DEATH IS JUST ONE WALNUT AWAY
BY JOHNNY BLUE STAR
A BRUSH WITH DEATH
WITH
SONNY HOSTIN ON THE VIEW
When I was a kid, probably around seven, I used to love to eat lobsters, dipping that mouthwatering piece of lobster flesh into a salty patch of succulent butter. It used to go very well until one day when I had a catistrophic allergic reaction. It began with a sudden halt on my normal breathing, an immense sore throat in an episode that simultaneously brought my parents into an immense, emergency panic and a quick onslaught of emergency medics in the cozy, little restaurant unfamiliar with their customers poised on the brink of the shadow world.
I hadn’t thought about this incident in years until I happened to come across a little clip about what happened to Sonny Hostin, co-host of the view who now has become known for her celebrity allergy to walnuts. This little incident moved to the top of Entertainment News, although as you can see from the following, there is nothing entertaining about some allergies.
In most of the accounts I have seen, the incident is, indeed, dramatic. But what can possibly happen with a walnut, a silly little tree nut? That it could lead to death- that certainly is dramatic. But, in the bulk of the reporting I have seen, the details of this allergy are not explained. Walnut allergies, like the other allergies related to tree nuts, can just bring on some hives, facial swelling and abdominal pain and dizziness, etc., annoying symptoms but nothing to get too excited about. But looming above all these annoying discomforts, is t of all, the risk of ANAPHYLAXIS, a condition, however somewhat difficult to describe in any one medical venue, is a condition that can lead to a difficulty in breathing, a blockage of access to air due to the constriction of airways leading to the swelling of the throat and tongue, a weakened but rapid pulse but THEN, even severe shock, coma or DEATH. I will say that when I read this, this incident reminded me of the strange aftermath of my childhood condition regarding lobsters, thwarted by years of abstinence of savoring the taste of that watery creature. But Hostin’s story brought the aftermath of my early incident into a stark closeup. You see it was decades later that my abstinence died a thoughtless little spontaneous, demise.
You see, I never touched lobster again until decades later I took a trip to Acapulco with my son and, there, possibly on a restaurant near Laguna de Tres Palos, I decided to test the waters to see if my childhood allergy had debated. I was wrong.
For something like three hours, I was sure I was going to die- my breathing almost stopped, my throat ached, and I am sure I turned a bright purple- demonstrating to me the grave dangers this one remaining allergy still held for me. After looking carefully at the potentially fatal condition resulting from a walnut allergy, I found that a lobster allergy fatality can occur from the exact same condition. As one concise description said about shellfish allergies, including lobster, the worst and most dangerous reaction can come from anaphylaxis, “the most severe and dangerous reaction, a potentially fatal allergic reaction involving multiple body systems, spoke a passage from the Internet. “Anaphylaxis can occur rapidly and requires immediate medical attention and treatment with epinephrine.”
My condition in Mexico was never diagnosed or treated by a doctor and certainly never treated with epinephrine or anything else. Thankfully, the Disney medics who came immediately to Sonny’s rescue were successful- but I never had the advantage of ever knowing anything about my condition. At that moment, Time itself did work for me- and, after hours and hours, it all passed away. Next time, I’m in the mood for fish, I think I’ll order trout.
I guess, even for me, Death was just a Walnut away.
When I was a kid, I had many known allergies- and I had to have many regular shots- maybe about seven, every month. They didn’t hurt much and some of my sniffles and hives were abated. So, knowing about allergists and other medical doctors who handle allergies can be useful. But after having produced and co-hosted various holistic health shows, Having been cured of life-threatening asthma, and allegedly incurable eczema through alternative medicine, . I always look to alternative options as well. Allergies are nothing to fool with- but your pro-active research and ultimate solutions need to be customized to your own mindset, metabolism and persistence in searching for real answers.