Note: I am not a medical doctor. The following is provided for informational purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for speaking with your doctor.
I first learned of Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS), also known as Food Pollen Allergy, also known as Food-Induce Pollen-Associated Oral Allergy Syndrome, when Girlfriend was in kindergarten. One of the parents was struggling with many odd food allergies that her doctors couldn’t explain. She reacted to greens (like kale) when she ate them raw. I was interested in what could be going on, so I did some research. At the time (2005) there wasn’t much info out there. I finally found a personal blog where the person had the same reactions to things that my friend did and he called it Oral Allergy Syndrome. Thus began my travels into the wacky world of how pollen allergies can affect reactions to food. And, as it turns out, I am a major OAS sufferer.
What happens in OAS is a cross reactivity between plant pollens and fruit, vegetable, and nut proteins. Note: since soy is a bean, there are are also reports that soy is in there, too. Also, wheat is a grass, so you may react to wheat, as well.
OAS is actually a pollen allergy—not a food allergy. So food allergy testing usually doesn’t help identify it. Which is really confusing. The only testing to be done is for pollen allergies to the pollens that cross react with the foods you’re reacting to. Every time I have a new reaction my allergist looks at my pollen allergy chart and says, “yep, you’re allergic to birch trees (or whatever the appropriate pollen is).”
One thing about me: I’m allergic to everything. When I got my official pollen allergy testing at my allergist’s office, she had the whole office come in to see my arm (where they did the skin pricks). Apparently, I reacted the worst of any patient they had ever seen. I react to everything. And I have asthma—which also makes OAS more likely. So, none of this is a surprise to my docs.
The primary culprits in OAS are tree pollens and grass and ragweed pollen. So, if you react to those, then you may react to the raw foods that have similar pollen protein signatures (say that five times very quickly). Sometimes the pollen protein signatures are things from the same botanical family, and sometimes they’re not. And, further, you may react to one, some, or all–or none–of the raw fruits, veggies, and nuts that have the offending protein. And, you may react to them during some times of the year and not other times of the year. As you can imagine (or have experienced) this is confusing and annoying.
Some doctors–even allergists–have never heard of OAS, so it’s important to find one who knows about it and can actually help you vs. telling you that it doesn’t exist.
The reactions one can have to foods via OAS are varied. Some of the reactions that OAS can cause:
-itchy mouth
-itchy throat
-swollen tongue–can be deadly
-swollen throat–can be deadly
-seized vocal cords (which make you sound like Daffy Duck—ask me how I know, thank you raw celery)
-stomach ache
-vomiting
-diarrhea
-anaphylaxis–can be deadly (I get this from raw bananas)
Part of the fun of OAS (not) is that the reactions can happen sometimes but not all of the time. I have found that some of my reactions occur all year, while others of my reactions happen most often during tree pollen season—late winter into spring. What this means is that I can sometimes eat a salad with raw lettuce during the summer and fall but I can’t eat raw lettuce in the winter and spring. The reason for this is that my body is already overwhelmed with allergies, and adding more pollen proteins to things just makes things worse. This, as you can imagine, is confusing (and annoying) to friends and family members who can’t keep straight what you can eat and not eat and when you can eat and not eat them.
The other funky thing about OAS is that you can react to some of the things in a pollen category, but not to others. Also, you can be allergic to a certain tree pollen and not react to any of the foods that bear the pollen protein. Further, apparently OAS gets worse as you get older. So, I have been slowly losing things from my diet. For example, up until Girlfriend was in 1st grade, I could eat raw carrots with abandon. Then, out of the blue, I started getting stomach-ache when I ate raw carrots. I also started getting stomach-ache from apples. As it turns out, these two are linked by the protein signature. Each year, I seem to react to a new raw thing. I joke that I may be stuck eating air pretty soon. And as I looked back on my life, I realized that I had stopped eating all melons because they make my mouth itch. Melons are high on the list of OAS foods.
The thing that is very odd about OAS (on top of all of the other odd things) is the fact that once you cook any of the things you can’t eat raw, it’s often fine to eat. For example, I get a really bad stomach ache and horrendous diarrhea when I eat raw zucchini (so no raw spiralized “zucchini noodle” salads for me). But, if it is cooked well, I can eat it by the plateful. This is why I microwave grated zucchini before I put it into zucchini bread. I found out the hard way that the baking process doesn’t cook the zucchini enough for me.
