put me back on an antibiotic.... but said I needed to see what I could tolerate with the alpha gal ....
REALLY?????
In the meantime, I jumped on the Alpha Gal thing... causes, reactions, symptoms, everything...Cut out all red meat that day... didn't realize that the dairy was a big deal... anything mammalian sourced.. so a couple days of milk and stuff and then cut it all that I could possibly think of... Researched it and talked to a dairy farmer friend who's brother in law was just diagnosed in Dec because of a rash and hives that would not clear up on top of the nausea and other things...
Found online research on clinics, and called one that is a couple hours away... Left them a message and they said they would call back next day.. it was after hours... And bright and early at 8:15 the next morning they called... and spent an HOUR with me on the phone... they gave me an appointment within a 10 day time frame... weather permitting it will be this Monday ..... will do the SAAT treatment that @SmokinM mentioned...
Had no idea that it was sooo Prevalant.... it's a real B%$#& to deal with... and the more sensitive to it, the worst... because BOVINE and other mammal derived products are used in everything....
I am a beef farmer, that works in the dairy industry, and drinks milk and eats milk products like they are going out of style... this has been a real miserable 2 weeks....
BUT at least there is a "REASON" ... none of this "you're getting older" crap.... like after 70 you are supposed to become the frail failing little old lady that can barely get around and not do anything that taxes your energy....
Hoping to get a handle on it and start to feel better.... Spring calving starts in March... then before you know it we will be in the hay fields...
Anyone else?????? Experiences, thoughts????
