Miss Allergic Reactor

A Scary Feeling- Asthma and Environmental Allergies

2011-10-20T14:54:00.001-04:00

This morning I woke up from a terribly scary dream, to realize that part of it was a bit real. In my dream, the building was on fire and it was hard to breath around the smoke. When I woke up, I could feel the tightness in my chest, and realized that part did indeed feel real.

Over the past few months, since I have been back in Italy from my summer holiday to the States, I haven't had many environmental allergies or asthma. Over the past two weeks however, I have felt a tightness in my chest from a cough and the quick change to cool weather. This was a feeling I hadn't experienced in a while, and took me by surprise. Feeling this way is uncomfortable for someone who doesn't have allergies or asthma, but for someone who does, it accentuates that feeling that much more!

Right now as I sit here typing, drinking hot tea in a cool apartment, I feel the tightness and I find it a bit frightening. I am telling you this, because it is important as a parent, that you understand how vital you are to them. Parents are the best comfort your children have when they feel this way. I am sure it is even scarier for them because they don't know how to express the way they are feeling. At least as an adult, I know the things I can do to try to help myself. For parents who share this blog with their children, it is important that your children know that they are not the only ones who feel this way. It is a scary and frustrating feeling, and although you may not understand how they feel, you can understand that they are scared and need you.

I don't often worry or feel concerned about my allergies or asthma, but whenever I feel like this, that worry does exist. To help myself worry less, these are the strategies I use:

1.) I take deep breaths and tell myself to relax and stay calm (if I cry or escalate in any way, I will only feel worse and have an even more difficult time).

2.) If necessary, I take my rescue inhaler (I use ProAir).

3.) I keep track of my breathing by measuring with my Peak Flow Meter to see how off my breathing really is, or if I am more nervous, when my breathing may actually be in a safe range.

4.) I drink hot tea and run a hot shower to breath in the steam.

5.) I find something to do, read, or watch that will relax me, so I am not solely focused on the tightness.

I have had a few instances where my rescue inhaler did not help as much as it should, and I had to go to the hospital. Fortunately, that has been very few instances (and usually when I have been sick, extremely stressed out, or around pets). If your child's tightness is that severe, a hospital is certainly the most important place to be!

Of course, with these experiences, it always tends to be situational...

Checking in with your child and making sure they know that you are there is extremely important. Teaching them also what to do, is a skill they will need to take with them as they grow up and live on their own someday (like me).

One other point I want to make, is the importance as a parent, of not showing your own worry or panic in front of your child. Although you as a parent are certainly entitled to feel panicked, it is something that will only worry your child more and make them feel even worse and more scared themselves. You as a parent need to make sure to feel in-control and in-charge of the situation. That way you will put both your child and yourself more at ease.

I am lucky that I can't remember my parents ever showing serious worry in front of me throughout my growing up. However, I did have other adults who showed their worry, and made me feel that much worse, and much more frightened. That is why I know the feeling, and know how much worse it feels as a child!

Although I am now on my own, and my parents are not here in Italy with me to comfort me in-person, I do know that they are only a skype call away, and my Italian family (not by blood, but by love and care) is only one floor below, and that is a comfort I am fortunate to have!

Sometimes people forget...

2011-08-08T00:43:00.001-04:00

This year, I have dealt with a number of more uncomfortable allergy situations, mostly due to people forgetting. If you are not around an Allergic Reactor all of the time, it is much easier to not remember both how severe their allergy can be, and how to be careful so they don't feel uncomfortable.

Last month I went to a newly discovered bookstore in my city. I met one of my Italian friends there to have a coffee and browse around the store. When we ordered our drinks and sat down at a table in the cafe of the bookstore (which is very uncommon in Italy to find), chips and a variety of nuts were brought to the table to go along with our drinks (this is something that is typical here and doesn't surprise me anymore). My friend started snacking on the nuts, and although they were on her side of the table, it did still make me feel a bit uncomfortable. I felt like I had to be more on-guard about her movements and what she touched. She knows about my allergies, but I did need to remind her about the severity and that I couldn't touch them, etc.

This experience reminded me that sometimes even people that know about my allergies can still forget the severity, and that sometimes people that I infrequently spend time with, may need a brief reminder! Don't be scared to remind people! It is important as an Allergic Reactor to keep yourself safe!

There is change...slowly.

2011-07-24T11:32:00.002-04:00

Yesterday evening I went out to dinner with three friends I have been close with since elementary school. We walked around the waterfront area, and asked a few different restaurants if they would serve me. I showed them my Chef Card, and the managers would come out and say they didn't feel comfortable serving me because of my fish/shellfish allergy. We then finally ended up at Joe's American Bar and Grill because I had gone there last summer and had no problem. It said on the bottom of the menu to tell your server if you have any allergies, so I figured that showed some awareness anyway.

When it was time to order, I asked if the server could check on the turkey burger for me. I remembered having it last year without a problem, and remembered it being pretty delicious. He came back with my Chef Card a few minutes later. He said that the manager would be right out. The manager came out and explained that he was worried about the turkey burger because they cooked fish, and he was also worried about some rice I had asked about ordering as an appetizer (I was starving after participating in a scavenger hunt/bar crawl, and was ready to eat about anything I wasn't allergic to). He then asked if I would want a pasta dish. I ended up ordering a generic pasta veggie combo dish. The food was fine, but it was definitely a different experience than the prior year at that same restaurant. The manager seemed overly worried about my allergies. I would much rather have that though, than have a manager that won't take them seriously!

Every time I come back to America, I do notice changes. Many restaurants and food establishments have signs asking to let them know if you have a food allergy. People in general also seem to be taking it mores seriously and are more aware of the actions that need to be taken. I know it is still a slow process, but change is happening, and with the continuation of educating people, hopefully more awareness and understanding will continue.

No Waffles or Chocolate, BUT a Splendid Trip

2011-06-08T00:53:00.000-04:00

"Can you tell me what is in the waffles?" I asked in Brussels at a restaurant where waffles were the 'specialty.' The man looked at my list with another waiter, and said, "I know we use margarine." I looked at my chef card in French, and realized I wasn't sure if I was allergic to margarine in Belgium. My French chef card was translated from my Italian one (where I am allergic because 'nuts' are apparently a 'vegetable' here). Since I didn't know, I said "merci" and continued on my way.

Waffle stands and restaurants were everywhere in Belgium!

That was my first and last attempt to try a waffle in Belgium. Since margarine was a common ingredient that I assumed was used in all of them, I decided I would need to do some more research about margarine before returning for another trip to Belgium! I also noticed that both nuts and Nutella (a chocolate nit spread) were used per request to flavor the waffles. There would certainly be a risk of cross-contamination, and I would have to find a place that would be willing to work with that and my allergies.

Prior to leaving for belgium, I looked at a book that I had bought at a conference I went to for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). It said that Belgium followed the food labeling standards that were set for all EU countries. It is a helpful book, since I am consistently traveling in Europe.

Chocolate...so much Belgian chocolate everywhere! It looked delicate and delicious, and COMPLETELY unsafe to even ask about. Of course there were nuts everywhere, along with beautifully made chocolate truffles, fudges, and most anything chocolate that you can imagine! I had anticipated this would be the case, but a girl can dream that just maybe somewhere I would find chocolate! Maybe someday...

The most chocolate I have ever seen!

I didn't have too much difficulty finding food. I was trying not to spend too much money on this trip (since I will be traveling most of the summer), so I only ate one meal out. The rest of the time I went to grocery stores to buy food. I found bread, cheese, fruit, yogurt, and crackers that I knew and could safely eat. I also found ice cream (which helped me with my chocolate cravings)!

The one day that I spent in Bruges, I took myself out to lunch. There was a cute little restaurant on the corner of a cobbled road, that I decided to try. I was curious to see how they would react to my allergies, and if they would be willing to work with me to make sure the ingredients were safe.

In Bruges, where I ate lunch.

A man came out to wait on me. I ordered a drink, then asked about the croque-monsieur sandwich. I showed him my Chef Card and the only question he had to go check on was the butter. He was wonderful with my allergies, and didn't look intimidated by the long list of allergens. He came back and said I was all set. A salad came on the side, and he and another waiter checked on the dressing (which was all fine). The meal was delicious and problem-free!

Sandwich and salad.

When I was leaving, I thanked the waiter, and he said, "Yeah, it's not common here (allergies). I don't think people are often very understanding." I thought it was an interesting comment and wondered if it was true.

Overall, I had a lovely time, in what I found to be such an exceptional country! I will definitely go back again (and with margarine knowledge, so I can someday have a real Belgian waffle)!

Travel, Travel!

2011-05-30T15:27:00.001-04:00

This week will be my first trip to Belgium! I am excited to travel to a place where language shouldn't be a barrier. I plan to spend the majority of my time in Bruges, which I hear is spectacular!

These are my two substantial Belgian cuisine desires:

-I will be able to eat a Belgian waffle
-I will be able to find nut free, pure Belgian chocolate to eat

I have no idea what I will find as far as eating with my allergies, but I hope to not miss out on everything this country is known for (since I am already unable to have the mussels, a Bruges specialty).

In preparation for my trip, I will organize plenty of extra medicines (including Epi-pens, Benedryl, and inhalers). I will also make sure to have all health paperwork accounted for in my travel folder, as well as the emergency numbers. I also learned earlier this year the importance here of making sure that my phone has plenty of money on it (most phones here are pre-pay), so in case of an emergency, I have enough money to call my allergist and family in the U.S. I also make sure that I have appropriate chef cards in the country language (for Belgium it will be English and French).

Besides that, I should be ready to go! Now I just need to figure out what clothes to pack... :)

Out for Birthday Dinner!

2011-05-22T15:55:00.022-04:00

Last night it was one of my friend's birthdays. I had never been to the restaurant before. She told me that it was an Osteria, where the food would be regional Italian cuisine. I was also told that there wouldn't be a menu, because it changed daily, depending on what fresh ingredients they bought to cook that day. I told her that if I couldn't eat anything, I would just enjoy the company and eat later (my usual back-up plan in case I can't eat). Here in Italy it is difficult to call ahead of time, and since the style of this restaurant would not have been conducive to this anyway, I decided it would be a dining adventure.

Before going out, I made sure to eat something small, just in case they couldn't accommodate my allergies. The restaurant was authentic and tastfully decorated. The server told us what the food choices were that evening for each of the three dinner courses. I gave the server my Chef Card, and asked in Italian if she could find out what I would be able to eat that night.

When the server came back to the table, she was able to advice me on exactly which dishes would be safe with my food allergies. Although there were fish dishes and salads with nuts, they were happy to accommodate me, and careful to figure out what I would be safe eating.

Another successful dinner out in Italia!

Teacher vs. Teacher- Part II

2011-04-21T08:51:00.010-04:00

Towards the beginning of the school year, I wrote about how selfish and unkind I had found the science teacher about my food allergies. This was an attitude she had also shown to me my first year teaching in Italy. Now, towards the end of the school year, she has been a repeat offender twice, showing her clear lack of understanding, and disregard for my allergies.

Since the cookie incident, the next repeat offense was when she was teaching my students about health and nutrition. There are two classes of the same age group, so she took both my class and the other class into the other classroom to do an experiment about amounts of fat in different foods. The majority of the foods she used, had the students touch, create with, and then turn into a project, were peanut and nut based foods. I am glad she at least thought ahead about the classroom, but she did not have the students wash hands, and brought the projects full of nuts and peanut butter (which isn't even a common food in Italy), into my classroom. My students at this point in the year, were aware of my allergies, and were careful if they ate any nuts, etc. to wash their hands, so they knew after this project to wash their hands, after removing the projects from my classroom and washing the table. I just could not believe this teacher's naivety and lack of thought into what she was doing, and how it may affect others.

The next and most recent offense was when this teacher wanted to make Roman designs with my students, using beans and other legumes (which I can't eat, but can be around/touch), as well as coffee beans. I wrote a letter to my students' parents for her, saying that the students needed to bring in these materials, but emphasized that no peanuts or tree nuts should be brought in. My students were responsible enough at nine years old, to not bring in anything I couldn't be around, but this teacher was another story!

I was in the classroom grading my students' reading notebooks, when I realized I was smelling something and feeling a bit itchy and uncomfortable. I didn't see any nuts or anything, but I was confused why I was feeling the way I was. A few minutes later I heard the science teacher say to a student how she had these hazelnut coffee beans that had been in her freezer from America, that she didn't want to use anymore, which is why they were perfect for the project. Then I said to her after hearing this, "you have hazelnut coffee beans in here? Is that what I am smelling?" She said, "yeah, exactly. Isn't it nice." I said, "hazel NUT." She said, "oooh, I didn't even think about it. Oops!"

And...that my readers...is what I am dealing with!

In the news...

2011-03-20T10:46:00.000-04:00

I was just reading about a family in Chicago who is suing a Chinese restaurant because their daughter died from peanut residue in the food. The article from the Chicago Tribune (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-peanut-allergy-lawsuit-20110318,0,107091.story) states that the 13-year-old had known severe allergies to peanuts. I am sorry for this family's loss, and think there are a few things that we can all take away from this.

Since the only information I have is from the article, there are few questions I have. Why was this student eating the Chinese food in the first place? With a severe allergy to peanuts, it is always safest to stay away from Chinese food, among other ethnic cuisines. My next question is why didn't she have an Epi-pen on her, so that when she was feeling a reaction, she could use it to save herself (or a teacher to help her)? Although there are other questions that come to mind, these are the ones that I find most important.

As an Allergic Reactor to peanuts as well as many other foods, I always stay away from ethnic foods. I may be missing out, but it is one of the ways that I can keep myself safe. Even if I were to check with a Chinese restaurant, and they said they wouldn't use any peanuts, I would still be concerned about the cross-contamination. It is just too risky with this kind of allergy! Better to be safe!

My biggest concern and worry for this student, and for all Allergic Reactors, is whether they are carrying their Epi-pen! As an Allergic Reactor, that is your lifeline. In case you do eat something that you shouldn't, you have the Epi-pen right next to you to help open your airways, then a call to 911! I can't emphasize enough how crucial it is to ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have it with you! Even if you don't anticipate eating somewhere, the way to keep yourself safe (or your children safe) is to always have it with you!

