In Season: Mango, big ones, small ones, juicy ones, orange ones, green ones!
Not in Season: Allergic reaction, complete with hives all over body, arms, legs, stomach, neck, back, itchy palms, itchy eyes and allergic sinus infection!
Culprit: My favorite fruit...Mango!
I have not run for three weeks due to horrible allergies that just about stopped me COLD in my running tracks. About a month ago, I started to eat upwards of three to four mangos a day. Okay, here comes the clincher, not only was I eating the mango, but I was also devouring the peel (either eating it or putting the peel in a fruit/veggie smoothie I would blend up/gulp down after a 10K training run). All this time, not a clue that this was a huge contributing factor to how awful I was feeling. I am sure the dusty gravel/dirt roads I was running on weren't helping, especially with the never ending tour vans and buses whizzing by me stirring up clouds of thick, white, chalky dust!
Easter Sunday, after church, I decided to visit the clinic and was treated for an allergy related infection; received a five day dose of steroids (which I was oh so familiar with) and a steroid injection in my rump! (Thank you very much and OUCCCHHH). Surely I would feel better in a few days and be off running again. After all, the Sol y Arena (Sun and Sand) race at the beach in Puntarenas is on May 14th, fast approaching and I really want to participate. Several days later, feeling no better, I visited the private doctor in Cerro Plano and had my blood tested to rule out a bacterial sinus infection. Nothing doing - all normal, so I dropped my drawers again for yet another shot in my rump and went on with my day, feeling draggy and miserable.
Two days after I finished the steroids, I was preoccupied with itchy palms and a rash under my underarm extending down my side. Hmm - I know I'm a little worked up about not having run in a few weeks, but could this rash be brought on by running withdrawal or anxiety? I knew I was stressed about the race and not being well enough to train, but would that be causing all this itching? The following night, the rash was creeping all over my body, hives, urticaria!
A couple of days later, while shopping at the little market at the bottom of our hill, two gals commented on my rash and asked if I had been eating a lot of mango! I replied, "a ton...why do you ask?" One of them remarked "Can't even touch them - I break out in a rash", the other saying, "well, at least your not eating the peel"! HOUSTON...WE HAVE A PROBLEM! "Of course I am eating the peel, why not?". Well, our exchange continued and I learned that the skin of the mango is toxic. How I wished I had only touched the peel, nothin doing...oh no, I go all out...not only was I touching the peel, I was digesting the dang skin! I ran home popped open the top of my laptop and put Google.com to work to find this...
Mango peel contains urushiol, the chemical in poison ivy and poison sumac that can cause urushiol-induced contact dermatitis. JACKPOT - mystery solved!
I travelled to San Jose on the bus Wednesday to meet with my Naturalpath and to have some blood work done. And, yes, those little eosinophils in my white blood cells were going crazy - confirmation that I am one allergic gal! I apologized profusely to my doctor as I itched and scratched myself through our 30 minute appointment. Off to the pharmacy to purchase Allegra before heading back up the mountain. The hives and itching have subsided and Mike has been relegated to chief mango smoothie maker in our household.
I am having serious mango withdrawal, and well, although I enjoy pineapple, bananas, papaya, melon, etc., nothing is going to replace the love affair I had with mango!
Finally today I ran for the first time in three weeks. Twenty-five minutes only, but I did it. Will I be ready for the race Saturday? Time will tell. I am super excited as this will be my first race outside the zone. I hear HOT does not even begin to explain the feel of the sun beating down on you as you run for over an hour, no less, on the beach. The race begins at 4 p.m., so here's hoping the suns intensity is a little forgiving! They expect 6,000 competitors, hoping I won't be the last!
Life here continues to surprise me...This week I can certainly say I learned something! Did you?
Peace,
Signed: S
No comments:
Post a Comment