Overwhelmed

A couple of hours ago I got the results of my allergy tests. I'm allergic to quite a few trees and grasses, which is why I'm constantly congested. Specifically, I'm allergic to Timothy grass, Russian thistle, Ragweed (which is in many, many pesticides, by the way), mugwort, Bermuda grass, sycamore, alder, white birch, American elm, and oaks.

I also have three food allergies: peanuts, sesame seeds, and corn. Corn is in EVERYTHING!!!!! Everything. I need to watch out for any ingredient that says corn (like corn starch and corn syrup), and many that don't contain the word corn. The list includes caramel, any non-specified starch, dextrose, sorbitol (in most toothpastes), dextrin, treacle, fructose, vegetable gum, maltodextrin, vinegar, unspecified malts, xanthan gum, baking powder, bleached flour, powdered sugar, brown sugar, excipients (pretty much any pill), invert sugar or syrup, mono- and di- glycerides, MSG, sucrose, vanilla extract (contains corn syrup), zein, and unspecific vegetables.

I even have to be wary of plastic wrap.

I can't have most breads or store-bought cookies.

I need a few days to comprehend and adjust to this.

I need to get more details from my doctor as to the severity of my allergies, because I'm allergic to what seems like everything.

I was worried about Celiac Disease, but I think this may be worse.

How am I supposed to bake?

Actually, I'm very thankful to my FNP. I told him that I'd found a condition that would explain all the symptoms that have been troubling me over the years, and even though he'd never heard of the condition (Allergic Tension Fatigue Syndrome), he went ahead and tested me for food allergies.

I'm also thankful to http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com which led me to find the condition. It's really neat and fun for those of us who like to play "House."

Anyway, I'm overwhelmed and will have to drastically change my diet.