Nuts. Having a lethal allergy to nuts means that this is one of the scariest words I can hear.

(Don’t worry, Mom and Dad. I’m fine. It was only a mild reaction. I have to say that upfront. Otherwise, my mom and dad would be freaking out.)

Anyone who has ever eaten out at a restaurant with me knows how OCD I am about asking whether any of the food I will or may eat has nuts. Last night was no exception. I was at an Indian restaurant with some friends and I asked before touching any of the food and was assured that none had nuts. I asked again before I had any of the sauces if they had nuts. Thinking all was safe, I dipped some naan into one of them and took a bite.

It’s hard to describe my initial sensation after ingesting an allergen. It kind of feels like taking a swig of hyrdochloric acid, which I have a distinct memory of accidentally doing in my high school chemistry class when we had to suck some acid into a glass straw to transfer to another solution. Last night I had an instant burning sensation in my mouth after that quick dip. I knew something wasn’t right.

So, I asked again whether there were nuts in that particular sauce. Knowing what *kind* of nut is important because I know that walnuts give me my worst reaction. I can walk past a section of raw walnuts in the produce section and have a sneezing fit. Again, I was told there were none in it. Someone from my party even translated to a waitstaff that I wasn’t concerned about peanuts (which are legumes), but with treenuts, like walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, pine nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts. We were told again that there were none.

Obviously, I didn’t have any more of that sauce. I ate a little more of the dinner, reassuring myself that I had my epipen with me. I would use it if things started to head south, but using it means that I must go to a hospital. I didn’t want to go there if I didn’t need to. I started to get sniffly, and I could feel my face getting red, particularly around my mouth. 

I made it through dinner. By the time I got to the train to meet up with Johan and the girls, my neck and upper chest were red with a rash. My palms and wrists were itchy. Johan had Telfast, an antihistamine, on him and I took one of those. 

On the bus ride home, I was getting itchier. At around 11:00, my right was swollen and my lips felt big and a little numb. I decided to find a 24-hour clinic.

At the clinic, I got an injection of Promethazine, which is kind of like Benedryl. I knew it would make me drowsy, so I had to get home quickly in a cab. 

I woke up this morning and my right eye is still swollen. I already had scheduled a doctor’s appointment for this morning because I hurt my left second toe earlier this when I slipped on a wet floor. I wanted to make sure it was ok and determine if it was broken. Since I was there, I consulted with her about my reaction that had not settled down yet. I just met with the doctor and she gave me a prescription for stronger antihistamines and sent me for an x-ray on the toe.

I still don’t know what I reacted to last night. My working theory is that the restaurant uses some kind of flour that is made with ground nuts and they don’t know it. Or, I’m allergic to something I didn’t know about before. Either way, my husband wants to swear off Indian food. 

I think I can say now that March ended with a bang. In like a lion, out like a lion? I am in the Lion City after all. Here’s hoping that April is more like a lamb.