In my Dream

2011-03-16T08:59:00.000-04:00

The other night, I had a dream that I was able to eat tree nuts without an anaphylactic reaction. It was the strangest allergy dream that I have had! Usually, when I have a dream, I still always have my same allergies. This was the first time where I was actually eating nuts in my dream without a reaction. I do remember in my dream feeling nervous, wondering why it was okay that I could eat these nuts all of a sudden.

When I woke up I was perplexed by the dream. How come I could eat nuts in my dream? Why now was I suddenly having a dream where I was physically eating nuts, and it was okay?

I suppose part of me is always hoping that a cure will come, where I will be able to eat tree nuts, and anything else that I want to eat. It is always such a nice thought to me to envision life where I have the possibility to try anything I want to try. The feeling of walking into a store or a bakery, pointing to something delicious, and being able to eat it. I know it sounds strange to non-Allergic Reactors, but that feeling is almost unimaginable.

With all of the studies being done around the world, I do have hopes that one will someday make these dreams a serious reality!

Sorry for disappearing!

2011-03-15T04:36:00.000-04:00

This is the first year where I am not sharing a classroom with another teacher, and with that, comes much more work! I am frustrated with myself for neglecting my blog and my readers. I continue to have experiences on a daily basis that I should be sharing in hopes of helping parents and their Allergic Reactors!

Every day I receive a google search with news of anything that food allergy related. It is through this that I continue to stay updated about the continued push for new laws, trials, and education to help all of us Allergic Reactors. In Italy, where I have been living for the past two years, there is very little allergy knowledge or education. Food is a significant part of the culture though, and I have continued to have people be even more understanding and helpful here, even with such little knowledge. It is interesting to me how this happens. Since food is so important, people really want to help and make sure I can eat something when I am out. I have had very few negative encounters, but quite a few interesting stories nonetheless!

Although living abroad is a challenge in so many ways, it is something I would certainly not change, and has helped shape me as I continue to grow up into my adulthood. I have learned to go to the grocery store without a dictionary and understand what I can and cannot eat. I have learned to ask for gelatto safely, and how to order dinner at a restaurant. My friends here often ask me if I get nervous when we go to eat, or if I worry about it. I don't though. I feel confident with my ability to make safe decisions, ALWAYS carry my Epi-pens, Benedryl, and inhaler with me, and know that I know am keeping myself as safe as I can be.

There is nothing I need to worry about as long as I have the education and experience to know exactly what to do. That is the point that I hope each Allergic Reactor can reach! It is an outstanding feeling to be confident enough to eat out, travel, and even have regular everyday experiences and not have your allergies to worry about!

Keep reading parents and Allergic Reactors! Please also feel free to post comments and questions! I am always happy to answer!

Teacher vs. Teacher

2010-12-05T23:40:00.001-05:00

"What are you allergic to again, and what happens if you have something you are allergic to?" I heard the science teacher calling over to me as I was grabbing something out of my classroom, with all of my students sitting around her on the rug. "Don't worry about it. We can talk later," I said as I left the room again. I was blown away by the fact that she was discussing my allergies with my students.

It all began when I walked into my classroom and saw cookies and frosting all over my desk. In Italy there are no cookies that don't have nuts in them or are made with a mixed nut oil. I didn't get upset with the science teacher, but I did ask her quietly away from my students, if she could please make sure to wash off my desk before leaving. This same teacher I have blogged about before. She is the only one at my school who has given me a difficult time about my allergies. This time though, when she was involving my kids, it infuriated me.

The science teacher continued on the rug with my students to discuss my allergies as I left. At the end of the school day, I went back to my classroom to speak to her. I said, "I don't want to scare my students, so I have only briefly mentioned my allergies. Food is never in my classroom, so I don't ever even think about it. If you are going to involve my students with food in my classroom, please inform me ahead of time. Since this is my class and students, it is my decision how much I share with them. They are young, and although I want them to be aware I have allergies, it is the beginning of the year, and I don't want to scare them. This is a decision I have made for my students, and it is very irresponsible of you to discuss my health with my students. Please don't do that again. I am happy to reiterate my allergies to you and answer any questions you have, but my health is mine to deal with, and should not be discussed with my students." She starred at me, then said with some serious attitude in her voice, "Yeah, okay." That was that.

When I deal with people who are this self-focused and uncaring, it is challenging not to completely go off and lose my temper! I know that will not express the correct message that I want to convey though, so instead I bite my tongue, take some deep breaths, count to ten, and try to rationalize a point of view so incredibly different than my own.

This Year in Italy...

2010-12-05T06:31:00.000-05:00

This is my second year living in Italy, and I am finding that this year is a significantly different experience for me as an Allergic Reactor. Between living alone, having no close friends return for another year, and trying to make new friends, I have had many interesting encounters and experiences.

I am definitely enjoying my apartment this year. It is my dream apartment with beautiful exposed wooden beams, stone, brick, and two balconies. One of the best parts though is having a kitchen all to myself. I have full control over what goes into it. My roommate last year was amazing with my allergies, but it is still nice to not even have to think about it. For an Allergic Reactor in her twenties, this is pretty spectacular!

Since I do work abroad, it is common for people to come and go from year to year. This past year was an even larger turnover than is typical here, and none of my close friends from last year returned. This has been one of the greatest challenges for me; trying to make new friends all over again and find people who are kind and understanding about my allergies. Last year I was thankful to have such amazing friends here. Everyone was so sweet and understanding about my allergies. I always felt like people were supportive and aware. This year is a different story though, and I am struggling to find that same feeling of caring and understanding among the new staff.

There have been quite a few experiences from this year so far with other teachers, that I am working on writing to share with my readers! Coming soon!

Back in Italy and Back to Blogging!

2010-10-17T03:32:00.000-04:00

Dear Blog Readers and Supporters,

I know I have been on a hiatus from this blog for a few busy months now, but I am back and will be updating weekly! I have many stories and experiences to share and catch up on, and you should look forward to seeing these new posts soon!

Thanks for your time and support,
Miss Allergic Reactor

Back to the U.S.

2010-07-21T15:00:00.003-04:00

Here I am back in the U.S. again! I haven't been back in seven months, and I have noticed some food changes since I've been gone. For example, at Starbucks there used to be Madeline cookies that I could eat. They were the only possible eating option at Starbucks. Now the package says that they are manufactured near Almonds. Disappointing! :(

Have any favorite foods of yours or your child's changed recently?

French Experiences!

2010-07-17T09:34:00.005-04:00

On a recent family vacation to France, there were a few food encounters that I found interesting. I tried to write down my daily food encounters on the trip. Here are my notes:

The first night I arrived in Cannes with my family, we decided to go out for dinner. It was already pretty late, and not a lot of restaurants were still serving. We found a few places in the same area that were still serving pizza, so we chose one and sat down. The server came over and I handed him my list of allergies. He went back to the kitchen to find out if I could eat there. He came back and said that they used peanut oil in everything, and there was nothing there that I could eat. That decided it. We had to find another restaurant to eat at.

We walked down to a restaurant a few doors down. I showed them my card and they said that I wouldn’t have a problem because they used olive oil. They said it was common to use peanut oil in this area though, so that was important to discover. I was able to get pizza with no problem.

Sometimes it takes a bit of patience, but eventually you can usually find somewhere that will be able to serve you. In Italy I have had a lot of good luck eating out. Since food is such a significant part of the Italian culture, it seems extra important to people at restaurants to find something to eat that pleases you. With my allergies, people have been wonderful. I have had very few if any places turn me down. Everyone seems to want to help me find something good to eat.

My parents wanted to take my sister and I out for a nice dinner at a highly recommended, award-winning restaurant that was right in the neighborhood that we were staying. We dressed up and headed out to the restaurant. We had made a reservation the previous day to sit outside on the patio, and had checked on my allergies. They were very nice and said that it would be fine.

July 10, 2010

Today I had a frustrating experience. I went out to lunch in Nimes, France with my family. We sat down at a pizzeria and looked at the menu. I was considering a mixed salad and a small dish of pasta. When the server came over to take our orders, he looked at my list and said something in French about how he could not serve me and that I couldn’t eat. He was so incredibly rude and not like anyone I had recently encountered in Europe. When I asked if I could talk with the chef, he said that he was the chef, which clearly he was not! His bad attitude and unwillingness to help me, took me by surprise.

In contrast, for dinner last night, we walked up to a restaurant and Avignon to look at the menu and the server was extremely warm and friendly. I showed him my card. He looked at it carefully and then said that it wouldn’t be a problem. We sat down at a table and had wonderful service. No one laughed when they looked at my chef card.

July 11, 2010

For lunchtime today, we went a restaurant with a fabulous view of the ocher cliffs in the background. I showed the server my allergy card before sitting down. He looked at it, laughed, then showed it to another man who also had a smirk on his face. They told me there was no way I could eat there. Another rude experience. We did find another restaurant that would serve me though, and had no problem with my allergies.

Tonight we went out to a restaurant that was aesthetically pleasing, but had terrible food. It also broke my dad’s rule of the nicer the restaurant, the higher the risk, since this restaurant was not incredibly upscale, but used peanut oil in everything. We ended up getting plain green salads and steak, since they didn’t need to use oil for either one. The steak was chewy, and I found a bug in my salad. The best part of the meal was the wine we got, a rose wine called Tavel, which is fantastic.

Traveling with Food Allergies

2010-07-16T06:26:00.006-04:00

As I stand in the airport store, not one package is recognizable to me. My flight has been delayed ten hours, and I am stranded at the Rome airport ill prepared with nothing to eat. I scour the few shelves of packaged food and find nothing. They have no fresh food, and I end up with a Coke, water, and a sad looking apple with bruises and bumps included for a hefty price of almost 10 euros. This is not a good beginning to a trip as I quickly learn, and after this experience, I find myself more and more prepared as I continue my weekend and weeklong travels over the course of the year.

I have always been a traveler. I’ve had many opportunities to strategize and perfect the art of traveling with anaphylactic allergies. I’ve lived and traveled in both English speaking and non-English speaking countries. I have learned how to accommodate for what I may or may not find to eat, wherever I may go.

Since living in Italy this past year, I’ve become even better at deciding what I must do before leaving my apartment for a trip. I know exactly what to pack and how to pack it. I know what food will last and for how long. It is a matter of being prepared I have found.

Checklist for Travel:

o Pack extra of all medicines (especially Benedryl and Epinephrine)

o If overseas, make sure to carry a doctors note stating that you need all of your medications, giving you permission, incase you are stopped at the airport

o If flying, call ahead to ask for a peanut free flight

o Pack hand wipes to clean hands before eating and to wash off the seat on the plane.

o Pack snacks to get through the travel period

o Pack multiple copies of your Chef Card

Part of traveling is never knowing exactly what will happen. For Allergic Reactors like myself, this can pose as a very tricky situation. No matter how prepared, there have been many times where I have not been as prepared as I believed that I was. Sometimes I feel like I can be overcautious with what I pack and the amounts to which I pack (mostly medicine and food), but more often than not, is better to be over prepared than under.

I also don’t like to limit my travel experiences. I try to go where interests me, and figure how to go about getting there and staying there safely. When I was living on the east coast of Australia, I decided to do some traveling to the Whitsunday Islands over a holiday. My friend and I booked a three night, four day excursion sailing around magnificent islands. It was an incredible experience sailing and visiting mostly uninhabited beaches for those days. It was also a bit nerve racking for me with my allergies. I brought some food, but it was a fairly small boat, and only about ten of us on board. The cook on the boat was happy to keep my food for me, and to tell me every ingredient without fail. He was very careful with cross contamination, and seemed to understand any concerns I had. It was not an easy experience for me though. Every time it came to eating, I was a bit more tense, but it was an outstanding trip, which I can’t imagine having missed because of my allergies.

Whenever I go hiking, I feel that same tenseness. Sometimes it is easy to let your mind wander to “What if…” scenarios. “What if I have an allergic reaction on top of this mountain and no one can help me and my epi runs out and I die.” In reality, I am just as safe, if not safer than the average person going hiking. You could fall and break your leg or get a snakebite and be in danger too. If someone has an allergic reaction, and doesn’t know they are allergic, they won’t have epinephrine. I carry multiple epi pens, I bring my own water and food and hand wipes. I am careful, but I can enjoy myself.

No matter where you go or what you do, there is always some risk attached. As an Allergic Reactor, the best way to avoid as much risk as possible when traveling, is to come prepared.

All By Myself

2010-03-30T15:53:00.004-04:00

There is a time when every parent has to let go, and allow their child to go out on their own. A few days ago I went out on my own without any friend or roommate. I was craving some gelato on a beautiful, warm and sunny day, with no friends around.

I walked down to my neighborhood gelateria. I gave the woman my allergy card and then explained in Italian and hand motions to wash the scoop. I wasn't sure about the word for 'under' in Italian, to explain to scoop from underneath to make sure there is no cross-contamination. When I went for a run that morning, I remembered noticing a sign for an underpass, and hoped I had understood the sign correctly. "Sotto" I said, hoping it meant under. I was correct!

I successfully bought my second gelato all by myself! :)

Another Day Trip, Another Experience

2010-03-24T16:45:00.004-04:00

I spent the day in Austria on Sunday. As awesome as it is to say that I can spend the day there, it is also just as difficult to deal with another countries language and food differences. Of course, as always, I packed myself a mini-picnic of snacks. I did not anticipate eating anything there, since I didn't have a way to print out a copy of my German chef card (and the decision to go was made about an hour before leaving). I made sure my meds were in my bag, then headed out to meet my friends in the car to drive to Austria.

The drive only took us two hours out of our dirty, air-polluted city, and into some fresh Austrian air! There was a considerable difference when we opened our doors and breathed in fresh, breathable, healthy lung, smoke free air. It was amazing!

The air in my Italian city has been really bothering my environmental allergies and asthma lately. I am an avid runner, and when I go out for my run in the city, I can feel my lungs just trying to find fresh air to breathe. It is terrible!

Something that really stood out to me, was that I didn't see anyone smoking! Where I live, it is more difficult to find a person that isn't smoking, than that is!

Even as we walked by cafes, I didn't have to pass through any clouds of smoke!

When my friends were finally hungry, we found a restaurant for dinner. All I ordered was a drink, but I didn't mind because I had been snacking all day!

Even with a spontaneous day trip outside the country that I live, I can still figure out ways to make my allergies work, and not stop me from doing what I want!

Out to dinner!