And, because OAS isn’t logical (at least to me), there are some things you can’t eat even when cooked. Broccoli falls into this category for me. It makes me extremely ill even when I cook the heck out of it. Be on the alert for these types of things.
If you suspect that you have OAS, you might want to talk to you doctor about it. And be aware if you experience difficulty breathing or a swollen throat when you eat something. This is a sign of potential anaphylaxis and it can be fatal. If this is you, you need to make an appointment with your doctor to prescribe an epi-pen. Apparently, there is information out there that around 2% of OAS sufferers have anaphylaxis to some of the foods they react to (I suspect this number is much higher). This is me and bananas. I found this out the hard way one when I was sitting in on a class one day and ate a banana as a snack and all of a sudden, felt my throat closing up. Oddly, I had eaten a banana the day before and had been just fine. This is how bizarre OAS can be.
OAS Survival Tips
-If it makes you feel bad, don’t eat it. It’s not worth it.
-Note that so many sources say that anaphylaxis is rare, but the OAS community anecdotally reports a lot of anaphylactic reactions.
-Experiment with peeling your fruits and veggies. Apparently, the pollen proteins are found in high quantities in the peel. So peel your apples, peaches, nectarines, cucumbers, etc. and see how you feel when you eat the raw peeled fruit.
-On the other hand, be aware that you may react to contact with the thing. Many people in my OAS group report that they react to peeling potatoes but they can then eat them cooked. So, they have to wear gloves to peel the potatoes, but then they can eat them once peeled and cooked.
-Keep a diary of what you react to and when. My experience shows me that I react to some things year round and other things during high pollen season.
-On the other hand, I often find that there seems to be no rhyme or reason to when I react to things. I can be fine with something one day and react the next.
-Cook things well. Just lightly steaming something isn’t going to help for most of these things. I have found that lightly roasting nuts doesn’t help. They need to be well roasted. Also, dried fruit and vegetables are often OK to eat. As are canned fruits and vegetables.
-Cooking veggies well is still healthy. In fact, cooking them increases the amount of nutrients that your body can access from the veggies because cooking is a form of pre-digesting (weird but true) because it breaks down the fibers. This is why we cook food in the first place.
-Identify those things you CAN eat raw. It turns out that I can eat cauliflower raw. But not broccoli or cabbage. Who knows why, but I will take it. Cauliflower and dip is an excellent party choice. I always make a beeline to the veggie tray at parties and load up on cauliflower.
-Be aware that you may react to more and more things as time goes by. Just be on the alert for this. I have learned the hard way not to eat any raw things at parties or restaurants if I’m not absolutely sure that I won’t react to it.
-If I am at a friend/family member’s house and they are serving raw veggies, I ask if I can steam/roast/or boil some of them. I just nip into the kitchen and do this. Clearly, this is best done in a kitchen that you know well, but it is possible. And I am sure to clean up after myself. Also, at this stage, some of my friends just know to steam things for me before I arrive—which is very nice!
-Ask you doctor about allergy shots to the corresponding pollens. There isn’t a lot of data out there on the effectiveness of allergy shots, but it’s worth a talk with your doctor if this appeals to you.
More information on OAS can be found here and here and here.
One last note: many OAS information sites/sheets don’t list nuts. But nuts are part of the issue, too. Same goes with spices.
One extra last note: Some things are particularly difficult to cook them into submission–nuts and spices being in this category. Also, celery and strawberries. There are some like these that you may just have to give up–no amount of cooking will make them safe to eat for you.
image from wordplay.hubpages.com/hub/vintage-victorian-flowers-and-fruit
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Jeanne Sauvage
Thank you for this article, it has really helped me.
This is amazing!!!
I have a geographic tongue and I have always thought that is why I reacted to foods but I’ve noticed my reactions getting worse and to foods not normally effected by geographic tongue. My doctor thought it was just a latex allergy (which is the protein from a tree). This post explains my reactions almost exactly. I found this after more searching tonight because raw carrots have me struggling to breathe for the first time (I eat them almost daily). Not anymore!!!
Thank you so much for your post!!!
Robbin: You are welcome! I know how you feel–it is so weird that doctors don’t know about this type of allergy. I am glad that you figured it out!
Thanks! I’ve struggled so long to find answers and am hoping this may be it!
