If you are hungry, reach for something besides cashews

I want to sart this post by referring to the night last week that i almost killed myself. Before you continue reading, please note that I am alive and well..... OK so to start the story... There has been a shortage of food in many of the villages in Senegal. The senegalese economy is suffering much like that of america. Rice and other food prices are skyrocketing and many people have resulted to theft to feed their families. My family is suffering as well. Last week, we ate millet and water every night for dinner. I have described millet here a few times before and lets just say water does not help the taste much. After about 3 bites of scrumptious millet, i went back to my room starving. It was about 9:30 pm as I scrambled around my room to find some peanuts and cashews to snack on before bed. (I found 6 cashew fruits the day before and saved the nuts...) I took a big bite out of the first cahew and noticed that MY MOUTH WAS ON FIRE... i immediately spit the nut out and began rinsing my mouth out with water... At that moment, i remembered another volunteer saying something about fresh cashews being extremely poisonous and many people get rashes from just touching them. I soon felt my throat beginning to swell as i washed my entire mouth out with soap. The skin on my lips began peeling off as the acid from the cashew set in. The taste buds on my entire tongue were burning off as well. I ran to my medical kit and downed 3 benadryls and 2 zyrtec. I wasnt sure if i was going to overdose on Benadryl but i new i was having an allergic reaction. I called the nearest volunteer and she biked over to be sure i was going to be ok. Keep in mind that it was pretty late at night to be riding a bike. There is no emergency service in this country so we sat there and waited it out. Luckily, after about an hour, my throat began to feel better. My lips and tongue have taken several days to heal. I finally started to be able to taste food again but im still not 100%. Today i told a few other volunteers about what happened and they were shocked that I am alive. They told me horror stories about others doing the same thing I did and not having the same luck as i had.... I dont know who is praying for me back at home, but thank you! As of now, I am finished with cashews!