2010-03-20T06:34:00.007-04:00

Last night I went out to dinner at a restaurant called Rosso Pomodoro (Red Tomato) for one of my friend's birthdays. I had been to the restaurant once before when it was extremely busy. That night they were afraid of cross contamination, so they told me I could order this massive ball of mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. It was good (one of my favorite salads), but it was expensive, and not what I was in the mood for, especially when I heard the pizza was excellent there!

The restaurant is actually a chain in Italy, kind of like Olive Garden in the U.S., except classier, with real, fresh Italian food. I was hoping that when I went back this time, they would be able to figure out pizza or pasta for me. I found out though, when I tried to order pizza last night, that they use vegatale olio, which is not okay in Italy for people with nut allergies. The vegtable oil here, sometimes has nut oils in it, so you can never tell if it is okay or not, which is why I always have to avoid it.

I ended up getting a salad with chicken breast in it, which was good, but double the price of the pizza, and not what I wanted. This hasn't happened too often though, so now I know I just can't get pizza or pasta there! Lesson learned.

Severe Allergies Are A Disability?

2010-03-05T08:12:00.006-05:00

I just finished reading this article on Capenews.net about a school that banned all nut products. The school has already taken precautions of 'nut free classrooms and lunch tables.' I am curious to know what parents think about this?

The ban was very controversial in the article. One parent believed that she was speaking for the majority by asking why her child couldn't bring a peanut butter sandwich to school. Others also agreed that it gives a false sense of security, because ensuring that it is nut free is impossible. I agree with this. I think it certainly does give people a false sense of security. No where will you find a definitely 100 percent guarantee that a place is allergen free. I think it takes away the responsibility from the child, and helps them to believe that in life they will always be in environments where no allergens exist.

Since I have always been the minority, having allergies since I was a baby, and not knowing anyone else with them, I was never raised in an environment with this false sense of security. If my children some day have allergies, I will also want to raise them in an environment where there is no false sense of security, and where they must learn to take responsibility. It is truly up to the parents to empower their children to learn how to take responsibility for themselves. If parents do that, then no matter where their child is, they will be safer knowing how to keep themselves safe, and by knowing what they need to do. Whereas if children are raised thinking they are always safe when they are not, and are not shown how to take care of themselves, then how will they be able to go out in the world one day on their own? Parents can not always be by their child's side every step of the way. They also need to learn to let go.

Educating people about allergies is important, and taking precautions is certainly significant. I think which precautions are taken is what is most important. Education is really the key to helping your child. It is the way to empower them!

One of the woman that was quoted in the article, also commented after another woman commented, how that woman in the article didn't understand. The woman in the article commented back saying, "I learned so much about these disabled kids and the lives they have to live. But I am just a normal person with normal kids, so it took a little bit of time." I have to admit I was extremely offended by this woman. Normal? Am I not 'normal' because I have allergies? These kids are 'disabled?' It doesn't sound like she has learned much since! She is someone who truly needs to be educated about allergies!

When I read this article, I was truly startled by the word 'disability.' I don't feel like I have a disability. Sure, I have something that I have had to learn to cope with, but never once have I felt like I am disabled in some way. I feel very lucky for what I can eat and do. I would never say that I have a disability though! I just don't think that is the right word, because I can still do everything I want to do for the most part. I don't feel any inhibition to do anything. I travel, I live in other countries, I work, I live a 'normal' life. Yes, I can't eat anything I see, but I don't feel disabled by that. Certainly I feel disappointed sometimes, but not disabled, because I know how to take care of myself, and I was given the tools that empowered me to believe that I can do what I want to do, allergies or not!

Travels to Edinburgh and beyond!

2010-02-28T17:13:00.004-05:00

Last week was school vacation (here they call it 'holiday'), so I went traveling. I met my roommate, her sister, and her best friend in Edinburgh, Scotland for the beginning of the week. It felt so nice to travel to a country where I spoke the language fluently! Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that dealing with my food allergies would be any easier!

When I arrived in Edinburgh, it was around dinner time. My roommate and friends arrived a few hours earlier, so I went to the apartment that we were staying in to leave my bag. Afterward, we met for dinner at a pub. I had my English chef card to use, which was nice, since I am used to trying to communicate in Italian. I was able to get a chicken breast sandwich, which was delicious!

The owner of the apartment that we were staying in, stocked the refrigerator with food. There was plenty for me to eat, which was amazing! There was fresh cheeses, fruits, yogurt, and cereal. It made everything that much easier, since I had no time to find a grocery store before our tour through Scotland the next morning. Of course I did pack some food, which always help, but having all those fresh foods that I was able to eat, was truly exceptional.

My friends and I had an exquisite day seeing the Scottish countryside. We went on a small tour bus, with only 15 people in total. It made it a nice and personal experience. We made quite a few stops along the way. Around lunch time, we stopped by Lochness to get lunch. Of course I had packed food, but my friends hadn't, so we went and sat in a pub for lunch. As we were sitting at the table, I noticed all the packets of condiments.

Condiments

Holding the condiments with some attitude!

I have never found condiments that "contained" or "may contain" every single allergen that I can think of! It was crazy! It seemed like the company that made the condiments was saying, "we are not responsible for anything in our products, so don't even think about trying them!"

When I see packages like that, it makes me feel very frustrated, because I am sure it probably does not contain or even has the likelihood of containing some of those allergens, but we live in a world so scared by lawsuits, that they feel they need to literally put every single allergen on their ingredient list to avoid any potential issues. Crazy!

In Scotland, one of the main products they sell is shortbread cookies. Of course, although there are only a few basic ingredients in them, like sugar and butter, they are "not suitable for nut allergy sufferers." Apparently I "suffer" from nut allergies.

Shortbread cookies

Besides the minor packaged ingredient warnings, I didn't come across any other difficulties or disappointments in Scotland. Back in Edinburgh, my friends left two days before me, so I found a quaint bed and breakfast to stay at. The people were friendly and helpful, and were happy to accommodate my allergies for breakfast in the morning. I took myself out to dinner and drinks, and had a lovely time exploring the city! I also found Ben & Jerry's ice cream that I could eat! It was my first ice cream in months, so that was the perfect way to end my evening!

After Scotland, I took a train to Leeds to see one of my best friends who is from there. Before I left, my friend, Gemma, had sent me an e-mail checking to see if there was anything in particular I wanted for food, and letting me know that she had cleared all allergens out of her apartment. I thought that it was so sweet of her to remember and think of that before my arrival! I'm lucky to have such caring friends!

We went out to eat with no problems, and had a wonderful time visiting. On the weekend we went to see another close mutual friend and his girlfriend who live in Manchester. They also had e-mailed before I was coming, asking the same questions and making sure I would be completely comfortable. How lucky am I to have these people in my life who are so aware, yet never make it such a massive deal?!

During the day, we went out to lunch with no problem! I had delicious raviolis at an up scale Italian restaurant. My friend, Alex, his girlfriend, Babs, Gemma, and I wandered around Manchester for the afternoon. Babs had a free hand massage from buying products over the holidays, and booked for the three girls to go get one. Of course all of the products ended up having sweet almond oil in them, so I sat and watched. They felt bad, but it was okay, although of course I wish I also could have participated!

Babs, Me, Gemma

Later that evening, after having a drink at an awesome, neighborhood pub near their amazingly beautiful apartment, we went back to have dinner. Babs insisted on making it all by herself, and did an excellent job making risotto! She was so sweet about my allergies, and I didn't once feel worried about eating there! It was a fabulous way to end an amazing holiday!

Babs with her awesome Risotto.

Trips like this make me realize a few things. One, is how much easier it is to communicate in my native language, and how at home I take that for granted when ordering out! I also realize how lucky I am to have friends who are so understanding and caring, and although we only see each other every few years, still remember about my allergies, and don't treat me any different because of them! Thank you, friends! :)

My First Gelato!!!!

2010-02-28T02:27:00.009-05:00

Last night we decided to have a girls night in. My friends wanted to get gelato down the street before watching a movie, so we walked down to our neighborhood gelatoria. It was the first warm night since the fall. As we walked in, I observed the gelato behind the glass cases. I noticed that all the chocolate and nut flavors were on one side of the case, and all the fruit flavors were separated on the opposite side.

Since moving to Italy, every day I seem to have some new experience where I learn something and continue to get more comfortable living here. Earlier that day, I had used my broken Italian to communicate with people at one of the rowing clubs, about possibly joining the club (I was a rower all through college on a Division 1 team, and nothing beats being out on the water), and had conquered more fears by reading signs to take unknown buses home. After all of that I was happily aware of the fact that I was comfortable here finally. I finally didn't feel like a tourist. I felt like someone who actually lived here!

With already having conquered so many things in one day, I figured why not try one more! I had told myself that I would try the fruit flavored gelato, when I was finally comfortable here, so last night was the night!

I showed the woman behind the counter my Chef card, and with help from my friends, we explained that she needed to clean the gelato scoop, then scoop my lemon flavored gelato from the bottom of the container. She somehow understood us, and was very nice about it!!!

The best part to me was not only finally trying gelato for the first time ever, but also how happy my friends were for me (especially Abby, my roommate), that I finally was able to try gelato! There have been endless times where I have watched them all eat it, but now I was finally having some too!!!! Wooohooo!

Big Smile! :)

New website that could be helpful

2010-02-22T02:37:00.002-05:00

I came across a new website that could be helpful. The website is: http://www.allergyeats.com/. The site has just started up, but if people start to use it, I think it has the potential to be very beneficial. The website posts ratings for restaurants all over the United States, based on how allergy-friendly they are. So far, there are not too many that have been rated. Maybe in a few more months though, it will be more helpful and informative!

Venice Carnivale- I ran into a nut!

2010-02-14T16:25:00.006-05:00

As we stepped off the train in Venice, the energy and excitement of the day consumed us! My friends and I had decided to go spend the day checking out the festivities for Carnivale. We had no idea what to anticipate!

There were costumes, masks, face painting, and of course, food. I have now been to Venice many times, so I know that it is difficult to find food there that I can easily eat, especially reasonably priced food. I packed my bag with snacks and food to eat for lunch.

As we were standing in the crowd, watching all the festivities, I saw a person dressed as a peanut! Of course, I had to take a picture (although, the woman wearing the costume, had no idea)! I am not sure what the "S" stands for. My guess is "Super Peanut," but I am not sure how Italian that is! :) Anyone have any ideas?

I wanted to share this, because I was first of all surprised by the costume, but mostly because I think it is important to realize that no matter where I am, I never know what I will come across! This means, that no matter where, I should always be prepared, and aware, but that I also know how to keep myself safe. I could point to the woman in the peanut costume and take a picture, but I certainly wouldn't go over and shake her hand!

Back to reality

2010-02-12T10:22:00.001-05:00

Last week I was thrown back into the reality of my allergies, as my lip became a bit red and itchy after lunch. There were no hives, I could breathe, and it was only noticeable to me, but sometimes both as an allergic reactor, and as a parent, it is easy to become more relaxed, after not having a reaction for a long time. I do feel like I am always very vigilant and careful, but every now and then I have my eye-opening reminder moments, to bring my back to the severity.

I have talked to parents before about this same problem. When I was interviewing parents for a project that I was working on, I remember one specific discussion. The mom of a son with anaphylactic allergies said, "After a while, if he hasn't had an allergy, I get a bit complacent because it seems so crazy that his allergies can be life-threatening when there hasn't been a reaction. We haven't had a reaction in a while, and I have to make sure that I am always aware, but when he hasn't reacted in such a long time, I start to think that maybe he is outgrowing his allergies."

What are your thoughts on this? I am curious to know if other parents can relate to this feeling! I look forward to your comments

Magestic Verona- Eating out and about!

2010-01-26T23:40:00.013-05:00

Known for its pasta dishes, the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and summer Operas in the Arena, Verona is a fabulous place to spend a weekend!

My roommate, another friend, and I, spent this past weekend exploring the city! Since we were staying in Italy traveling, I figured I would definitely be able to find something I could eat. I packed food for the train, and a little extra for breakfast the next day, but left all other meals to be discovered in this new destination.

After we arrived, dropped our bags at the hotel, and walked into the city, it was already early afternoon. I had a few rice cakes and an apple that I brought in my bag. We spent the rest of the day exploring the Castello, checking out the views from the top of the tallest tower, pretending we were gladiators in the Arena, and experiencing the many other beautiful sites of the city. Around 7 p.m. we were finally hungry and ready to find somewhere for dinner!

We stumbled upon a rustic looking restaurant that was very busy, but luckily had just enough room for the three of us to sit down at a table. Since I recently had been having a difficult time finding pizza or pasta to eat in the city I live in, I decided to ask the waiter first thing, if I could eat there. He looked at my Chef card and said he would be right back. He came back and said that I couldn't have the pizza because they use a mixed oil (In Italy, the vegetable oil is often a mixture of oils, including nut oils), so I asked what I could eat, like pasta. He walked away to check and came back to tell me that pasta with pomodoro (tomato) sauce would be "Va bene." I ended up getting that, and it was exquisite for such a plain dish normally! I asked for some basil and parmesean cheese on top of the pasta, and it was truly delicious! No wonder they are known for their pasta dishes! They can even make pasta with pomodoro taste amazing!

The rest of the weekend also worked out well. We were leaving the following day, so all I needed was breakfast and lunch. The breakfast at the hotel was ten Euro for very few things I could actually eat. We decided to go find an open grocery store on our walk in to the city, so I could find something to eat. We were luckily able to find one. I found a chunk of cheese, some bread sticks, and fruit to snack on for the rest of the day. It worked out really well. It was all I needed to get through the day.

Verona was another phenomenal allergy and worry free trip!

My roommate and I. She ate delicious looking pizza!

Pasta dinner in Verona!

Chocolate Fountain. I WISH I could eat this! Mmmm!

To me the hardest part...

2010-01-25T11:45:00.006-05:00

"Abby, look at that dessert! You should try it. It looks amazing!" I often say to my roommate when we walk by a bakery or shop in an outdoor market. It is difficult not to! Everything looks delicious, and if I could try it I definitely would!

Abby trying sweets at a outdoor market.

The most difficult part of living abroad with food allergies, has been missing out on trying all the awesome looking foods and desserts! I definitely have a sweet tooth, so passing on such delectable treats is difficult! Even more than all of the beautiful desserts though, there is one type of sweet that I am always missing here! ICE CREAM! Here it is called gelato.