Sarah: You’re welcome!
We have serious food allergies. Our naturopath uses the Carroll Method for sensitivity testing. There are 5 foods it tests for; potato, dairy, fruit, eggs, & corn. The majority of the reactive foods mentioned here seem to be fruit. Getting this simple test (its just a prick on the ear) may be of some assistance to some of you. We have 2 of our family members with actual allergies & 4 others with just a sensitivity. I have had a huge frustration being allergic to potatoes as the starch is in everything..
Aviv: So interesting. I will go check out that method. Thanks! Also, OAS is a specific allergy that isn’t a food allergy–it is an environmental allergy. So, food testing doesn’t catch it. You need to test for pollen allergies and then do research on whether or not there is a pollen protein connection. This is why the things you are allergic to in OAS are fruits, veggies, and nuts.
Thank you so much for your post I have been recently dianosised with OAS and feeling frustrated. I have eliminated a lot from my diet due to having reactions from swelling,itching and diarrhea with eating raw fruits and vegetable. I also have noticed even with certain spices I have a bad reaction. I have also noticed a reaction even eating blueberries cooked in muffins. My doctor says the next step is allergy shots and I am on the fence about that at this point but I want to be able to eat raw Fruits and vegetables again. At least I hope the shots may help because they can be expensive.I am hoping to find a equal medium before to long. Thank you.
Susie: I so understand the frustration that comes with OAS. To be honest, I find it is harder to deal with than having a gluten intolerance. Bleh. Hang in there!
Hi, Thank you for your article on OAS. I was just diagnosed with severe tree, grasd and weed allergies. I have been having reactions for years to all kinds of food. During this past year the reactions started getting so bad I sought out an allergist. I have had three anaphylactic type reactions to foods I don’t test positive for allergies to, and I am sure OAS is why. After a lot of reading and reviewing my food journals it all fits. One thing I’m still wondering about, is grains. I stopped eating all grains a year ago because my reaction to them had become severe and quick. My doctor doesn’t seem to believe me. Does anyone else have OAS RELATED reactions to grains, especially corn or wheat. I get sudden asthma, pain in my stomach (not intestines), and very bad palpitations 5 to 10 min after exposure. With corn I also may get itching and hives on lips. Yet doc said I am not allergic to corn and whest. Thanks!
Alena: Grains do seem to cause OAS symptoms. Especially wheat. I read about that on the various message boards. And you say that your doctor doesn’t believe you–it might be time for a new doctor. Also, I’m glad this article has been helpful! Hang in there!
I have had OAS since my teens at least, when I was told in my home country of Sweden that I had “birch tree syndrome.” I stopped eating gluten a couple of years ago, and the fatigue that I had suffered from for so long was greatly relieved. Only six months ago I realized why: it was the wheat itself that I couldn’t handle because of OAS, not the gluten. It does help however that there are so many gluten-free products.
Gunilla: Yes, there are folks who react to wheat because it’s a grass. Sigh. This whole gluten situation is so very complicated, isn’t it?
I’ve been grappling with wheat/gluten reactions for four years now. For the longest time I thought I was either celiac (gastroenterologist believes test results are falsely negative) or NCGS. When I discovered that antihistamines greatly improved my symptoms, I decided to seek allergy testing. Allergy testing to wheat revealed a low positive class 1 result. It’s been tested three times with two at the beginning of the range and one in the middle. Barley and rye were both class 0/1. I was really expecting those results to be higher. For grasses, including cultivated rye, I tested Class 4 or higher to all tested. I’ve asked my allergist to consider testing wheat components, barley pollen, cultivated wheat, malt, rye grass, wild rye grass, and spelt wheat to see if the results might provide more information. I’m now beginning to wonder if my wheat reactions might be due to OAS. I plan to call my doctor next Monday if I don’t hear from him on the tests before then. I’m going to look into making an appointment to discuss OAS as a possibility also. I’d always dismissed it in the past because I never noticed reactions to fresh fruits and vegetables and never noticed the mouth symptoms described. I get dizzy and fatigued from the smallest traces of wheat exposure and maybe exposure to other gluten grains as well. I seem to be fine with dairy, corn, soy, rice, and gluten-free oats.
