I recently started subbing at 2 private schools. It’s been a good experience but it has been a little risky. I have to touch a lot of paper so I have to have gloves at all times.

Sometimes I do not have gloves on (like if I go to the bathroom) and someone stops me to give me something, usually paper. I find it difficult to say “Give me one second, let me put my gloves on.” because it is such a weird allergy. So I end up grabbing it and rushing to set it down.

Last week I subbed 4 out of 5 days. Each day my hands would get worst and worst but I don’t like being stopped because of it.

Friday night my hands were extremely red, they burned, and I could not touch water without seeing patches form.

I am thinking about working one week and then taking one week to allow my hands to recover. So it would end up being that I would only work 2 weeks a month.

It has been 4 days since I last subbed and my hands have hundreds of little cuts and still patch up when I touch water. My skin also looks super dry.

I took pictures that can be seen down below, but it is difficult to capture the micro cuts because they are so small. If you zoom in, you can see them a little better.

Last summer, Summer 2019, I went on a cruise. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had. However, the time leading up to the cruise was very stressful.

Due to my allergy, I was anxious because I was unsure of what I would be able to eat. My mom and me came up with an idea of making a list of the things I could and couldn’t eat.

Here are the lists:

Once I got on the cruise ship, the first thing we needed to do was speak to a dietary consultant. They would find foods I could eat on their menu. However, I needed to wait to speak to the dietary consultant at dinner because there was a lot of chaos and everyone was working on getting the ship ready for the departure.

The first night on the cruise ship we ate in the dining room. I looked at the menu and I felt very frustrated because I couldn’t eat anything. Moments later, I was brought a plate with cucumbers and avocado for an appetizer. I wondered how they knew I could eat that.

To my surprise, my boyfriend went to talk to the dietary consultant, while I took a little nap (I had never been on a ship so big so I was nauseous and laid down for a little). I was very surprised they found something I could eat, my eyes started to water. That night the chef also made me a baked potato and salmon, it was delicious.

The following 6 days, I had cucumber and avocado every night as an appetizer. I also had salmon and a baked potato every night, except for one night where the chef made me white rice and pork. I did not really eat desert but when I did they would give me the fruits I could eat. For breakfast I usually had cereal; I was able to take milk (powdered) and cereal I could eat onto the ship.

Thanks to all the dietary accommodations, the dining experience on the cruise ship was marvelous.

A few months ago my family had dinner at Dick’s Wings and Grill. Due to my allergy, I already knew it would be difficult to find something I could eat, so I decided I would just eat when I got back home.

My family began to order food. My mother saw that they sell French fries (plain, without any seasoning just salt) and asks if I would like to order some. We ask what type of oil they use; we were told vegetable oil. So she proceed to order the fries. I was excited because when I go out with my family, I usually cannot eat.

We told the waitress about my allergy to paper and made sure they knew what would happen if my food made contact with any paper. A few moments later, I receive a basket of fries lined with aluminum foil. Once again I asked to make sure the fries were not in contact with paper, meaning they were transferred directly from the fryer to the aluminum lined basket. I was told yes.

I began to eat the fries. 2-3 minutes later, I started to feel weak. My legs and arms were tingly and my hands were hurting. I immediately took 2 allergy pills to help stop the reaction and my mother took me home.

I spent the next two days in bed because I was too weak to get up. After a reaction it takes my body a week or so to return to its normal state. A week after I consumed the fries, my hands were still sore and red and I had been constipated ever since that day.

The day after we ate at Dick’s Wings and Grill, my mother called the restaurant and confronted them. They owned up to the fact that they did put my fries on paper before giving them to me. My mother told them that because of their carelessness and ignorance, I had a horrible reaction.

After that experience, I have become paranoid to eat out. If my food touches paper I know I will end up feeling the same way and that is something I do not wish to experience ever again.

The sad part is that people are incredibly ignorant. Many doubt my allergy because it is ‘weird’. However, it is essential for people to take it seriously, because at the end of the day it is MY health (not theirs) that is put at risk.

Before being diagnosed with this allergy I worked a few jobs.

The first job I ever worked was at Wendy’s. It was a good experience but the people were so careless. Not one day passed where I would go home with burns on my arms from coworkers throwing food into the fryer. I ended up working there for only 2 weeks.

I then started tutoring. I really enjoyed teaching children; I tutored about 5 children regularly. I tutored in many subjects, including math, science, Spanish, and English.

My freshmen year of college, I began working at Häagen Dazs. It was the best work experience I have had. I met 2 of my good friends and I was able to eat ice cream 24/7. However, this is when my hands started to become extremely dry and the cause was still unknown. After work I would need to let my hands rest and alleviate the pain with steroid creams. It hurt to touch water. When I was diagnosed, December 2018, I had to stop working at Haäagen Dazs. It turned out I was allergic to ice cream.

Although my hands got significantly better after I quit, I still miss being able to work. I felt like it kept me occupied. I have tried tutoring again, but since I wear gloves to touch paper, it distracts the children.

To this day, I have yet to meet someone with my allergy. It is difficult to find answers when no one really knows how to go about with this allergy.

I cannot deny that I still break down and cry every once in while when things get hard. This allergy is truly exhausting. All I hear from my loved ones is “no, you cannot eat that,” “do not touch that,” “let me help you.” I do remind myself that I must keep moving forward.

I know that it is important to stay strong and keep a positive attitude but some days… Even though this allergy makes it feel like everything is impossible and I am stuck in a small world, I reaffirm myself that I am not stuck and a bright future is ahead of me. I am proud of the knowledge I have acquired and the strength I have found to deal with my health challenges and keep hoping for an answer.

I remain hopeful that a day in the near future there will be some type of medicine or treatment to completely cure or manage the allergy to colophony.