When we first moved to Italy in August, it was incredibly hot, so my friends would go at least once a day to get gelato. I was very jealous! When it gets warm again here, I would like to try to see if there are any fruit flavors I can try. There is a lot of cross contamination, which is why I have been so weary about trying it. The gelateria in my neighborhood has the fruit flavors on one side, and all the others, on the other side. My goal is to be able to explain to her in Italian about my allergies and ask what the ingredients are, if she can use a clean scoop, etc. I also have my card to back me up!

Abby and my other friend, Jess, with chocolate gelato on their face!

Now that I have been living here for five months, reading ingredients in Italian has been so much easier! I don't bring my dictionary with me to the store anymore. I know what most ingredients are. If I have a question I don't buy it, or if I think it is okay, I buy it, then double check with my dictionary when I get home. I finally at a point where I feel like Italy is home, and the grocery store is just a normal (and easy) part of my week. It is nice to finally be able to say that!

My dictionary and I in the first few months of living here.

Baking in Italy is one other difficulty that my roommate and I are faced with. Both of us enjoy baking, and whenever we want to bake, we run into a few of the same problems. There is a combination product of baking soda and baking powder, instead of both separately, that make whatever we bake taste exactly the same. There is also no vanilla extract, just these packages of two viles called Vanilla Aroma, which also make everything taste the same. It is really nothing like vanilla extract.

Baking an apple pie

Since our first few baking experiences, we have been home to the U.S., and brought back with us, the ingredients that we need (including chocolate chips that I can eat), so now we should be all set for the rest of the year!

I feel very lucky, that for the most part, I am not having many difficulties eating here. Of course, there will always be some hard days, like when I am craving ice cream, and can't have any. Besides that though, it is going well!

Oh The Stories They Tell...

2009-12-12T03:00:00.000-05:00

One of my least favorite parts about having anaphylactic allergies, is listening to stories from people who don't have anaphylactic allergies, talk about people they once knew or stories they heard from other people, about someone dying from an allergic reaction. I am always confused why people tell me these stories. Does it bring them comfort?

No matter what you may have, no one ever wants to hear about stories of someone dying from the same thing they have. In my experience, it only makes me feel worse and more concerned. Of course I listen, but I don't like to. There is a consistent theme with almost every one of these stories: NO EPI-PEN!

Almost every time someone tells me a story about their friend or this person they knew that died from food allergies, I ask, "Did they have their epi-pen?" More often then not the answer is NO. They may not have had a reaction since they were little, or they didn't think they would be eating, and therefore didn't have their epi. As sad and as difficult as these stories are to hear, each time it reinforces to me how important it is to ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS NO MATTER WHAT have my epi-pens with me at all times!

Last weekend I was in Salzburg, Austria. I went with my roommate and another friend of ours. I packed enough food for the entire weekend, just in case I had difficulty finding food. In the car we were all talking, and our friend started telling this story of her friend who had died from food allergies. She said that her friend had gone out camping with a group of people, and hadn't realized that they used peanut oil in something they had made. According to my friend, since the girl hadn't had a reaction since she was four years old, and was always good at avoiding peanuts, she didn't have an epi-pen with her. She ate some of the food, had an anaphylactic reaction, was isolated in the middle of the woods, and had no epi-pen to help save her. This story made me sad. I hate hearing about stories like that. If only she had her epi-pen, she could have been okay.

I went out to dinner last night in the city where I live. I wanted to order a pizza. I gave the server my chef card. She thought that I would be all set, but in our broken Italian we asked her if she could bring it back to the kitchen. A few minutes later a man came over to us and asked if we spoke English. "Si," I said, of course using my basic Italian automatically, instead of just saying, "yes." He said that he was 99.9% sure that the flour should be fine in the pizza, but he wasn't 100% sure, so he wanted me to know that. He asked if I had pizza in the city before, which of course I had many times. He said that it was probably the same flour and fine, but he didn't want to guarantee me. THEN, he went into this story about how when he used to work at a restaurant in London, there was a man who had died from food allergies. Another fun story to hear while I am out to dinner, trying to find something else to order! I ended up having a salad.

I don't think that people think about what they are saying, and how it will make other people feel . Maybe it only seems obvious to me that I wouldn't want to hear about someone that died from food allergies, while I am trying to find something to order out to dinner??? Unfortunately, it seems that too often I am told stories like this.

These stories remind me of my first bee sting. I was six, almost seven years old, and I was going into first grade that coming fall. I was at a day camp where they had horseback riding, arts & crafts, and a lake to swim in. One afternoon we were leaving the lake and walking back up to go change into dry clothes, and I must have stepped near a hive. A bee stung me in the back of the foot. Since everyone knew I had food allergies, they took my first bee sting very seriously. I remember one of the counselors scooping me up and running me over to the infirmary.

I always had my Benedryl and Epi-pens with me, even at that age, so I was all prepared if I did have a problem. The nurse immediately gave me some Benedryl. I sat there in my wet bathing suit on a table, waiting to see if I got any further reaction. The nurse and my counselor were talking about to each other about this girl that had been there the summer before and had an anaphylactic reaction. I remember feeling very nervous as I listened to this. My throat felt dry, and it felt like I couldn't swallow. The nurse saw me reacting to my dry throat from her scary story, thought I was having anaphylaxis, panicked, and gave me three shots of epinephrine! To this day, I am almost 100 percent sure that I did not have an anaphylactic reaction. I was reacting to the story that she was talking about it and it made me panic! This entire situation was not handled well by the nurse. I remember how furious my mom was by the entire thing! There was no reason to administer so much epinephrine, then they drove me to a hospital that was a half hour away, instead of calling an ambulance. They told my mom the wrong location of the hospital. Ugh...what a mess! On top of that, after all of this I then had to get tested at the allergist with a whole group of other people for every type of bee that there is! I may have only been six years old, but I remember all of this!

It is so important as an adult that you are careful about what you say in front of your children. Even though they may be little, they can still hear you, and they can still get scared. When I was little, that is something that I never would have expressed out loud. I never would have said that the story scared me and I panicked. Children will probably not tell you, but they will remember that it scared them!

A Cause for Understanding

2009-12-02T13:48:00.002-05:00

Tonight I was in the kitchen making dinner with my roommate when she said in the middle of our school focused conversation, "Are you sure you want to know? It will make you mad, and trust me because it made me really mad, so I would imagine it would make you even more mad!"

Of course I was curious about what this madness was about! She told me that a teacher that she teaches with, was planning to do an assembly on peanuts. Apparently this teacher had done an assembly last year on popcorn, so this year she wanted to do one on peanuts (we really aren't sure why these foods are assembly worthy, but that is not really the point, is it?) My roommate told this teacher that was not a good idea because people are allergic to peanuts. The teacher was extremely rude to her and yelled at her saying that they would not stop an assembly because one teacher in the school was allergic to peanuts. My roommate tried to explain to her, but she is a perfect example of someone who truly doesn't get it!

At a staff meeting a few weeks after my roommate told me, she brought it up right to me. She said, "Well, I was going to do the assembly on peanuts, but your allies here stuck up for you about your allergies." She then continued to add rude comments. I tried to explain the seriousness, but she would not listen and did not want to understand. She is one of the many people that make having life-threatening food allergies that much more difficult. Luckily though, there are people like my roommate that are there for me to back me up when I need it!

I May Be in My Twenties, But She is Still My Mom...

2009-11-29T11:15:00.009-05:00

"Ugh, I am so full! My stomach hurts," I said, in the car yesterday afternoon on the way to the airport with my parents. My mom made an early dinner that was the size of a mini-Thanksgiving feast, so that I would eat before my trip back to Italy.

For Thanksgiving my mom had made a squash soup that was delicious. I had some of it before we left the house for the airport. When I announced my stomach pains in the car, my mom started to panic, thinking maybe there was something in the soup. I guaranteed her that it was not an allergic reaction, but the consumption of too much tasty food! My mom called my sister at home anyway, to have her double check an ingredient. Of course it was fine, but sometimes there are certainly some scary moments of second-guessing.

Since I don't live at home, my mom doesn't have to be as careful with ingredients as she would be if I did. Very rarely does she second-guess what she puts in something she makes me, but she is human, she is my mom, and it does happen.

I want to share this, so that you moms out there know that even as we allergic reactors get older, it is still natural to second-guess and worry about us and our allergies once in a while. My mom almost never seems worried or concerned about my allergies, but every now and then, something triggers concern. Even though I know my mom is always careful when I am around, I know that sometimes she forgets that I am in my twenties, always double check everything I put in my mouth, and therefore she shouldn't worry! Love you Mom!

Last Minute Flight Home, a Day at the Airport, and the Memory of My Uncle

2009-11-24T14:22:00.001-05:00

It was this past Friday night around 11 p.m. when I sat down to book a very early morning flight home to the U.S. My uncle passed away suddenly from a massive stroke and I needed to get home to be with my family as soon as possible.

I didn't have time to call the airline ahead of time about my allergies. I decided that I would speak to them when I arrived at the gate. When I asked at the gate, I was told that they did not have bags of nuts, and that I could also inform the flight attendants about my allergies when I got on board. My first flight was only one hour to Rome, where I was supposed to have a two hour layover before heading home. There were no problems on the first flight. It was a 7 a.m. flight. I definitely think that taking early morning flights cuts down on the chances of being served allergic foods.

Once I arrived in Rome, I didn't see the gate for my second flight. I looked at my ticket. It said my flight wasn't taking off until 4:30 p.m. I went and waited in a long line at Alitalia. They said that there were mechanical errors and that there were no flights to get home until the one that left at 4:30 p.m. The woman at Alitalia told me that I could go show them my ticket to get a free lunch at the cafeteria (very helpful when I can't eat anything there). This meant that I had eight hours to spend in the airport without much food. I had packed myself some crackers, but I wasn't anticipating that I would be spending so much time in the airport. This is when I realized I should have 1.) brought my Italian chef card with me in case I wanted to try to buy something to eat and 2.) packed more food to snack on just in case I got stuck at the airport. I never usually eat anything on the airplane, even if I bring my own food. I also didn't have much to eat at my apartment, didn't have time to buy anything, and was certainly not focused on eating with everything else going on.

The eight hours in the airport worked out okay. I probably spent a good three hours reading the back covers and beginnings of every book in the bookstore. I also found some other people who were bumped to the afternoon flight, to talk and play card games with while waiting. It worked out fine in the end. I also realized how Italian I am becoming! Many of the Americans on my flight were so angry about the delay, whereas I was just like, "Okay, I have eight hours to hang out before I can fly home," and shrugged my shoulders. It's funny how things change!

My second flight from Rome to the U.S. was fine. I asked them not to serve any bags of nuts (which they didn't have anyway...I don't think many European airlines do). Of course I didn't eat, and was starving by the time I arrived home, but I was greeted at the airport with food, and it turned out okay.

It is now being home that is the tougher part and facing the loss our family has.

I love you Uncle Howard. You are always in my memory. xo

People Support in Italia

2009-11-19T11:43:00.013-05:00

My first night in Italy was overwhelming. Not only had I just met all of these people, but I was exhausted from traveling, and didn't even know where I was, as I followed a group of other teachers to a welcome dinner for us. On our way, we stopped and stood in this beautiful piazza as the sun was starting to set over the Adriatic. I was excited and happy about this new adventure in my life. It felt like the right place to be.

That night at dinner, is when I first introduced my allergies to the director of my school, along with some other school staff. I had mentioned to one of the teachers I spoke with before coming, but I didn't want to worry anybody, and at my age, it is certainly not a job prerequisite to let people know. I had my chef card in Italian. I took it out to order dinner. I was sitting near an Italian woman who works in the school office, and she looked at my card and helped me order. Pheww...! The meal went well. I did have a lot of attention brought upon me by my allergies, but just out of peoples' surprise by how many I had, and how careful I had to be. I am so used to this kind of attention at every new experience that I embark upon, so I already knew what to expect.

The pizza I had that night, I think is still the best pizza that I have had since living in Italy! I had no problems, and by the end of the night, most people there, had some idea of my allergies.

My first night in Italy with my most favorite pizza!

My roommate, co-teacher, school staff, and friends, have all been really fabulous with my food allergies! I feel so lucky with the amount of kindness, caring, and support, that people have given me here. Right from the beginning, I have had no difficulties with people not taking my food allergies seriously. The school secretary helped me speak to the kitchen staff about my allergies, to make sure I would be able to eat the lunch, and gave them a copy of my Chef card to put in the kitchen.

My co-teacher always makes sure to wash her hands if she eats anything with nuts. My roommate has her own peanut butter knife that she keeps in her kitchen cabinet, and is extremely careful not to use it with the sponges. She also is awesome about washing her hands if we are out somewhere and she eats something I can't have. Peanuts are often served with drinks at a cafe or bar, so that is often where I need to be most careful about people remembering. I am very lucky to have her though! She definitely understands and is amazing about it! My other friends from school are also very sweet about it. Whenever someone has a dinner party, they always ask about my allergies, and try to make sure I can eat what they are making. I have never been around people in a new situation who are so aware about my allergies, and care about making sure I can also eat. It is really extraordinary to feel that included!

The Coop- Grocery Shopping!

2009-11-19T11:42:00.008-05:00

My neighborhood grocery store, and a common chain in this area, is called the Coop. My first trip to the grocery store, I had no idea what to expect! I was just hoping I wouldn't spend hours in the store reading every single ingredient! I brought my Italian/English dictionary with me the first few trips. It did take a while to figure out what was okay that was packaged. The labels and warnings on food are different here than in the U.S.

My neighborhood grocery store.

My first allergy-free finds!

For the first month or so, I stuck to very basic foods. I bought mostly fresh foods, so I was going to the store a few times a week. Now that I have been here for a while, and know the Italian ingredients, it takes me much less time to find foods that I haven't tried and that should be safe to eat. I still have yet to find any candy or ice cream that is safe here!

Italian School Lunch

2009-11-19T00:39:00.006-05:00

Everyday my school feeds every student and staff member lunch. No one packs their own lunch for school. At first I assumed I probably wouldn't be able to eat anything at school, and would have to pack my own lunch. This was not the case though! School lunch here is very different than in the U.S. They have lots of fresh food. There is salad, fruit, plain pasta, and cheese that are always available. They also make other things each day besides those foods, but I am always able to find at least those foods at school every day.

During our staff orientation week before school started, I went with one of the women who work in the office to talk to the chef and the other people that work in the kitchen. They only speak Italian, so I needed someone to help me communicate. I brought them a copy of my chef card for them to read. I found out that they used to use peanut oil, but stopped last year when one of the students was allergic. Now they only use Olive and Corn oil. They let me take a look at both bottles to make sure they were okay. They also kept my chef card in the kitchen. They were very nice about everything.