Sarah: I think it is definitely possible that your reactions to gluten-containing grains could be OAS. A lot of folks with OAS report similar reactions. And how those reactions express themselves are not always on the “common” scale (i.e., each person seems to have his/her own types of reactions). At the end of the day, though, regardless of the genesis of the reactions, there is currently no treatment other than avoidance. Good luck!
I once as a child told my ENT about my issue and he told me to see a dentist… and basically nobody believed me, they just thought I was a picky child who didn’t want to eat fruits or veggies.
Bananas are my worst as well, but recently I found a banana pancake recipe (just 1 banana and 2 eggs) and I’m in love with it because I can finally taste a banana again without being absolutely miserable.
Mary: I’m so sorry you had to go through that as a child. It’s interesting how little doctors know about OAS, even now. I get messages all the time from people whose doctors have no idea what’s going on. It’s strange to me. Also, I’m so glad you found a banana recipe you like–yay!
Could coughing and throat wheezing also be brought about by OAS? These are the main syptoms I get after eating what I believe is trigger food…mostly occuring during May/June/July time-frame.
Busymommy: I’m not sure. It could be. I’m not a medical doctor. If it feels like your throat is closing up and you are having a hard time breathing, that could be a sign of anaphylaxis. I would talk to your doc immediately about this.
Hi i just have to say a huge thank you for your blog. I thought i was going mad, i have been to and fro from the doctors getting tests for food allergies which come up negetive and now it all makes sense! I cant tell you what a relief it is to be able to find somewhere to listen to people who hae the same allergies as me. Mine have only just started in the past few years, and im terrorfied its going to get worse, my reactions are pretty severe already. As it stands, im alergic to hazlenuts, almonds, apples, cherries, plums, peaches, pears, carrots, rasberries and blackberries. Eating any of these things makes my mouth and throat swell in seconds and makes it hard to breathe, i also suffer from tummy aches. I will be going to do my doctor asap for help tomorrow now i know what it is – thank you xxx so much xxxx
Charlotte: I’m so glad to be of help! And yes, it is kind of shocking how many doctors don’t know about this. I run into so many people with OAS who all say the same thing: their doc doesn’t know about OAS. And I think the number of people who have this is growing. Hang in there!
Jan: Thank you for sharing your story! It is so helpful to know that other people are going through the same things. I also have to carry an Epi-Pen, ventolin, and Benadryl with me wherever I go. And i is so hard to have a new reaction appear out of the blue. Yuck. I am so sorry that your doc was ill informed. Nowadays, it seems to be the thing to blame the patient if the doctor doesn’t know what’s happening–which really makes me mad. Hang in there–and let me know how the immunotherapy goes!
What sort of chocolate can you eat?!?
Janelle: I seem to be able to eat any chocolate I try. High end to stuff like MnMs. I haven’t tried the so-call raw chocolate, so I don’t know if I tolerate that. Are you unable to eat chocolate?
I can eat any chocolate that is nut-free/made in a nut-free facility and without coconut oil.
I have had OAS for years, and its getting worse. Has anyone ever tried medications for it? My doctor wants me to take a med called xyzol- anyone ever heard of it?
Shira: I haven’t taken it, but I’ve read that there are some intense side effects. Depending on the extend of your OAS, I’m thinking that it might be better to just avoid the foods that trigger your OAS.
I have been GF and DF and knew certain foods bothered me (apples potatoes almonds peaches melon walnuts)but broke out in a complete body rash after using a juicer with frozen bananas. After trying allergy shot unsucessfully, requiring EPI injections, I am at a standstill. I know I am allergic to many things cherries, hazelnuts, sometimes pineapples.
I didn’f feel so alone reading these posts. Thanks
Laurie: Oh, I’m so glad my blog is helpful. It’s interesting, I was at the farmer’s market yesterday and one of the farmers mentioned that he was encountering more and more people who can’t eat raw fruits and veggies. It’s becoming more common. Not that I love that other people are having problem, but it’s nice to know that you have peeps who are going through the same thing.
My 4Yr Old Daughter Has Multiple Food Allergies, Fructose Malabsorption, HOwever Symptoms Sound Similar. She Has Been Having On And Off Symptoms With Other Foods But Can’t Figure Out Which Is Causing A Reactiin. Do You Know If Sugars Also Causes A Reaction?
