Now that the real winter has started, my mind turns to indoor activities: swimming, basketball and… eating.
For me, food has always required some thinking and planning, because like many in our community (and many who aren’t), I have allergies. My whole life I have not been able to eat eggs, peanuts or tree nuts. This also means I have to watch out when I eat at places that COOK with eggs, peanuts and tree nuts, because it only takes a bit of unwashed dish or pot for some to get into my food, and that can be enough to cause a reaction.
Everybody responds to their allergies differently, but for me, it goes from some hives and itchiness to a severe, potentially life-theatening allergic reaction - this means I cannot breathe. If I have a BAD attack (which is called anaphylaxis), I have to use something called an EpiPen, which is a needle full of adrenaline to fight the reaction. If you use the EpiPen you have to go to the emergency room immediately, so they can do more to help. None of this is fun, and I am glad I have not had a bad attack in several years. The last big one I had was because there was egg that looked to me like cheese in a sandwich I was given. I got REALLY sick that time. I ended up in the hospital for about eight hours before I was okay to go home.
My friends all know about my allergies. Many of them have challenges with food as well, and we all look out for each other to try and make sure no one has an allergic reaction. One of my friends has diabetes and celiac. Another couple of friends have digestive issues and need to eat food they bring themselves, even at restaurants.
It is hard for people who don’t have allergies to understand what it is like. Some parts are worse than others. For instance, I see friends eating candy with nuts, and I have to stay away from them because if they touch me, I could have an allergic reaction. I don’t miss eating nuts, because since I have never had them, I don’t really miss them. The egg allergy is sneakier, since there is a LOT of cooking that uses eggs. Depending on how it is done, I will either be OK or not, but every try includes a little risk, and that is scary.
The worst part is that since most people DON’T have allergies, it can be very lonely. At my elementary school, I was the only one with food allergies. They made a no-peanuts or nuts rule for the entire school, but because of the eggs, I still had to sit at a separate table, mostly by myself. That did not change until I was in high school, and the people around me were able to understand and make sure I was safe.
When I was younger, I used to be allergic to even more things – dairy, for example. Sometimes your allergies change as you age. All of a sudden when I was about 12, I could eat cheese. I tried to eat a lot of it that first day I found out – I LOVE cheese!! Sometimes the allergies go the other way: My dad has a friend who became allergic to seafood when she was in her 20s. That is really hard, because you know what you are missing.
Everybody has things they like and don’t like in their lives. I guess you just have to get used to things like allergies, because there isn’t really anything else you CAN do. If YOU have allergies, just remember to watch out for the foods and ingredients so that you won't get sick. And if you don’t have allergies, please be understanding to the ones who do. It is not easy or fun.
I hope everyone has a great winter. Talk to you in the spring!!