Since then, I always feel comfortable eating the basic foods that are always served. Sometimes they make other dishes with many more ingredients that look good, but I am not sure about them, so I don't eat them. Sometimes I double check and ask about a food they are serving, but the language barrier is definitely difficult, and they are so busy at lunch time. If I want to ask them about a food I need to do it before lunch. The kitchen staff is very nice and helpful though, so I feel lucky that it has worked out the way it has, and I am able to eat at school.

I definitely think that having so many allergies is pushing me to work on my Italian. It is hard to have such a language barrier here. No one in this area of Italy speaks English, so dealing with everyday things is tough, but having allergies to deal with on top of that, makes it an even greater challenge!

Eating Adventures in Rome!

2009-11-18T02:24:00.013-05:00

After being in Paris for a few days, I felt right at home when we traveled back to Rome. Although I am certainly not even conversational in Italian, I can at least get myself through a meal fairly comfortably and understand the gist of many conversations. During the few days that we spent in Rome, I had both positive and negative food experiences.

The first day we arrived, we found our apartment, dropped off our bags, then went in search of pizza! The majority of the time I have been living here, the pizza in Italy has been fine. That afternoon we found a small little pizzeria to sit down and eat some lunch. The guy who was working understood my card, and my "Sono allergica..." broken Italian explanation. The pizza was good, and everything went well!

Pizza in Roma!

That night we went in search of dinner. We dressed up for a nice night out, only to find it pouring rain outside. We tried to find a restaurant in the vicinity of where we were staying. We found one down the street that had a nice rustic charm to it. When I ordered and handed over my card, the waiter I could already tell had an attitude. He went back to the kitchen and came back a few minutes later and told me what I was having. I didn't know what to say. There was no choice given to me. Instead he told me the only dish I could have, which I didn't even want in the first place. We decided it was ridiculous that I had no say in what I could eat, and we got up to leave. The waiter told us he was glad we were leaving because he didn't want to serve us anyway! We were astonished at the way he treated us!

Luckily, we kept walking and found a pub with amazing pizza! They were great with my allergies, and didn't give us a hard time. At least the night ended well!

The following day we continued with our "street pizza" for lunch and our nicer dinners out. We dressed up again and went out, yet again, in the rain to eat at a restaurant that was recommended in one of our travel books. The ingredients were extremely fresh, and they were great about my allergies. A success!
Successful dinner with pizza and salad!

Another pizza lunch day, and the last dress up night before leaving Rome. We went to Campo de' Fiori for a nice outdoor dinner. The restaurant was called Carbonara, so I decided to try their Carbonara pasta dish. They were great about my allergies, and the food was good!

Our trip to Rome worked out well for the most part! Although we dealt with a difficult restaurant situation one night, everything ended up working out in the end!

My Paris Eating Adventures!

2009-11-18T02:14:00.012-05:00

This past trip to Paris, I had a much easier time eating. When I went with my family a few years ago, I had so much trouble! No one wanted to serve me at restaurants. It was a bit of a nightmare! This time I stayed in an apartment in Paris instead of a hotel and cooked dinner every night. I used the website, http://www.vrbo.com to find apartments to rent for a three night stay in both Paris and Rome. It worked out a lot better because we could go to the grocery store and get ingredients, then make them. I would definitely recommend traveling that way! It is a lot easier to go into a grocery store, find some basics, and then cook something to eat.

Before leaving I brushed up on my French, so understanding the ingredients on the foods in the grocery store weren't too bad. There are also a lot of words that are similar in one of the other romance languages, and since I know about the same amount of each, I was able to manage through the store finding food.

I did also have a chef card in French that I could have used if we had decided to go out to dinner. I really love cooking though, so it was nice to stay in and cook, then go out.

Dinner in the apartment.

For lunch, we would get baguettes with tomato, mozzarella, and basil. I did this the first time I was in Paris and I had no problems. When we went this time, we chose a built in stand where they had all sandwiches. The only kind I saw that I was obviously allergic to was the tuna fish. I gave them my card and explained my allergies. They used a clean knife and were great with my allergies. No problems!

Sandwich with tomato, mozzarella, and basil.

Starbucks hot chocolate!

All in all, we had a fabulous time in Paris! By the end of the trip, I felt a lot more confident about eating there. It definitely helped to stay somewhere with a kitchen. Cooking made the entire experience worry-free, more enjoyable, and much easier!

Touche Bakery- My First Biscotti!!!!

2009-11-17T17:10:00.004-05:00

One of the greatest feelings for an allergic reactor, is being able to find safe new foods to try! Last spring Allan Swartz e-mailed me from www.touchebakery.com. He had read my blog and thought I would be interested in sampling some of his nut free products. Of course I was interested! A few days later a big box was awaiting me when I came home from work. I looked at the return address. It was from Touche Bakery in Ontario, Canada! I was delighted!

I opened the box to find two assorted boxes filled with many different flavors of biscotti, another box filled with the extra cranberry biscotti (which turned out to be one of my favorites), and a box of Snowball cookies. On each box, it very clearly stated that they were made in a peanut and nut free facility. It was wonderful also to be able to try something I have never been able to try before! It was my first experience with biscotti. They were excellent too! Very fresh ingredients, sweet, crunchy, and very delicious! Although these sweets are more appealing to adults, everything that I tried was wonderful, and certainly worth checking out!

For those of you lucky individuals who are not allergic reactors, this may not seem like such a big deal, but trust me, it's HUGE!! Let me try to put you in an allergic reactors shoes...

Pretend this is you: Day in and day out you go through the day seeing delicious looking treats in bakery windows, coffee shops, the grocery store, and even at friends' houses, but every time, no matter what, you can't try it. Imagine that you can't have your favorite desert! You can see it, but you aren't allowed to taste it. Imagine you are at coffee and you want something to eat to go with your coffee, but there is NOTHING that you can eat.

It is hard to imagine, and I know I am not doing a just explanation of how it feels. I will continue to think of ways to describe the difficulty and frustration at times. I just want my readers to understand how AMAZING it feels to be able to try new foods, and not have to worry about a reaction! It is the best feeling!

Thank you Touche Bakery! I am so lucky!

Finding the H1N1 Immunization

2009-11-17T15:19:00.014-05:00

Last night I went to pick up the prescription from the doctor that my school uses, to get the H1N1 vaccine. Luckily, my friend Kate (we teach together and she is also American and has been living here for three years) came with me, since she knew where it was! It was dark and foggy out, there was no sign, no reception desk, and there is no way I ever would have found it without her! We walked up a few floors, and finally came into a reception area. The woman behind the counter only spoke Italian. Kate knows more Italian than I do, and was able to figure out where the doctor's office was. At first they couldn't even figure out who we were asking for!

We finally found the doctor, who does speak English and was ready to write me the prescription to go to get the H1N1 shot. I had to bring in documentation of all my allergy and asthma medications, then she wrote up a letter stating that because I have asthma, I qualify to get the vaccine. It was a bit of a process! She printed a map to show me where I should go to get the actual shot. The only hours I could go were between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. I work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., which meant I would have to miss school either way.

I decided to go this morning to get it done. I had no problem taking a different bus than I usually take, getting off at a stop I had never been to, then finding the gated in area where all the medical buildings were. The problem that I did have was trying to find which medical building I was supposed to go to! After roaming around in my big black rain boots, holding an umbrella, trying to keep my map dry from the rain, asking about six different people in Italian where to go, getting pointed in six different directions, then finally navigating it on my own, I found the right building 45 minutes later!

I went inside the building and found a reception desk. I showed the woman my map and asked if I was in the right place. She said yes, and was kind enough to take me to the room that I needed to go to, explain I spoke English, and show my prescription to the woman. They brought me into a room five minutes later. There were three other people in the room, speaking Italian and googling on the computer. My Italian is at a very basic understanding level right now, so I wasn't entirely sure what was going on, until a woman in broken English explained that they needed the consent forms and paperwork to print for me in English. This took a good hour or so! Finally when everything was printed, I was expected to read through it, then sign all the forms.

They asked about my allergies, so I showed them my Medic Alert bracelet. It was the first time I had used it since being here. When they saw that latex was on there, that took another 25 minutes of Italian debate. Unfortunately, I had no idea what they were debating about. Finally they showed me that the syringe that they were planning to use had latex. I tried to explain that I avoid latex as much as I can because I am allergic to banana and kiwi (and there is a link between them and latex, so my allergist told me to avoid it and also have it on my Medic Alert in case of an emergency), but that it would be okay, because I am not allergic (yet, luckily!), but that did not translate, so 2o more minutes went by before they found latex free syringes to use to give me the vaccine. After I was finally given the vaccine, I had to sign some more paperwork, then wait for a half an hour to make sure I didn't get a reaction. I was then finally able to leave!

Even with the long, difficult process I went through, I am glad that I was able to get it! Yay! Victory! I got the vaccine, in Italy, with my bad Italian...somehow!

My First Italian Haircut

2009-11-16T00:36:00.007-05:00

I am usually pretty hesitant about trying new places to get my hair cut, but I was having one of those days where I just couldn't wait any longer! I went to the office at my school and had them help me call and set up an appointment at a place they said was good. (I would have tried calling myself, but everyone here only speaks Italian, and my Italian is not good enough yet to make my own appointment!)

The next evening after school, I was on my way to the hair appointment. In preperation for this appointment I had a photo of how I wanted my hair, along with an entire dialogue in Italian to explain. I also packed my own shampoo and conditioner. I know how to say "I am allergic," but I was not sure if they would understand why I couldn't use their shampoo and conditioner. I figured it would be even more complicated to ask to read the ingredients, so the safest and easiest thing to do, was to just bring my own.

The street names here can be confusing, and since all I had was a hand drawn map from another teacher, I did a lot of wandering before finally finding the salon on a windy, cobblestone side road in the older, quainter part of the city. As I was asking two older women sitting outside, "Dove Winter?" I turned around and there it was! I walked into the salon and told the man at the counter my name. Mi chiama Allie.

As he brought me over to wash my hair, I started explaining in my broken Italian that I brought my own shampoo and conditioner. There was one other man working there, and between the two of them, they were able to figure it out! I was so relieved that they understood. I have had a difficult enough time explaining that in English in the U.S., never mind trying to do it in Italian.

The only other point where I had to remind him about my allergies, was when he want to put a product in my hair. He handed me the bottle to look at the ingredients, which were fine. I never usually put anything in my hair, but since the ingredients were okay, I didn't want to confuse him even more.

The experience was really quite hilarious, between my terrible Italian and his barely any English! Thankfully I had a picture to show, so he cut my hair just right! Phewww! Now at least I have a salon I know I can go to! It was quite an adventure though!

My New Chef Card & Medic Alert Bracelet

2009-11-15T11:19:00.003-05:00

A few months before I left for Italy, I brought my old chef card from when I went to Italy with my family, to show my Italian tutor. I wanted to make sure it was as accurate as possible, and was updated with anything that may have changed since I made it a few years ago.

When I showed it to her, and explained all of my allergies, there were lots of changes that she wanted to make. We went through everything, adding what was on the Italian allergy website, and adding all of her suggestions of foods she knew contained an allergen. We also rewarded the message, then added a back to it that listed foods that a restaurant could prepare for me, if nothing was on the menu. I felt very confident and relieved about my new chef card!

This is the front of the card with a message to the chef and all of my allergies.

This is the back of the card with the foods that I can eat.

I made copies of my chef card and laminated it. It is bigger than my English card that I use in the U.S., but it can still fit in my purse easily, which is what's important! I also have one in French. I may try to make some more in Spanish, as well as in some of the other languages of places I may travel.

If you need help making a card in a language you don't know, you can also order them from selectwisely.com. I ordered one in Turkish from them. It is not detailed like the one I made, but if you really need one and have no idea of the language, it can be very helpful! They also put pictures on the card, which I think is definitely useful! There are also a few other ones I have not tried yet, dietarycard.com, which is a UK-based company and allergytranslation.com, which seems to have a more detailed approach.

My Italian Medic Alert bracelet is also working out well. Luckily it hasn't been put into use though! It has all of my anaphylactic allergies and asthma on the inside with the regular Medic Alert symbol on top.

"Piacere" and the handshake

2009-11-15T05:56:00.013-05:00

The word 'piacere' in Italian means "nice to meet you." Both here in Italy, as well as at home in the U.S., handshakes are a common way to either greet or say goodbye to someone. Here in Italy they also use kisses on each cheek as a greeting (as well as in many other parts of Europe).

For allergic reactors, greeting people can sometimes to be challenging. There have been numerous times where I have nervously given out my hand to shake, while hoping to not break out into hives. It is hard to awkwardly explain my allergies to someone I am just meeting or don't know well. I don't want to hesitate and not be polite and shake their hand. I also don't want to get hives from peanuts I just saw them eat. It is a fine line between being polite and keeping myself safe!

If I have just seen someone eating something that I am allergic to, I usually just tell them. I am not going to shake their hand whether it was nice to meet them or not! I don't want to take that kind of risk. Most of the time, there really is no way of knowing. I carry wipes with me at all times, but that is really all that I can do!

International Travel

2009-11-14T14:33:00.011-05:00

Travel is a passion of mine and a significant part of my life! It is when I feel most relaxed and at peace. The world has so many spectacular places and amazing sites. I don't want to miss any of them! Of course having anaphylactic food allergies does make this difficult!

I have been lucky enough to have many travel experiences. I have been all over the world! I have ridden camels in the dessert, sailed on boats in the Whitsundays, and rolled down giant sand dunes! I have driven in a huge jeep through the largest sand island in the world, smelled the scent of fresh rosemary while overlooking one of the most spiritual cities, and held a baby kangaroo that had just been rescued. These are just a few of the many incredible adventures that I have been fortunate enough to experience (even with my allergies)!

I never let my food allergies get in the way of where I want to go and what I want to do. I also though, will not go on adventures that make me too nervous so that I can't relax. I don't like feeling on guard all the time, and after putting myself through a few of those experiences, I have realized that since they are too nerve-wrecking, they are not enjoyable, and therefore, not worth it! It took experiences though to realize my comfort level.

