Mystery solved!!!

My recent trip to the hospital effectively turned me into a paranoid restaurant patron. I remember trying out a local chinese buffet and asking two different staff members to confirm that I would not risk any problems due to cross-contamination. The available fried rice had shrimp in it and, of course, that meant that I could not eat it. They brought out a new container that had no shrimp in it (I asked them to confirm that they hadn't simply picked the shrimp out before trying it) so I loaded up my plate and sat down at the table.

I half-heartedly began to eat, keeping a keen eye on my watch - at that time I was figuring that if I was OK ten minutes after eating something, I'd more than likely be fine. My mind played tricks on me. I felt an itch in my throat which quickly went away. I wondered if my breathing was fine or if I was getting a little wheezy. A mind is a very powerful thing and it can certainly make you think things are happening that really aren't.

Enough time passed and I was convinced that I would survive another meal. I told my girlfriend (who turned out to be my future wife) that I would no longer go to any restaurants with her until after I figured out once and for all what it was that was triggering the increasingly serious reactions. Fortunately, she agreed.

Another appointment was booked with my allergist. A few weeks or couple of months passed and I found myself explaining to the doctor what happened this time around. To make a long story short, another round of tests yielded no new results and the doc threw his arms up and said he could not understand. He referred me to another allergist in the hopes that he might find something that had been missed each time I had been previously tested.

When the date of that new appointment finally rolled around, I headed out hoping that I would learn once and for all what it was that could cause my demise. The test started off like every other one. Recognizing minute reactions to the various allergens was old hat for me until... it felt like my arm had caught fire immediately after one specific little stab into my forearm. The nurse gave me the typical instructions - sit still and wait for the full effect to take place so a determination of what affects me can be made. It was twenty excruciating minutes.

The doctor came in to take a look. In and amongst the little mosquito bite-like welts on my arm was one whopper - the one that hurt like I had never experienced before. He informed me that it was the pine nut that was causing that welt, but just to be sure, he wanted to do it one more time!!! I could have belted him one but that would not have been wise. The nurse came back, set my right arm on fire (figuratively, of course!) and it was soon confirmed that it is the little pine nut that I would have to avoid at all costs for the rest of my life.

What the heck is a pine nut!? Research showed that it is a seed that is found inside the cone produced by certain pine trees. This little seed can be found in French and Italian cooking and can be used whole or crushed into a powder, effectively making it visually undetectable when scanning a plate for potential hazards.

Did this discovery solve the mystery of what had been happening to me over the years? Yep! While I had never been able to find out what common element was present every time I reacted, I now could. The owner of the restaurant that provided the soup for our seniors luncheons at work had insisted that there was no clam juice or shellfish in his foods... the chef at the restaurant had confirmed that my salmon had not been cooked along with a lobster or shrimp... the client's house had not seen shellfish for weeks prior to my getting sick. All concerned had inquired about pine nuts being a potential allergen for me but I had dismissed it as a possibility because I had been tested four or five times with no indications that it might be!

But now it was clear - shellfish could cause me discomfort and would trigger the mildest of reactions. Pine nuts, on the other hand, were as poisonous to me as Clorox Bleach, if not worse.
On one hand it was good to once and for all know what I needed to avoid. On the other hand, I now had to be ever so vigilant because pine nuts can be so difficult to detect and identify.

So now what?