Monday, August 1, 2011

Another mango sneak attack

We went to a nearby panederia for breakfast.  I ordered the pancakes (pan queques) that come with fruit on the side.  We told the waiter "Mas importante, no mango, muy allergico" and made the choking motion with hands around neck.  I added, "Yo muerte!"  He nodded, and went to the kitchen.  Eventually he brought out breakfast - mediocre pancakes (too eggy), and fruit salad that had no mango in there - I definitely checked it out.  We ate.  We paid.  We walked.  I started coughing and having more and more trouble breathing, complete with the itchy throat and runny nose.

So we walked over to the little surgeon, who we knew from 3 years ago when I ate granola that had dried mango in it.  I was even in his computer system!  A shot of epinephrin in the arm, several hits with the nebulizer with breaks inbetween, he tried another shot intravenously but my veins were having none of it (they roll, they collapse, they clot, this time they put blood INTO the syringe, I have no idea how).  So he went with a max dose of prednisone today, decreasing for 3 days.

I'm okay.  I'm shakey and tired from the meds.  We napped, we read, Richard went out and picked up lunch. 

And when we get home, Mercedes, I need a list in Spanish saying I'm allergic to mango and please wash the knife and cutting board or plate with hot water and soap before cutting fruit for me.  Or maybe I should only eat bananas, which come with their own protective coating.

Last note - there are vultures all over Costa Rica, they fly in the sky in circles, they land by the side of the road - but here, in Puerto Viejo, they land in the trees and lurk ominously, like bad omens.  Maybe I should have listened to them!

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