Back last spring, there was a lot of controversy about airlines serving nuts on flights (particularly Northwest Airlines). There were irresponsible bloggers sharing their opinions with no knowledge of their writing subject or even any background. There were many angry people who could not understand why "all of a sudden" there were all these children with peanut allergies. Like many things, people who were uninformed and unaffected, were shouting out at all of these allergic reactors for having allergies and ruining their ability to eat peanuts on the airplane.

This truly emphasized to me how important education is, because there are so many people who are completely ignorant to the idea that people can actually be unable to eat certain foods. I have spoken with people who don't understand and don't believe me about my allergies, while I have also spoken to people who have been so understanding and completely amazing with my allergies. You just never know!

There are some airlines that I have had better experience with than others. My international flights I have always had a lot of trouble with. The first time that I flew to Australia, Qantas wanted me to fill out a form saying that they were not responsible when it came to my allergies. Since then, when I have flown to Australia, or even in Australia between cities, I have had pilots tell me not to bother flying. They have told me to "find another way." As if it is so easy to get from one big city to the next in Australia. The United States is the same size as Australia, except that Australia is mostly empty desert, speckled with six main cities spread out through the entire country! I refused to not fly. We already paid for our tickets, and we were going! I remember how frustrated I felt though, and how angry I was that these people could not even try to understand.

Since then I have had many other flights with similar experiences. Last fall I was on my way to Istanbul, Turkey. I was flying Luftansa and requested a nut free flight. At first the man I spoke with gave me a difficult time, and then went to go ask the captain. The captain said that they would still serve nuts (macadamia specifically). When I was told they wouldn't fly nut free, the captain asked me how severe my allergy was, then started to suggest I find another way to travel (riiight, like it is easy to get to Istanbul by other modes of transportation)! I hate when they do that, because then I have to turn the conversation around, so they will still let me fly and not feel like I am a huge liability for them! I remember sitting on the plane I felt a bit uncomfortable when everyone around me was eating dinner.

Airlines are so worried about liability. They don't actually care if you are okay or if they can help. They just don't want to get sued, like many restaurants, so instead of trying to accommodate, they refuse to serve. In an article from the Seattle Times, a spokesperson from Continental Airlines said, "We do not set up a peanut-free zone because it would mislead the customers into thinking the cabin is free of allergens, which the airline cannot guarantee." Although some airlines do have a peanut-free zone I have heard, I have never experienced it on a flight myself. Many airlines are so worried legally, that they are not nice, helpful, or caring in anyway.

Anyway, I DO understand the flying frustration (As I write this I can feel my own frustration as I am pressing the keys harder and faster)! I go with my gut feeling usually though, and have never turned down a flight. Often I won't eat even my own food on flights. I will wait until I get off the plane to eat. I feel more comfortable that way. It is difficult to feel comfortable eating when you know how far away you are from any kind of help! I ALWAYS carry hand wipes with me everywhere too, so I can wipe down my seat and wipe off my hands if I need to touch my face.

In an article I read on March 14, 2009, from Medical News Today, it said, "Families with food allergic individuals make significant lifestyle alterations when it comes to vacation planning." I agree that there are certainly alterations that must be made for us allergic reactors to feel comfortable while traveling.

There were a few surveys in this article. One survey said that 36 percent of the people that were surveyed said that they limited the type of transportation that they take for vacations, with 80 percent avoiding ships and 65 percent avoiding planes. That sounds like some very limiting travel! It is difficult to get anywhere far away for a vacation without either a ship or a plane!

The article also surveyed what people did to typically prepare for travel. There were 67 percent who got extra epinephrine, 94 percent who packed allergy-free food, 53 percent who requested special airplane accommodations and 48 percent who researched where the closest hospital was located. I usually do each of these preparations before traveling!

They also mentioned the least likely locations that people with allergies were likely to visit, which I definitely agreed with. They said Japan, India, China, Africa and beach resorts in foreign countries were were people were least likely to visit. I have yet to visit any of those countries, although I have gone to beach resorts in foreign countries before. Asia is a difficult place to travel with fish and nut allergies. I am not sure what I would eat there! My dad who is also allergic to nuts, has gone to Asia on business before and had trouble, but could eat some fish and plain white rice. I can't imagine how difficult it would be though! At some point though, I will probably try to venture there (probably with a suitcase of dehydrated food to eat!). There are many amazing places to see there, and such a different culture. I am sure I will figure it out, but for now it is not top on my list, knowing it is less allergy friendly for me. I still have plenty of places that I want to travel to that are a lot easier with my allergies.

There was a survey in this article that I found somewhat obvious, but interesting nonetheless. The survey showed that 68 percent limit the type of destination. It also said that 90 percent only vacation in the United States. There was only 0.3 percent that traveled to remote locations. This reminded me of my own remote location travels.

Although remote locations can be scary for allergy reasons, they can also be an exciting adventure that I don't want to miss! It puts me in a game of tug-o-war with myself. The adventurous, free-spirited traveler in me says, "GO! It's an adventure of a lifetime!" While the other rational side of me says, "It's not safe. You will be uncomfortable the entire time. It is not worth the risk." It is a hard game to win. I don't want to miss out on an interesting and exciting adventure, but I also want to feel safe and worry-free. Both sides have won at times...

One example of the adventurous traveler winning over, was when I lived in Australia and went traveling for my spring break from school. My friend Rachel and I went sailing in the Whitsundays for four days, and then to Fraser Island. Both parts of the trip were amazing, but both parts made me uncomfortable. Both trips were in remote locations, where getting help quickly would have been difficult. I brought my own food, and was extremely careful with everything, but it still was not the most relaxing trip! I was glad though that I had these expereinces for a few reasons. One reason is because I became very aware of where my comfort zone lies. Another reason is because I did have incredible experiences at these places that many people never get a chance to have.

There are ways that I have found to make most travel experiences comfortable for me. One way is to make chef cards in the language of the country I will be in. Another way is to pack dehydrated food if I know that there may be times where I won't find something to eat. The good thing about dehydrated food is that all you need is boiling water to heat it up, and then you have a meal. I will not rave about the delicious taste of these meals (because that is not usually true), but when I am hungry and there is nothing else, dehydrated meals don't sound so bad! I used them all the time when I was traveling one summer through Prague, Cyprus and Israel. I don't now what I would have done without them that summer!

There are so many travel experiences to talk about. To me, finding a way to make it happen with my allergies is a priority! The world is an amazing place! I don't want to miss it because of food allergies! That's not a good enough reason!

Living in the dorms & Roommates

2009-11-13T15:34:00.001-05:00

Even before college, there were many times I lived with others. Every summer I lived in a bunk at camp with around 15 other girls. I went to sleepovers, traveled and stayed with my friends and their families on vacation, and had many other experiences of sharing living space with others. These experiences are what helped prepare me for when I went off to college.

Although I can say that I certainly had some roommates I enjoyed living with more than others, I can honestly say that every roommate I had was nice about my allergies. I didn't have any real problems with anyone being disrespectful about them. I actually didn't really even worry about roomates when I was in college. Some years I had great ones who turned into best friends, while my freshman year and a few other times, I had roommates I got along with okay, but would not have ever chosen them to live with.

I have heard from some parents who are wondering how it worked to live in the dorms in college with allergies. My freshman year of college I told my roommate about my allergies and what she would need to do. I told her she could eat foods that I was allergic to, but she needed to keep them on her side of the room and make sure to wash her hands. We both had our own mini fridges and microwaves. She was very responsible about it, and so were the other people on my floor.

Before I moved in my freshman year, I spoke to the woman who was in charge of the dining halls. She told me what was safe to eat and what I should avoid. The dining hall was right downstairs in my building, so it was easy enough, and they all knew who I was. Breakfast was always the easiest meal. Every other meal I could certainly find food, but it got pretty redundant after a while.

My sophomore year I transferred to a big state school. I had to go through the process again of sitting down with the head of the dining services staff and asking what foods would be okay, and what I should avoid. Since I was on such a large campus, I never really knew the dining staff, so I rarely asked questions. I often ate the same foods. It worked out well though. I had no problems with my allergies.

The first time that I moved off campus, was when I studied abroad the fall of my senior year in Australia. I lived with four other girls in a small two bedroom apartment with a "study" (a.k.a. enclosed porch with big Venetian blinds). I lived out on the porch. I loved it because I had my own space.

The trickiest part of living with four other girls, was trying to share a very small kitchen! We each shared a shelf in the fridge and a shelf in the cabinets. They were all very aware of my allergies, and did a good job of making me feel safe in our apartment. I bought a set of my own dishes and had my own sponge. We had a dishwasher, which helped a lot! It was difficult finding food to eat in Australia, but living in an apartment with roommates was not!

When I came home from Australia, I needed somewhere off campus to live. I found an apartment with one girl and one guy who wad also coming back from being abroad. It worked out perfectly! The three of us couldn't have gotten along any better! We had such a great time together, and they were both awesome with my allergies! Yet again, no problems!

Since college I have had a year of living in my own studio apartment (by far the easiest living situation as afar as allergies go), as well as living at my parents, traveling, and staying with friends. When I lived in the studio, I didn't have to worry about having foods in my apartment that I couldn't eat. It was amazing, and the first time in my entire life where I could feel completely comfortable with my allergies, because it was my own space!

Now in Italy, I am lucky again to be living with another teacher who is fabulous with my allergies! Abby is by far, the best roommate I have had (especially as far as allergies go)! She is extremely understanding and careful! I never have to really worry about anything, which is so nice! When we first moved in and went grocery shopping she was really patient and helpful while I scoured shelves searching for allergen free foods! She is also wonderful about washing her hands if she eats anything I am allergic to, and is both responsive and responsible about my allergies. Living with her has definitely made the transition abroad with allergies much easier!

The Expense of Allergies!!!!

2009-11-12T22:51:00.000-05:00

As I left Venice twelve Euros poorer, I realized both my frustration and astonishment by the expense of having allergies! My roommate and I were in Venice for the day and were hungry after roaming around the narrow, windy canals. We stopped at a pizzeria and ordered. We both wanted to get pizza. I showed him my Chef card in Italian. He told me that they used nut oils, and that I would not be able to eat any of the pizza or pasta. I then opted for a salad. I asked for some cheese on the salad, since it was just a plain salad with greens and a few tomatoes. When we got the bill, I was charged five Euro for the salad, and 4.50 Euro for the cheese on top of it! Ridiculous! I could not believe a few pieces of cheese would cost almost as much as my salad!

This is only one of many examples of times when I have spent more because of my food allergies. It can be very frustrating. I can't just go to the grocery store and shop by price. Instead, I have to shop by ingredients. Here in Italy I have very few choices, so whatever brand it is, and however much it costs, I just have to deal with, because that is my only allergy-safe option!

In an article on March 15, 2009, from Medical News Today, it reported from a study done by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. It said that "families of food allergic individuals are more likely to have financial burdens as a result..." In the survey that they did, "families with a food allergic child were more likely to stop working, reduce working or incur financial problems." I am not sure how they figured that out, but I do not believe that it would be necessary to stop working. As a teacher, it makes me extremely frustrated whenever I hear any teachers talking about food allergies in a negative and unresponsive way. With more education now, it seems like there should be more schools and teachers who are responsive to taking care of students with food allergies. I know it is certainly a work in progress though in many areas!

I found another article that was written on U.S. News and World Report written on the same date on this same subject. The article said that food allergies can be a burden financially and for vacation plans. It also mentions how food allergies can have a "wide impact on a family's quality of life." I do agree that for some families, it COULD have an impact on your quality of life, BUT I know that it doesn't NEED to have an impact on your quality of life. I don't feel like my quality of life is impacted by my allergies. I feel lucky for what I have, and that I am healthy, have wonderful family and friends, can go running, have a job, and so many, many other things. Sure, it would be nice to not have to read every ingredient, BUT it does not play a role in my quality of life. Having food allergies can certainly be difficult, but in the grand scheme of things, I feel very lucky with what I have. There are many things that could be a lot worse. We know how to keep ourselves safe from our allergies as much as we can possibly control. Always carrying Epi and Benedryl, bringing a Chef Card to ask ingredients, and trusting yourself is a great way to feel powerful and in charge of food allergies! It can be done! I've done it!

Living Abroad

2009-11-09T15:33:00.003-05:00

The first time I lived abroad, I found it challenging, but I realize now that it was an important first experience. I lived in Australia, where they speak English (well, Aussie English...ha). I could order food and understand ingredients, but yet there were still many challenges! Almost everything packaged was labeled with "May Contain..." something that I was allergic to. The only crackers that I could find to eat were Carr's crackers imported from England. Even some wines said that they "May contain traces of nuts." It was impossible to find ice cream that I could eat, or really any chocolate for that matter. Eating wise, it was tough! Living wise, it was amazing and totally worth all the food challenges I faced.

During that time in Australia, I lived with four other girls. There were five of us in a small two bedroom apartment, with a "study," also known as an enclosed porch with big venetian blinds. I lived there. I wanted to make sure that I had my own space. I didn't want to have to worry about my allergies in my bedroom. I already had to be careful in our common space.

The girls were pretty good about my allergies. I had my own sponge and dishes that I used. We had a dishwasher luckily, which definitely helped. I had to be careful, but I felt comfortable there. It was also my first experience living in an apartment and having roommates outside of a dorm setting.

I learned a lot while living there. I learned my different levels of comfort, how to live somewhere unknown, and how to find food, even when challenged! Without this first living abroad experience, I don't think I would have felt as comfortable diving into my second living abroad experience in Italy!

Living abroad here is even more difficult! I don't speak the language. Every ingredient is in Italian. I can't eat gelatto or any chocolate (you know...the really important things in life). In this part of Italy no one speaks English. It isn't touristy at all. It is a big adjustment! I am good at adapting to new places though, and even with these new challenges, I have found enjoyment in this new adventure!

Dream in Allergies

2009-11-01T15:57:00.001-05:00

As I woke up from a dream yesterday morning, I realized that no matter what, I always still have food allergies in my dreams! I guess my allergies are so ingrained into me that I can't ever imagine not having them!

The other night I had a dream that I was out to dinner and had ordered pasta. When they brought out my dish, it was in a broth with fish swimming around inside of it. Strange, I know! It reminded me though, that even in my dreams, I am aware that I have food allergies somehow. I suppose that when that is all I have ever known, I shouldn't expect much less. It is certainly an interesting realization!

To Hike or Not to Hike?

