I’m Allergic to...Crabs

Eating fish daily was a routine growing up. We would have different kinds of seafood in the weekends, like fresh shrimps, scallops, clams and crabs. I learned how to deconstruct a whole crab and eat all the edible parts at a young age.  Crustaceans were certainly some of my favorite food to eat.

After living in America for a few years, my exposure to seafood was limited. I ate shrimps from time to time, but rarely other shellfish. One day, I came across a Japanese supermarket in the mid-West. I walked up and down the aisles, getting nostalgic, remembering my favorite snacks when I was in elementary school. Then I came across these small packs of mini-crabs. Each crab fit in the mouth perfectly. They were made whole, somehow fried, processed and flavored so you could swallow its entire body, including the shell. I bought those and ate a few.

About an hour or so later, my back started to itch. Then there were welts, and more itching, spreading to my trunk and my neck. How was it possible, that I became allergic to the little crabs with their shells? Thankfully Benadryl saved the day. I didn’t really think much of it, only reminded myself not to buy those little crab snacks anymore.

Some time later, I ordered crab cakes in a restaurant. As I wasn’t eating the crab shell, everything should be alright. I enjoyed that lunch. About 6 hours later, I started to feel warm from inside out, with itching that started on the back of my head, gradually invading my neck and my trunk. My eyes started to be filled with tears and my nose started to get congested. Oh no, I thought, crab cakes too? As I never had an anaphylactic reaction, I didn’t have an epi pen, but my doctor did give me iv prednisolone with a clean syringe and needle, just in case. I remembered it was supposed to be an intramuscular injection.

So many thoughts crossed my mind at that time. I wasn’t going to die. Worse case scenario, I would call 911. I wasn’t ready to inject myself. Then I remembered my friend, who was about to graduate from nursing school, lived close by. I rang her and thankfully she was available. She came to my apartment right away and gave me the injection.

My throat never closed up. The rash and itching gradually subsided, although it felt like an eternity. It was obvious by then that I, who loved to eat crabs, became allergic to them. It was sad, as if someone grabbed a part of me and threw it far, far away. But then I reminded myself that I could still devour other shellfish – shrimps, lobsters (yes, that has been verified multiple times), clams, scallops, etc.

Even though I can’t eat crabs anymore, I cherish my experience of tasting other seafood even more. I don’t mind other people eating crabs at the same table. I learned to make sure I don’t eat any dish that has crab in it. This minor inconvenience is not going to stop me from the experience of gourmet food.