Sue,
The hives are pretty much under control by either avoiding foods which have soy in them, and of course, certain strains of yeast. Oddly, the research I did, turned up a connection with soy allergies not being present till you get stressed (the trigger), so Jan has it right to some degree. When I do have something with soy (it is hard to avoid, being in nearly every processed food now), it responds fairly well to Zyrtec. I do not like to take Zyrtec often, as I find it makes me moody and drowsy, so avoidance is my first line of defense. Like Clarice, I am very, very careful about what I buy. Reading glasses are in pocketbook for grocery store visits. But identifying your allergies is key: I advise a food diary - you might correlate it quicker. Allergists can do testing, although they are not 100% accurate at all times, it's a start.
Lastly, I'm not a doctor, but I suspect if it is an allergy, you won't be affected in surgery/recovery. They give you steroids for the swelling, which help with allergies. If you haven't already, tell your Dr. of the hives so they can have a contingency plan in place, like taking your antihistimines for some time. My husband was so afraid I'ld blow a gasket (cfs leak) sneezing, he ushered the flowers out of the room I got from friends, because I am sensitive to some fragrances; he also had me take my veramist (nasal steroidal spray). I did not have any problems for months, so I thought the tumor being removed resolved it.
It was actually not drinking during recovery for me: when I went back to the yeasty Belgians, I got hives again, but we were in denial;) My aha moment came later. May you have your aha moment sooner than later. You may not have it resolved b4 you go into surgery, but surgery will resolve one big thing! Best of luck to you staying calm over this next month!
Cheryl, regarding the chocolates: there is a site called soy free sales, which has soy free Chocolate. Soy lethicin is a widely used emulsifier, replacing more expensive Cocoa butter, but then you don't have to worry about the catch 22: stressed, reach for chocolate!as...
Julie