2009-10-22T08:23:00.007-04:00

Most recently, hiking is what has made me most nervous as far as travel goes. In the past year I have gone hiking twice. Although I love the idea of hiking, in actuality it really scares me! Not only do I have the general fears that anyone might have: "What if I fall and brake my leg? What if I accidentally fall over or slide down the cliff when I climb up the rocks at the end? What if..." My main fear though is: "What if I get an allergic reaction on top of the mountain, with no cell phone reception and no way of getting down except by climbing?"

The thought of being so far and inaccessible can be both exhilarating and frightening for people. For allergic reactors though, this can be very scary! I remember when I was growing up, my parents were always the ones making the decision of where I could go, by their comfort level. Now that I am an adult, it means that I have to decide my own comfort level. I don't have my parents telling me what I should and shouldn't do based on my allergies. Instead I have to make the decision of whether I feel comfortable or not. Sometimes this can be difficult, but I definitely feel like my parents prepared me well, and gave me the tools to assess and make good decisions.

My biggest problem on both hikes was not an allergy issue, but a boot issue. I couldn't find my hiking boots anywhere! I had no idea where they were, and after hiking in my running shoes on the first hike, I knew I wanted my hiking boots for the next one! Of course they were still missing though, and here I went again, hiking in my sneakers! I was slipping and sliding everywhere! This made it much less enjoyable.

I made sure both times to pack: hand wipes, water, lunch, snacks, and a sweatshirt for the top of the mountain.

At the top of the mountain.

Cleaning off my hands before eating, and sharing some wipes with my
friends after their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Having a snack.

The problem with hiking with a big group of friends, is that there are bound to be at least half, if not all of them bringing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to eat. Never mind the granola mixes, etc. that all contain nuts. Everyone is very aware of my allergies, so I had no problems, but of course I wasn't completely at ease. I felt much better once I knew we were done eating and on the way back down!

This is what makes the entire hike worthwhile...

Asthma Frustration

2009-10-10T08:05:00.000-04:00

It started today when I was outside with the kids at recess. I could see the pollen floating in the air, and felt my lungs tighten while my breathing became mildly constricted. "Ugh..." I thought as I waited impatiently for recess to end.

When I was first diagnosed with asthma, it was only sports induced. It happened my freshman year of high school. I was, and still am a runner. I started having difficulty catching my breath though at cross country practices. That is when I got my first inhaler. Unfortunately, my asthma has only progressed from there.

I am trying to get the flu shot in Italy. Everything takes much longer here! Having asthma scares me. In more recent years, I have had some scary experiences with my asthma, and the thought of getting sick is frightening. Asthma is such an out of control feeling. My albeterol inhaler helps, but I still have scary moments where I feel very uncomfortable and very afraid of the lack of control I have. I take the lowest dose of advair twice a day, Flonase, and Singulair. (I have lots of environmental allergies too.)

Two years ago I came home from grad school to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family for the long weekend. We had our Thanksgiving dinner at our house, and during it I kept feeling more and more restricted. My dad end up having to rush me to the ER when my albeterol inhaler did nothing for me! It really scared me! I had never had that happen before. I was really stressed out at the time and I hadn't spent time at home most of the fall, so I had't been in our house or around our dog, which didn't help! After that they put me on Prednizone for a week, I felt better.

I have a student in my class who has asthma and every time she is having trouble my heart goes out to her because I know that feeling. She has an inhaler, but we have had to call her mom before because she has left it at home. The other day she was playing outside too, and had trouble, took her inhaler, and still didn't feel better. I felt so bad for her! It is such a scary feeling!

There also seems to be a lot of dust where I live in Italy. I am in a brand new apartment, yet the dust accumulates so quickly! I have heard other teachers I work with say the same thing about their apartments! Everyone smokes cigarettes here too! I hate it! Smoking is so gross! It makes me sad to see all these 11 and 12 year old kids already starting to smoke cigarettes. It is such a cultural thing here, that no one seems to be bothered! It is unbelievable to me with all that we know about cigarettes, that it is still such a significant part of the culture here! Yuck!

Hopefully this week I will find the flu shot! Wish me luck!

Traveling to Italy

2009-10-04T13:03:00.010-04:00

Although I thought I was all set and ready to go, I spent the last few minutes before we left for the airport throwing things in bags! It is very difficult trying to figure out what to pack when moving to another country for the year. The one thing though that I made sure that I had packed ahead of time was all of my medication, doctor's notes and records, and my Italian Medic Alert bracelet. Those were most important!

I was flying Luftansa and called about my allergies ahead of time. They will not fly nut free though, which I actually remembered when I called from past flight experience. I asked when I got to the terminal to be the first to board, so that I could wipe down my seat. I had to be a bit insistent, but I was in the first group of people boarding. Instead of flying nut free, they were actually handing out bags of nuts...helpful! It did certainly give me some anxiety. I ended up being very lucky though, because I was bumped up to business class, where I had more room then I knew what to do with! I always wipe down the seat when I first get on the plane, so I did that and then got comfortable. I brought my own travel pillow and blanket, so that I didn't have to worry about that either.

The plane flight was va bene (okay)! In business class, they serve all sorts of tasty looking foods and drinks. I didn't have anything though, of course! I barely like eating the food that I pack on the plane. I would never even consider eating anything provided by the airline! The flight went by pretty fast. It was a short flight anyway for me, compared to all my travels back and forth to Australia!

I had a layover in Munich, so I sat at a table in the airport and ate some of the food that I had packed. I felt more comfortable eating it on solid ground, than on an airplane flying over the ocean.

My last flight was on this teeny, tiny, ity, bity, thirty-seater! I am not a huge fan of small planes, so I didn't really enjoy it, but it was short, which made it okay. I asked before the flight if they were serving a snack, and they said that they weren't. I ended up falling asleep, but I did realize that they were passing out a snack, which luckily was not nuts! Phew...

All in all, my travel experience went well. I am used to airlines not being nice or flexible about my allergies, so it is something I am always prepared for. I will have to write about the numerous times I have had them say, "Maybe you shouldn't be flying if your allergies are that severe. You should find another way to get there." Clearly that is an easy solution to places where flying is the only option! I will explain more about this in another blog...

Back from my hiatus- Life in Italy

2009-10-01T12:15:00.005-04:00

I am sorry to all of you who follow my blog on a regular basis and have been disappointed by no new or recent updates! I still appreciate your support, and hope that you will continue to read, now that I am back to blogging!

I have been in Italy now for a month. I love it here and feel very lucky for this opportunity! I am teaching 25 fourth graders with Italian accents! They are very sweet and a lot of fun to teach (most of the time)! :)

I definitely have a lot to share about my allergy experiences since I have been here. I have not had any major problems, and have actually had a much easier time than I was anticipating! I will start to share these experiences in the next few blogs! I just wanted to let everyone know that I am back and will be updating on a weekly basis!

Thanks again,
Miss Allergic Reactor

My Summer Trip to the land of Bears and Moose- VERMONT!

2009-08-26T02:33:00.001-04:00

My boyfriend is from Vermont, so we planned a trip to go visit his family there. I am a city girl, so I was a bit hesitant of visiting Vermont, but I ended up loving it!

I had never stayed with his family before, so I was a nervous about how it would be in general, never mind with my allergies. Luckily, his parents are amazing, and were so wonderful with my allergies! They double checked all ingredients for our lunches and dinners together, while also making sure that there was plenty of food in the house that I wasn't allergic to, so that I could always find something to eat! They also understood the severity and being careful with cross contamination.

We had some fabulous meals all together, and there were no allergies issues the entire week! It was so nice to be able to feel relaxed, and be aware but not worried about what I ate! The only real concern that I had while I was there, was that the nearest hospital was a good 40 minute drive away. To feel more comfortable I brought plenty of Epi-pens and Benedryl, and stayed aware of what I ate.

My boyfriend and I at the Ben & Jerry's Factory

Since we were in Vermont, we HAD to go to the Ben & Jerry's Factory. I LOVE ice cream! Ben & Jerry's has some of my favorite flavors! We did the tour around the factory. At the end, they give you a complementary scoop of ice cream to sample, which has already been scooped and is ready to eat. They had another flavor option if for some reason you couldn't eat that one. Unfortunately, I couldn't eat either flavor! I went up and asked our guide if I could get a different flavor because I was allergic to both options. Instead, he gave me a coupon to go get a free cone after the tour. I thought that was a nice gesture, and worked out very well! I asked him also about cross-contamination, and how they keep their nut free ice creams separate, and he explained to me their entire process. It was interesting to learn about!

My week away in Vermont was a wonderful escape from the fast paced life I am used to, and a positive allergy-free trip! :)

Trusting babysitters

2009-08-22T08:15:00.000-04:00

Trusting anyone with your child, whether they have allergies or not can be difficult. For parents who have children with food allergies, this becomes even more terrifying!

I asked my mom what her experience was when I was little. She told me for the first few years they used my aunt and my grandparents as babysitters. My mom told me that the first babysitter that she left me with, ended up giving me a piece of candy one time that she had with her. Luckily I wasn't allergic, but she didn't check with my mom or anything! My mom said that after that they were even more careful. My parents were lucky because my grandparents and aunt weren't too far away.

Once I started going to nursery school, I used to go over classmates' houses for play dates. My parents always sent me with my own snack and the same snack for my friend. My parents made me responsible at a very early age, so although they could get nervous, they usually felt okay sending me places (remember, I was the only one in any of my schools that had any food allergies, so it was extremely rare). My parents were great about educating everyone who was around me about what they needed to do! My parents were also able to become close with my best friends' parents, so they were all like second families to me. I always felt very safe going to any of their houses.

As I got older we had more babysitters. In my second year of nursery school, my teacher would sometimes babysit me, and she stayed with me when my parents were in Europe for a few weeks.

It really comes down to educating. People are now becoming more and more aware of food allergies. If you can educate them and feel like they "get it," then that is great! It is also very hepful having close family and friends who you trust to care for your children!

Dessert? Do You Mean That There Is Something That Comes After Dinner?

2009-07-18T06:45:00.004-04:00

"People actually order that?" I asked my friend. Since I never order any desserts when I go out to dinner, I forget that many people actually do! I work at an Italian restaurant once a week, and when people are done with their meal, I have to remind myself to ask them if they want any dessert. I find that I am always shocked when people actually order something.

My surprise is due to the fact that I never go out to eat and order dessert afterward. Almost all desserts involve something I am allergic to, and in the rare case that a server tells me otherwise, I would never be willing to take the risk! Desserts are just something that aren't worth messing with! It is the same with any bakery items. Bread is the rare exception I occasionally make. Otherwise, nothing I eat ever comes from a bakery! There are too many nuts, too much cross contamination, and too many unanswerable questions.

Recently, I visited a few of my favorite places from childhood. Each place conjured up a happy memory involving food! The first place I visited was a historical village where I had my birthday party and went to summer camp. I thought back to the simple foods we were taught to make at camp, and the birthday cake for my birthday. The food though, that stood out in my mind, was the chocolate chip cookies that we always bought at the general store/bakery. At the time when I was there for camp, they only made fresh batches of chocolate chip cookies, and the ingredients were safe. I didn't have to worry about cross-contamination, because they didn't make anything with nuts. Sadly, when I went back for a visit, there were many more options, including peanut butter cookies. Clearly this was a risk I couldn't take! My solution: go home and make my own chocolate chip cookies!

They may not have been the exact same recipe, or taste quite as good as I remember the ones I used to eat tasting, but they were still good!

Another place that I visited was the old bakery in the town that I went to elementary and middle school in. My mom became friendly with the owner and staff at the bakery, and they could always tell us every ingredient, and make sure food was cross-contamination free. It was wonderful, because it was a place that didn't have many foods with nuts, and they were always extremely nice and accommodating. I could eat focaccias, breads, cup cakes, cookies, and cakes without worrying. Going there, was always a special treat, because I knew I could eat safely. It has been years since then, and the ownership has changed. I couldn't eat anything there anymore. I'm glad that when I was younger, I was lucky enough to find a place like that!

My last reminiscent excursion was a visit to the ice cream stand from my childhood. I would always get a chocolate and vanilla swirl with rainbow sprinkles. This is the ONLY place I was ever able to have the sprinkles! They would take sprinkles just for me from a new box that hadn't been used before. That way, there was no concern for cross-contamination. It was quite a treat!

Looking back, I feel lucky to have had all these places that catered to my allergic needs! It was not a common request, and finding people who were understanding was never easy. A tip for parents: It is important to find special places like these, where your child can safely enjoy foods that they may not normally be able to take a risk on. These places are becoming more and more difficult to find, but forming relationships with people will always help!

School Restrictions

2009-07-01T15:38:00.002-04:00

Since I am a teacher and have spent a lot of time in schools, I have noticed how differently each school and district handle food allergies. Below is a list of some of the guidelines that I have noticed when being in a school. Does your child have any of these same guidelines?

-Pictures of students on the cafeteria wall with list of allergies
-Specific rules/guidelines in classroom, like everyone wash hands before/after eating
-No food or eating in the hall
-No child can share food with another
-A policy of no food or backpacks brought inside the classroom, and everyone who enters must use a handwipe first.

-One-on-one classroom aide for the allergic child
-Classrooms with PAL posters on the wall

-Signs outside the classroom that say "Allergy Aware Classroom"

-"Nut-free" lunch tables

How do people feel about these guidelines? Does it help your child feel safer? Do they feel singled out? When I was in elementary school, I was the only one in the entire school with any allergies. My teachers were certainly aware, but it was nothing like the way elementary schools are handling it now. I have a lot to say on this topic, but I would like to hear what you as parents have to say about it? I look forward to some comments!

Around the World in Grocery Stores

2009-06-26T20:47:00.007-04:00

I was in the grocery store picking up an ingredient for dinner, when I started thinking about all the different grocery stores I had been to. Throughout my travels, grocery stores have always been a place where I have scavenged shelves looking for food with English ingredients. They have been places where I have learned about the city or country I was visiting, just by perusing the scene and food-stocked shelves. The mice I saw scurrying around the grocery store in Paris, or the non-refrigerated eggs sitting on a shelf on one of the regular food aisles in Australia, display aspects that a regular traveler may not ever see. A grocery store is not a typical tourist excursion, but for those like me, who need to find allergy-friendly foods, they are a must-see destination.

