Rubber kills.

It's a bit long and educational, but so few people know this that I figured I should try to teach you all about it. Please read, it's a life or death situation. 

Ever heard of latex? Well look around. Obviously it's those elastics that grandma uses to hold her check book together. Been to a mall lately? Notice the rubber balloons? How about your tires? The bottom of your shoes, sometimes your entire shoe? Check those pen for their cute rubber grips. Own an iron? Did it come with a nice comfortable rubber grib? Got a water bottle that came with the straw attached? Look where the straw is, see that little band around the underside where you put the straw, that would be latex. How about the lining in your undergarments? Yes ladies, your bras too. And well plenty of people know what rubbers are. Live in New England? Well they just upped the amount of latex they put in tar. I've even seen phones with rubber grips. Are humans really that clumsy that we need all this rubber?

Did you know that rubber can kill? I'm sure you can think of many ways but I mean rubber alone with anybody even touching it. Well neither did my mother.

My mother was a nurse for years. Wore the rubber gloves everyday. One days she noticed a rash on her hands, so she tried to wear gloves between the rubber gloves and her hands but somehow it always came. She got herself a box of the non-rubber gloves and kept on trucking. But about five years later a woman on her floor had to be coded. She had no choice but to use the rubber gloves in the room because any wasted time could mean this woman's life. THey were able to stop the women's hemorrhaging but the blood and sweat had given rise to the latex and she began to wheeze and cough up phlegm. It wasn't long before she would go into respiratory shock. Luckily a co-worker recognized it as an allergic reaction and injected her with an epi-pen, also held by those with peanut allergies and others. my mother lived, but from that day on she had been so allergic to latex that simply being in the same room as a latex balloon would give her a reaction. She no longer needs to touch it, if she breaths in the smallest amount of lingering latex she begins to wheeze.

Oh and I'm just getting started.

September of 2004 - My mother is caught on a two lane country road behind none other than a tar truck. She shut the windows and prayed he would turn on to the next street. But her body recognized it's old enemy and succumbed before she knew it. She pulled over as soon as she could calling work to say she's be late. SHe started a round of benedryl, which she always does for an allergic reaction. She also used the other mdeication and inhaltors she was given from her doctor's to stop the reaction. She also injected herself with epi. She waited for it to work. 20 minutes later there was no change. She tried another and her work, noting that when she called she had been gasping for air was calling her back to check on her. My mother picked up told her her location and soon enough an ambulance was carrying her away to the hospital.

My mother was going into repisratory shock. Her throat had begun to swell, constricting her airways. Her tongue was numb and she couldn't speak. What air she coughed out was accompanied by phlegm. She lost consciousness and her will to live. Her heart beat slowed and the next thing she would feel was a jolt bringing her back to life.

Collectively, she spent almost 2 months in the hospital. 16 Days of that was spent in the ICU. I raised 3 siblings on my own celebrated birthdays, while my father sat by her side and worked to keep our family afloat.

Today, almost 2 years later doctors still will not allow her to work. She lives on almost 30 medications a day which she takes every three hours. She can only be up for a few hours at a time. The medication is harsh on her body and her joints ache and she becomes weak. She would give anything to not be allergic to latex. She can't go to the mall. She can't shop for shoes, she can hardly take it at a car dealership, though she's all right if she stays outside. Everytime someone hands her a pen she has to check it first. She is missing a college graduation of a young woman she helped raise because balloons will not be omitted from the decorations.

This is mostly an eduational story. It's been an educational journey for me, I'm a pro when it comes to latex and latex products. I hope you took something out of this whether it be just an added piece of knowledge or maybe the next time you decorate to exclude the latex balloons, milar are so pretty anyways. Look around, can you think of anything else with latex? Are there others like her? You tell me. I know of younger children with the allergy, though there's is nowhere near as severe. Did you ever think that latex could do this? Have you ever even heard of an allergy to latex?

If you read thanks for reading, my mom appreciates that you took the time to hear her story and frankly, I appreciate it too.