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alijazz

Listed below are comments made by alijazz between Sunday, 4th May 2008 and Sunday, 4th May 2008.

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Feeling deflated? 11:20pm on 04 May 2008 I suffer from Type 1 anaphylaxis from contact with natural latex rubber. After the slightest contact with latex, e.g. a balloon, I suffer a life-threatening collapse and will die in minutes unless someone knowledgeable is able to save my life with special medication. I have been hospitalised because of balloons, and other, ordinary, every day rubber items - many of which I can't even see, such as carpet glue.

My severe allergy makes me, effectively, a prisoner in my own home. I could be safe out of doors, and would enjoy going out, but for the ubiquitous presence of rubber balloons. The new fashion for having balloons advertise everything has severely restricted my quality of life. Restaurants are decorated with balloons. Shopping centres
are decorated with balloons. Crowds carry balloons. Even my doctor's surgery used to tie balloons to the front desk, making it impossible to attend appointments.

I know children (and apparently grown ups, it would appear from these posts) like rubber balloons, and it all seems harmless. But do they like them so much that they think it's ok that other people might die so that they can have their pleasure? Do you think it fair that I and other sufferers should have to risk our lives when we are out so that a child can carry a balloon for an hour. Is it fair that we should be confined to our houses and forced to be disabled, because of this? Just wondered.

Latex is deadly to more people than you could ever imagine. Because you only get a certain tolerance to it, and you never know when that will come, even if you aren't latex allergic today, you could become so one day, and your old life will be over forever. Like mine.

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