This allergy has changed my life in ways I never thought it could. My diet is EXTREMELY restricted and I am not able to do much due to not being able to touch many things. My diet is very basic. Most days I eat plain white rice, meat with little seasoning (chicken or beef usually), and cucumber or green beans.

My dietary restrictions cause me to eat a lot of carbohydrates, but not enough protein or vegetables. As a result, I usually have to take a nap through out the day to regain my energy.

Often, I have lots of cravings. I miss eating pizza, donuts, cupcakes, and ICE CREAM the most. Some days I would like to be like “let me just have one scoop of ice cream or one slice of pizza,” but then I remember how I felt when I ate those foods and my mind refuses to let the cravings win.

The hardest part about living with this allergy is that it affects everything I do. I own a baking company and I am no longer able to taste anything I bake. Getting ready to bake is an additional task. Since I am not able to touch most ingredients, I must wear protective gear at all times.

I am currently attending college so it has affected how I do my school work. I prefer to take online classes. The weird looks I got in classes for wearing gloves and the fear of exposure to allergens such as paper, ink, people eating nuts and talking to me took too much of my academic focus. I do participate in college related activities such as club meetings, volunteering, and other events but they are limited and I am able to control my interactions most of the time. When I do go to campus, I wear gloves and long sleeves to limit body exposure.

I still find it weird how it took 18 years to figure out what was affecting my health. Ever since I was about 10 months old my mom has been struggling to find a solution to my out of the ordinary reactions.

I visited allergy doctors in both New Jersey and Florida; and still no doctor could give me a solid answer. I visited neurologists, dermatologists, allergists, orthopedists, and endocrinologists.

I almost gave up hope in finding out what was going on with me. My reactions were so varied and to doctors’ opinion “unrelated” (from joint pain, constipation and unexplained bruises to dry hands) that doctors did not believe my mom or I. Going to the doctor was a physically and emotionally draining event.

As I stated earlier, colophony (or rosin) is a resin that comes from coniferous trees such as pine trees and is completely natural and can be organic. Colophony is used in almost every industry, especially to process and preserve foods. This, here, is where having this allergy becomes tricky.

Allergy to colophony is considered to be a contact dermatitis. However, my allergy is so extreme that I react to any product made or that has come into contact with colophony. Most people with allergy to colophony have to be careful about coming in contact with it or any of its derived substances. I have to be as or even more careful about the foods I eat.

Since my allergy diagnosis, I learned that I am also allergic to foods I ate all my life because at some point these foods come into contact with colophony. Some of the foods I am allergic to: bananas, blueberries, all types of bread, chocolate, all types of citrus (lemon, lime, oranges, tangerines, etc.), carbonated drinks, coffee and tea, COCONUT, cauliflower, ICE CREAM, lettuce, broccoli, all types of sauces (ketchup, mayo, honey mustard, soy sauce, etc.), oils (coconut, olive, sunflower), spices (PAPRIKA, nutmeg, CINNAMON, cloves, etc), processed meats, many dairy products, and more. I am also allergic to all types of gums (chewing gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, etc.)

Now, that might not seem too bad, but I challenge you to go to the store and find something that does not have paprika, cinnamon, or coconut oil. It is almost IMPOSSIBLE!

By the way, I need to mention that before I was diagnosed with the allergy to colophony, I had been diagnosed with an allergy to all nuts, beans, and seeds.

My shock was still fresh when I was slapped with the notion that way too many medical drugs and health products are made with colophony. The very medicines I was taking when I had an allergic reaction or felt ill have rosin (one of the many names given to colophony) as their number one inactive ingredient. Some of those medicine include but are not limited to: Advil, Tylenol, Benadryl, Neosporin, Claritin, MiraLax, and almost all first aid ointments. Fortunately, I am able to take Aleve and Zyrtec. Thank God for them!

To make matters more interestingly, I am also highly, highly allergic to paper (wax paper, notebook paper, magazines, printer paper, text books, disposable sanitary products, food packed in boxes, and the list keeps going crazy). Excluded from the no-no paper list are the toilet paper and paper napkins. Hooray! If you are wondering about my reaction to the paper, here is the reason… paper is coated in a form of wax which is derived from colophony to make it glossy, durable, impermeable, and the list goes on. You are probably wondering how I know that I am allergic to paper? Well, whenever I touch paper (gift wrapping paper, textbook, notebook, baking paper – you get the idea) my arms get itchy, red spots that burn start coming out, my hands get dry, begin to hurt and eventually my skin breakdown and bleed.

The dermatologist started off by giving me a cortisol shot. He was confident that would put a stop to my dry, bleeding hands. I was told to return in 6 weeks to get another shot. After 4 days, I had to call the dermatologist office and make a follow up appointment. My hands became stiff, I could not bend them without breaking my skin and bleeding from the knuckles.

During my second appointment, I was told I needed a T.R.U.E patch test. The T.R.U.E patch test is an allergy test that is put on the back and read after a minimum of 48 hours. This test contains 36 of the most common allergens in our daily lives.

About 48 hours later, I returned to the dermatologist. The patch test was removed and the Dermatologist analyzed the reactions. I tested positive to Colophony and Disperse Blue 106 (dark blue textile dye). According to the dermatologist, my reaction to colophony was the strongest reaction to that substance he had ever seen. He noted in my chart that I am highly, highly, highly allergic to colophony.

I was relieved to find out the cause of my health issues but concerned about my prognostic since the doctor said that he could not treat my allergies. My mom and I wasted no time and began researching on our own. The different foods, spices, health and beauty products, medicines, cleaning products, and everyday items that contain or are processed with colophony caught us off guard. No wonder my own environment had a negative effect on me.