Allergic to Idiocy

People's allergies say a lot more about themselves than you might think. If a patient hands me a typed list of about 100 or so drug allergies I know right off the bat that he has a complicated medical history. For one thing I know the patient has tried hundreds of different medications for actual or perceived illnesses and symptoms and for another thing I know that the patient is likely a very anxious type of person. It would be really rare to actually be allergic to that many medications and generally it only takes a little probing to determine that most or all of the allergies listed are not allergies at all. Sometimes the things people list are downright comical and I thought I'd share some of the more bizarre "allergies" I've come across in my career.

1. Water- causes patient's skin to dry out
2. Certain personalities- cause patient to break out in hives
3. Plastic- causes patient to become anxious
4. Tape- rips off body hairs when removed
5. Reglan- causes patient to FOAM AT THE MOUTH
6. Salt- causes thirst and dry mouth
7. Sleeping pills- cause drowsiness
8. Caffeine- causes insomnia
9. Carbohydrates- make patient get fat
10. Certain fragrances- cause male erection

And yes, I have had patients look me straight in the eye and in all seriousness tell me about these "allergies" they suffer from. Sometimes it's really tough to keep a straight face.

Falling into Fall

I admit to being a major blog slacker lately. Here's a rundown of how things have gone since my last post. I found an awesome babysitter for David, but then after a couple weeks her husband's hours got cut and she couldn't afford to stay home and watch him anymore. So I had the wonderful task of finding a new sitter. Monday was supposed to be David's first day with her but he was sick so if all goes well she will be watching David tomorrow for half a day while Derek studies for the CPA exam. Keep your fingers crossed. I really, really hate trying to find childcare.

We planned a really fun family weekend a couple weeks ago but wound up canceling when David came down with a cold. We postponed it for the next weekend but then he got sick again. He's starting to feel better although he still has a cough and some sniffles. He also has cut his first teeth (the front bottom 2) so the past few weeks haven't exactly been the most pleasant for any of us. None of that has slowed David down any however. He's now a master crawler and has learned to open drawers and cabinets, empty bookcases, turn on the hot water in the bathtub, and poke his finger into an electrical socket. He also has made calls and sent texts using my phone despite the fact that I always lock the display.

Some of you may have noticed that I never posted David's 9 month updated bear picture. Even with Derek standing to the side we couldn't prevent him from trying to dive headfirst off the chair. Sitting him on the floor wasn't much easier as he seemed to feel bears are for tackling and eating. Finally I managed to get this photo but I think it will be the last attempt. Here's the first one I took to compare. He definitely has grown.