Hello! I’ve always wanted to start a blog.
So to kick things off, here is a little about my background and why I wanted to create this blog.
I was born with a life-threatening allergy to dairy (the severe, always-carry-an-epipen, can’t-even-touch-dairy kind of allergy). The doctors told me there was an 80% chance I would outgrow this by the age of 13. I kept an Easter-themed bag of M&M’s in my closet for years leading up to this birthday, telling myself it would be the first dairy food I would try once I outgrew the allergy… but 13 came and went, and my allergy did not go away.
It’s been said that dairy is the “toughest allergen” and in many ways I believe that. For my entire life there have been less than 30 restaurants (total) that I have felt comfortable enough to eat at. I lost 10 pounds my first year of college because I couldn’t eat anything at the dining hall, and nobody else was using the dorm kitchens, so I would rarely cook there too so I could be with my friends. When I was 21 I developed oral allergy syndrome (OAS- a condition that stems from pollen allergies but manifests as a food intolerance) and could no longer tolerate any raw fruits, vegetables, or nuts which limited my diet even more.
Fast forward 9 years later, I’m now in my 5th and final year of immunotherapy injections to help reduce the severity of my OAS. The shots have been amazing (a full blog post to come on this topic!), but I still manage minor OAS and the same severe dairy allergy.
I’m used to never being able to participate in catered meals, birthday cakes that I don’t make myself, wedding food, any social outings involving food, and even spontaneous travel.
While dating, it was anxiety-inducing to tell a new person about my allergy and hope they understood. I’ve experienced the guilt of feeling like I hold others back from trying new restaurants and wondering if anyone gets tired of eating at the same places over and over.
I’ve felt like a burden to others and worried I would offend someone by advocating for myself. I’ve hidden sandwiches under the table at countless weddings because I felt so awkward about having to bring my own food.
I’ve been made fun of at most companies I have worked for when I’ve brought food from the same restaurants for lunch frequently. I’ve been jealous of those who could travel without planning every single meal and snack and having to bring a suitcase of food.
I’ve experienced the anxiety of finally trying a new food and waiting the 15-30 minutes to see if I will get a reaction and wondering how severe the reaction might be. I’ve experienced the frustration of realizing how much easier my life would be if I could just eat anything.
It’s hard to understand just how challenging it is to live with this condition unless you are living with it yourself. By creating this blog I’m hoping I can help others gain a better understanding of what it’s like to live with severe food allergies, and for those also living with severe food allergies, I’m hoping my experiences are helpful and can be applied to situations you’re going through as well.