Christie: The way OAS works is via the pollen that someone is allergic to in the air and the protein in the plants they eat that contain a protein that is similar to the pollen signature. So, I’m not clear where sugar comes into play. It sounds like she has sugar issues to begin with, right? I don’t really know, but my guess is that her sugar issues are a different problem–but I would ask her allergist to know for sure.
I have trouble with grass. When I looked up information on this, I found that sugar cane is from the grass family so I don’t use it. Hope this helps.
Amaeta: Thanks for the info. I didn’t realize that sugar cane is in the grass family. Good to know!
thank you so onemore question. so can i eat the things i cant eat raw but i can eat them cooked?
Emily: Well, usually. There might be some things you cannot eat raw or cooked. For example, I am now having a reaction to cooked bananas in addition to raw bananas. But most other things that I can’t eat raw I can eat if they are well cooked. So, approach each thing with caution–cook them well before you try to eat them.
Sorry didnt use my brain spell check this is what i meant to say I just found out I have oas and found out that I am allergic to soy, peanuts, chicken,pork, and cocunut I feel like I cant eat anything barely could you help find some recipes for me I need some good food
Emily: Oh geez. I’m so sorry. Welcome to the club. Here’s what I do: I focus on what I can eat. It sounds like you can eat lots of stuff (although it probably doesn’t feel that way right now). Meat (except for pork), fish, rice, corn, other grains, beans, cooked fruits, veggies and nuts. And remember: it gets better. At first it seems horrible, but you get used to it and then you realize that you can actually eat a lot of things. Hang in there!
Thanks for the info! I was diagnosed around 2005 as well and word seems to be spreading. I’m down to only being able to eat raw lettuce, grapes, and berries. I am allergic to everything else. I have found that I am allergic to apples, carrots, and cantaloupe in every form including cooked. I almost died (seriously) the last time I tried to eat applesauce and I passed out in a restaurant because of a stray sliver of carrot in my salad. Glad to know that there are other people out there with similar problems although, I would not wish this on anyone.
Erin: Bleh. It’s so challenging. Hang in there!
Hi Jeanne, great tips for dealing with OAS! I’ve got pretty severe OAS, and am actually finishing a book right now about it! I’ve just put a call out for feedback from the OAS community and would love to hear from you 🙂
You can check out the book outline here: http://poorandglutenfree.blogspot.ca/2013/06/the-makings-of-oral-allergy-syndrome.html
I’d also love for you to link-up your blog to my new OAS & GF bloggers page 🙂
http://poorandglutenfree.blogspot.ca/p/links.html
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, we need to raise awareness about OAS, there’s so little info available 🙂
Danielle: Wow, a book on OAS? Awesome! Definitely a needed resource! Let me know what you can do to help you. I just signed up on your site for a blog link. Happy writing!
http://t.co/EqnFP3x0Ib
I have had ugly allergies all my life (well, up until 6 years ago). I was on 4 shots a week and at least 6 oral meds a day. Everything under the sun affected me with the exception of shell fish. I know it sounds far fetched, but I tried an alternative treatment called N.A.E.T. (www.naet.com). I has made a huge difference. I feel human again. It uses acupressure to help your body not recognize things as allergens. It has been permanent for me. I am no longer on any shots and very rarely have to take meds. I thought it was too good to be true; but, I gave it a try. I figured it couldn’t be any worse than all the torture I was going through already. All I can say is that it has been a life safer! And a money saver. I can eat gluten now without getting the severe reactions as I once did (I still limit it) and I can function normally (well, my husband might not agree there but I at least feel human).
I just want to throw it out there because it helped me and it doesn’t require any drugs and the results are at least 90% permanent. I never got that kind of response from any other kind of treatment. My results have been 100% permanent. I just go in for spot treatments now when something new comes into the air or I get sick for some unknown reason.
Beyond that, I want to thank you for your blog and sharing what you know. It really is nice when you find that you are not the only “freak of nature” as my husband calls me. I feel that I am in good company and I really enjoy your style of writing. I am looking forward to reading more! 🙂
Angela: I’m so glad that you’re treatment is working so well! I have heard of NAET and have heard of the fabulous results some folks get. And we are in the “freaks of nature” club–LOL!
I highly recommend looking into the GAPS diet. Chances are your gut is leaky which is leading to an increase in food sensitivities over time. Cutting out foods alone is not the answer. I know I’ve been doing that for the last 10 years with no appreciable improvement in symptoms. GAPS is making the difference for me.
