In the moments after testing positive for several different food allergies my mind was flooded with so many different emotions. ( I’d suspected food allergies a few years back, but wasn’t able to get in to see an allergist despite having great health insurance). My allergist walked in, handed me a long list of foods, and told me that I needed to avoid them immediately.
At first I was a little shocked (I didn’t expect to be allergic to so much!) and I’m sure I must have cried a little, but I also felt relieved to finally have some answers. I’d originally made the appointment to beg for testing for my infant daughter. I was breastfeeding and she was reacting to something in my diet. After just a few minutes I started to pull myself together. I remembered that I’d helped someone else manage their food allergies in the past and felt a little empowered. I’m not an allergy newbie but I was new to managing my own allergies. I wanted to be positive. I’ve got this! I’m sure I have enough knowledge to make it through this I thought! But wait…Did I really?
My plan was simple, I would be sure to pick up my epi-pen from the pharmacy on the way home, and avoid the food on the list. Easy peasy! How hard could that be? Right? Besides I’d just had a brand new baby, no desire to be sick, and I was so much in love with being a mom! I needed to get this right.
The truth is that I actually wasn’t properly prepared for the journey ahead. Even though I was determined to make it work and I did, there was so much that I had to learn the hard way. I faithfully avoided my allergens as well as my daughter’s without complaint. All processed foods were out. It seemed that at least one of our allergens was listed in the ingredients of familiar foods that I wanted to prepare. I had no idea on what or how to substitute ingredients. I wasn’t even the kitchen type! Our nutritionist didn’t have any advice for us. People stopped inviting us to events because they either didn’t know how to accommodate my allergies or they didn’t have time for all the extra work. And It was a lot of work! I also lost a lot of weight and a lot of friends because of my weight loss, but I didn’t give up! I couldn’t give up! I was determined to fight hard for myself and my child.
If my allergist just would have told me five years ago some of the things that I know now my journey would have felt easier. Here is what I wish I was told:
- Find a support group in your area that does meet-ups, even if you don’t think you’ll need it. I promise you’ll be glad you did! If there isn’t one, start one! We can all use someone in our corner who’ll have an idea of what our journey consists of and feels like.
- Beware of Biphasic Anaphylaxis and educate those close to you.
- Allergic reactions present differently in different people. ( Although I knew this, some people don’t) We don’t all react the same to the same allergen.
- Depending on you and your allergies Oral Allergy Syndrome might effect you.
- You can always develop a new allergy to something that didn’t cause problems in the past. It can happen at any age. It’s not something that people think about after being diagnosed. I sure didn’t!
I really hope this was helpful to you. And don’t forget about finding that support group! At the end of the day its much easier to conquer something with a team behind you. #foodallergyknowledge