Allergies, Allergies...something's living on my skin

For the last 2 months, I've been battling something that's sent my immune system into overdrive. I've been itching and having bouts of hives off and on - feet and hands swelling, etc. I have few allergies, but the ones I have are BIG ones. I'm allergic to latex - do you have any idea how many things have latex in them? Just to name a few - balloons, rubber bands, the gloves my hygienist wears when she cleans my teeth. Did you also know that most people who have latex allergies are also allergic to bananas, kiwi, and avocado?

I haven't gone to the doctor mostly because she never seems to know what causes the reaction - it's flushing $15 down the toilet because she asks the same questions I've been asking myself. Then she tells me to take Benadryl (which I've already been doing). I've been through this drill quite a few times before, so I've been analyzing everything that I come into contact with (this is a lot of analyzing - it's been 2 months). No changes in laundry detergent or deodorant. I always check food labels, so I was pretty sure it wasn't any food. I don't wear perfumes or colognes or use any sort of hair products.

Last night my husband came home to find me with ice packs on my legs because they were itching so much I couldn't stand it and I knew scratching wasn't going to make it better. "You're calling the doctor tomorrow and you're going to do something about this," he said in his best tough-guy voice.

I was looking over my check book this morning (stay with me here, there's a connection) and I noticed that I had a hair cut towards the end of May. Then I remembered that I bought new shampoo from the stylist because she used it on my hair and I liked the way it smelled. So I ran into the bathroom to check the label. Guess what the third ingredient is...kiwi extract. I'm horrified. I've been washing my hair with this stuff for 2.5 months. I've been lathering myself in poison everyday. I'm glad I know what it is now, but pissed that I've been sick the whole summer without knowing what it was. And the worst part is, I have no one to blame it on. I have to shoulder all the responsibility for this one. I know better.