Cattaca: You are absolutely right–a leaky gut is quite problematic. For me, it requires constant monitoring. I use megadoses of probiotics and I also use bentonite clay to absorb the toxins and to heal heal the gut. I find that my natural diet tends towards the GAPS protocol, with variations. Thanks for the suggestion!
Don’t forget the gelatine! I haven’t had time to do the from scratch none broths lately but I do have a large can of Great Lakes Gelatine which I add to just about everything. In a bout of mistaken overconfidence I had too much wheat a few weeks ago and a major leaky gut setback. The gelatine is making the difference.
Cattaca: I’m not sure what you mean. Do you mean that when you eat gelatin your symptoms get better?
Gelatine supplies the amino acids essential to the quick healing of the intestinal lining which is normally replaced every 3 days.
Cattaca: Ah, I see. Thanks!
If the gut is not sealed all manner of improper and foreign substances can get into the blood stream and trigger an immune response. I tend to primarily show symptoms in my skin and yes having a tablespoon or two of gelatine every day along with raw milk, pastured eggs and lacto fermented vegetables are the cornerstones of my diet along with a good multivitamin. Like cheeseslave I think I’m making up for a lifetime of nutrient weak foods as modern agriculture has greatly depleted our soils.
Cattaca: Yes, that makes sense.
Thank you for writing about this. I am a highly allergic person and am just beginning to figure out that this is the reason why (since childhood) there are so many fruits I just don’t like.
Do you ever get geographic tongue? I have gone through episodes of this as well and know that it is related to certain foods for me.
Stupid allergies.
Mommio: I just looked up geographic tongue–and it turns out I do have it. Wow. I had no idea. Thank you for the info. And I agree: stupid allergies.
Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) or Food Pollen Allergy http://t.co/CtYs3YRoD4
This is such interesting, helpful information, and may explain why I have problems sometimes, but don’t others. I am so glad to have a name for it, and will be looking into it more. I really appreciate that you share this kind of information in addition to your terrific recipe!
Michelle: I’m so glad to be of help! And thank you!
I have OAS, but didn’t realise it could have gastro symptoms, thanks! I guess the name suggests its limited to oral symptoms. I’m taking part in a study at the moment on birch pollen immunotherapy and OAS, so hopefully there’ll be a bit more evidence out there!
I also find my hands react to raw potato, especially when the skin is dry/chapped. I now have to wear gloves to peel them!
Chloe: Interesting. Please keep me informed on the study–I’d be interested to hear how it goes! And hang in there!
Raw potato!
When I peel potatoes, my skin gets itchy. And if any raw potato “juice” gets in my eye, it’s super-itchy.
Mommio: Wow! Potatoes seem to be a big one. Yikes! Hang in there!
Great summary of OAS, our son has many of the same issues as you, it’s a real pain particularly in terms of nutrition, since cooking loses many vitamins..and he loves raw carrots and apples but definitively can’t eat them at the moment (he’s 4 and has many allergies other than OAS).
Here in Europe, we do sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) (instead of shots or in combination). Apparently the OAS may get worse at the beginning but then recedes. I don’t know if SLIT if FDA approved in the US tough.
Thanks for sharing as always.
Alexia: interesting. I will check that out. And hang in there!
Michelle: You’re welcome! Hang in there!
Fascinating information. I had not been aware of this. Thank you for sharing.
I have that with Kiwi fruit. I thought I was deadly allergic to it (anaphylactic) . It turns out it is a crossover allergy to a weed.
Odile: Blerg. And keep in mind that it can still be anaphylactic for you. Bananas are for me.
I totally understand. I have OAS too. It started with just a mild response to bananas and carrots. Now it is those plus strawberries, apples, bean sprouts, potatoes, cantaloupe, honeydew, etc. etc. Like you said, it varies by the season. I have allergies to lots of pollens also. The worst for me is that I cannot even really peel potatoes anymore without an oral reaction, coughing, and starting to lose my voice. I don’t eat them at all. Hang in there!!
Emily: Thank you–you, too!!
Emily: Gah. I’m so sorry. It’s turning out that a lot of people react to potatoes and the process of peeling them. I need to be on the lookout for that. I realize that I kind of avoid potatoes most of the time–I wonder if this is why. You hang in there, too!