Coles was my grocery store of choice when I lived in Australia. I would buy all of my food there. Everything food related in Australia, encompassed only a few different areas for me. I could eat fresh foods, like fruits, veggies, deli meat, other meats, some cheeses, yogurt, and eggs. The only other foods I could eat were Carr's crackers (which are imported from the U.K.) and some pastas. The only chocolate I could eat there were Twix bars (although I can't eat them in the U.S., but I could eat them in Oz because they were manufactured somewhere else). It was a pretty limiting (and expensive) diet! I went to the grocery store every other day to buy fresh foods. Everything spoiled there quickly!

When I move to Italy at the end of August, I am curious to know what kind of grocery shopping experience I will have. Will I find any packages with English ingredients? How many hours will I spend trying to translate words and decipher any warnings on food packages? There are so many questions about how it will be to move to a country where I barely speak the language, and don't know anyone, but I am not worried. I have traveled to many countries where I don't speak the language. I have lived abroad before, and figured it out. Finding food is always a challenge, but I am sure that the many hours I will spend in my new Italian grocery store, will only help me to understand the new place I will be calling home.

"Don't feed the elephants"

2009-06-22T08:15:00.000-04:00

"I was mad because I couldn't eat peanuts and Dumbo could. I wanted to be like Dumbo," my dad stated to me rather matter-of-fact last weekend when we were talking about growing up with peanut allergies. My dad also grew up with a nut allergy. He still is allergic to nuts, but not as severely as when he was a child.

When my dad said this, it reminded me of how it feels to be allergic when you are a child. It is difficult because I remember feeling like I wanted to be able to eat what everyone else could eat. I wanted to feel like I fit in. I usually felt like I stood out though with my allergies. It is difficult not to feel that way when you have to bring your own cupcakes to parties, food to friends houses, and ask questions when you order food out. I also remember sometimes feeling bad because it seemed like a lot of work for other people.

There were plenty of times though where I felt like I could forget about my allergies. When I was with my family when I was little, I never worried about my allergies. When I was with my closest friends and their families, I rarely worried. It was only at birthday parties and summer camps where I felt like it was noticeable, and where people wondered why I couldn't share food or eat what they ate.

Something that I think is helpful for children now, is that they are in company. More likely than not, there is at least a few other kids in their class or grade that have similar allergies. This helps them to not feel alone. In a way, I think that is good that they don't have to feel like the only ones. Of course, I am concerned with how many children are getting food allergies now!

Allergy Disappointments

2009-06-18T19:10:00.005-04:00

Just like many things in life, sometimes my allergies can be frustrating and disappointing, too. Most days I don't think twice about them, but when it comes to finding a job, they can often get in the way!

I thought I found a summer job. I had spoken on the phone with a mother who needed someone to babysit for her three-year-old daughter during the week. The mother sounded fabulous on the phone, and I was really looking forward to meeting her. They lived in an ideal location for me, and it sounded like it would be a great job. Since there was nothing in the advertisement about pets, I didn't think about asking if they had a dog. When I went over to meet them, I walked in and immediately felt my chest tighten. A few minutes later the mother mentioned the dog, and I knew it wasn't going to work out. They had a big, fluffy, furry, long-haired, easily shed-able dog! I was so disappointed, they were so disappointed, and this was a time when I felt extremely frustrated with having allergies!

This experience taught me to always ask if a family has pets! I usually think about how my food allergies will affect nannying or babysitting for a family, but sometimes I forget that my environmental and pet allergies play a role too! After this, I won't be forgetting to ask next time!

Being the new kid with food allergies

2009-06-15T08:15:00.000-04:00

The first time I was the "new kid," I was in third grade. It was a year of many firsts for me. My first time at public school, my first time at a new school since preschool, etc. Yet again, I was the only student in the entire school system with food allergies. Of course I stuck out. Not only did I have allergies, but I also did school choice, so my dad drove me a half an hour to school every morning, then my mom came to pick me up in the afternoon. For the most part, everyone else lived in the same town that the school was in.

It was also the first school I went to that served food in the cafeteria. Most students bought food. I was one of few students who actually brought their lunch to school from home. On field trips and other school trips, I had to be careful of all the peanut butter sandwiches. At that time it was really important that I was my own greatest advocate, since my parents weren't with me all day, and no one else had allergies. I always carried my epi-pen everywhere and wore my Medic Alert bracelet!

What ended up helping with being the "new kid" was forming new friendships and finding a great group of friends who were always there for me! There is a group of five of us girls from elementary school, who are still good friends, even after so many years. These girls were always watching for me and there when it came to my allergies! I was lucky to find such great friends! I think finding lasting friendships are so important to have, especially for this reason! Helping your children to find friends who will be there for them and help them is a great way to feel a lot better about being the "new kid" with allergies!

My Weekend Away Recap

2009-05-19T05:23:00.010-04:00

My home away from home is an island off the coast. I decided to go there and visit some friends for the weekend. Before I left, there are a few questions that I asked myself:

-Does my friend's house where I am staying have any pets? No.

-Do I have extra Epi pens, Benadryl, inhalers, and environmental allergy meds? Yes.

-Do I have a copy of my chef card with me (it's always in my purse)? Yes.

-Is there any food I want to bring with me in case I can't eat? Not on this trip.

Since I know this destination well, I felt confident that I would find food that I could eat there. That is why I decided that it wasn't necessary to bring food with me. I was actually looking forward to getting food from all my favorite places on the island.

When I finally arrived off the ferry, it was already close to lunch time. My friend picked me up and we drove out to get our favorite sandwiches. There was already a line out the door when we arrived. My friend Jamie said, "We should have called in our order." I knew for me, it was much easier to order there, and watch how they made my sandwich, instead of having to explain my allergies over the phone.

"Can I please have a turkey sandwich on Portuguese bread (they are known for their bread, hence the reason I cart back a grocery bag full of it for my family each time I go there)? Can you also please make sure the person making it knows I have a peanut and fish allergy, so to make sure to change their gloves. Also please have them make sure it is put directly onto a plate and not onto the counter, and cut with a clean knife. Thank you!" The girl taking my order was great. She wrote my allergies down and went over and talked to the girls that were making the sandwiches. They all changed their gloves when it was time to make my sandwich. I was glad they were being so careful.

It can be difficult sometimes because I feel bad that I have to make such a fuss of asking them to do all these extra things so that I can eat, but if I don't, then I can't eat. With more and more education in the food and restaurant business, people are becoming much more helpful and understanding about food allergies. I didn't have one problem all weekend with people not being nice about my allergies. It is also an island that is used to tourists and dealing with high maintenance individuals, but I still think that education is starting to get around little by little!

My next food experience was later that afternoon. Ice cream!! There is this fabulous ice cream store that is a "must go to at least twice in two days" type of place because it is so good! When I ordered my ice cream I said, "I have a nut allergy, can you please use a clean scoop and clean the area of the ice cream?" The guy waiting on me did even better than that. He took the Ben & Jerry's approach, and not only got a sterilized scoop, but also went in back to new ice cream to make mine. Perfect!

That night, a group of us went out to dinner. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich. I gave the waitress my chef card (which always seems to be both a surprise and relief to servers, since they don't have to write all my allergies down, and can easily show the chef, but also because many times they haven't seen one before). She went back to the kitchen and told me I was all set. I made sure to specify that I could not have fries or anything else that came on the side besides the lettuce and tomato. When the food came out, mine had fries on the side. I explained again that potato was one of the allergies I had, and that they couldn't just take the fries off the side. I needed a new sandwich. The waitress went back to the kitchen. She came back out a few minutes later apologetic and saying that the chef also apologized and that they were making a new one now. No worries! As long as they understood I needed a new one it was okay, which they did. When I eventually got my food, it was great, and certainly worth waiting for them to make me a new one.

The next morning we went out for brunch. I ordered scrambled eggs and toast. I told the waitress my allergies, and had her double check that they just used olive oil and butter. I had been there many times, but no matter what, I always check. An easy meal with no problems!

I went back that afternoon for my second ice cream of the weekend! This time I had a high school aged boy, who seemed to be new at the job. When I ordered and told him about my allergies, he took a spoon and tried to clean off the top layer of ice cream. Luckily, the other guy that was working took over from there, as I started explaining what had been done yesterday. He went in back and got my ice cream for me. Phew...

All in all, it was a fabulous, allergy-free weekend away!

The Star of the Show!

2009-05-02T15:14:00.000-04:00

My allergies play a part every day in my life, but they certainly haven't stolen the show! Over the years, I have figured out how to make them have the most minimal role possible. I don't want them intruding on my spotlight!

When you have many allergies (food allergies, environmental allergies, pet allergies, and asthma) like I do, it is easier to see how the role they play can take over your life, and intrude on everything from school, to friends, to choices you make.

There is an option though! It is up to both the parent and the child to decide: who is the leading lady? Is it you or is it your allergies? I chose me!

I know how to have my allergies play a minor role because I have developed my own comfort zone. I know what I feel comfortable doing, and what will tie my stomach up in knots. This is something that develops over time. Hopefully, it is a comfort to know, that the longer the allergies exist, the more comfortable it is to make decisions and understand what needs to be done to stay safe.

When people find out I have food allergies, there is always a rush of questions. "How long have you been allergic? What are you allergic to? How do you live with out those foods? etc." This is another part of what I mean about being my own leading lady. Sometimes I have found that people have a hard time seeing past my allergies. It becomes a topic of conversation every time food is involved, and even often when it is not. It is hard to push allergies into the background sometimes, so people see YOU (or your child, the allergic reactor), not your (or your child's) allergies. Make sure people see YOU (or your child)!

Lately in the news, I have heard parents referring to their child's allergies as a "disease." Now whether that is scientifically the right word, or not, I think the word "disease" brings a bad connotation along with it. Yes, allergies are serious, but no, they don't need to consume your child's entire life. Having parents call their child's food allergies a "disease" in front of them is a mistake, because it makes it sound like something that needs to be a significant part of their every day. Parents should want their children to live a normal life, and by calling allergies a "disease," they are making it sound like no matter what, their child will never be able to live a normal life.

Until recently, I had never heard anyone refer to food allergies as a disease. I can honestly say that I have never once thought of my food allergies like that. The word "disease" makes food allergies sound like something terrible that affects an allergic reactor all the time. I suppose in a way they do affect me all the time, but not in ways I am still conscious of. I know what I need to do to protect myself, and that is that!

Does having severe food allergies condition you to become more fearful about everything in life?

I worry about dieing in a car or freak accident, more than I do about an allergic reaction. Has worry become a significant part of my life? Yes, but not just due to allergies. There are certainly other factors, but by subconsciously knowing that anything I put in my mouth could potentially cause an allergic reaction, definitely does affect me. How could it not? By having life-threatening allergies, I have to think about things that normal people don’t. For example, confusing my water bottle at a sports practice with someone else’s; not knowing what they have eaten. It may sound minor to anybody else, but someone with allergies understands, it’s the small things that can still be a concern.

It is all about finding ways to deal with the small everyday things, that help to make my allergies only perform short acts here and there on a daily basis. This is what my day usually consists of:

-Wake up

-Go for a run (I wear a pack with my meds in it. I just grab it and go with no worries)

-Shower (I know all my soaps, etc. are safe because I read the ingredients before buying them)

-Do some writing

-Eat breakfast (1st time I really think about my allergies for the day--I always scan ingredients before buying and eating, even if I know they were fine the week before)

-Pack my lunch (2nd time, scan ingredients while packing lunch)

-Drive to work

-Work (at work, I think about my allergies more often then I ever used to because I am around kids all day. They have snack and lunch, and so I find myself washing my hands quite often).

-After work- This varies. Sometimes I go see friends, sometimes I eat dinner with my family, etc. Either way, I only situationally think about them, depending on what I am doing.

All in all, my allergies are like the understudy. They know the lines, but they don't actually get to play the main role. I do think about them, but only when I need to protect myself. They are never a constant thought. They never stop me from doing what I want to do. They are there, and I know they are a part of me, but their role is small. That is the way I want it to stay, because I want to remain the star of the show!

Trust Yourself (For the Allergic Reactors)!

2009-05-01T15:19:00.000-04:00

(This blog is for the allergic reactors especially)!

There have been numerous times I have saved myself from having an allergic reaction. I get a feeling in my gut, a big red flashing NO sign in my mind, and I know not to eat. This gut feeling is momentous! It is a clear sign to you that if you feel uncomfortable eating something, you should not be eating it. It does not matter how good it looks, or how comfortable your family or friends or the people at the restaurant are that it is okay. If you aren’t comfortable eating it, don’t. No one is forcing you. That is why you need to be comfortable with yourself enough to say no to it.

There have been a few situations that stick out in my mind, where I needed to be able to trust myself.

When I was ten, I went on vacation to Cape Cod with one of my best friend's, Ariel, and her family. We went out to dinner one of the nights we were there. I ordered a burger, because it seemed to be the safest food on the menu. The waiter said that he would make sure it wasn't cooked near any fish. I asked him also to check the ingredients in the rolls. When our food came out, I asked if the roll was okay. He said there were no ingredients on the package, but he was "sure" that it was fine. I wasn't "sure" that it was fine though, and wouldn't eat my meal. I felt bad that I was wasting food, but more importantly, I felt confident that I was making the right choice!

When I was a freshman in high school I went to Disney world during February vacation with my best friend Sara, and her family. We went to the Italian restaurant in the Italy section in Epcot. We ordered, and I told the server about my allergies. He had the manager come over, who explained that I should not eat any of the olive oil because it was infused with a nut oil. The manager was extremely helpful and we were able to figure out what I could safely eat.

In April that same year my family decided to stop at Disney on our way to another part of Florida. We went to the same Italian restaurant in Epcot. When I ordered I asked the waiter about the oil. He said it was fine and insisted there were no nuts in the oil. My parents agreed it was fine, even after explaining to both about my experience there in February. I decided I didn’t believe my parents or the waiter, and refused to eat. I said we needed to ask the manager, and insisted the manager come over. I just knew. I felt this knot of anxiety in my throat. It turned out I was right! The manager was glad I had brought it to his attention. After this experience I think my parents became even more aware of my strong sense of independence, responsibility, and confidence in myself. I took control of the situation. I made my own decision. I saved my own life. "Phew..." is more of what I thought! Close call number one thousand...!

The Baseball Game

2009-04-21T16:25:00.016-04:00

"Crunch, crunch, crunch," I heard as I walked into the stadium towards our seats. Peanut shells were everywhere! On the seats. On the ground. In the hands of the other fans sitting around me. All I saw were peanuts! I didn't notice the excitement of the game or any of the players on the field. I sat there in a state of paralysis, afraid if I moved in any direction I would be in contact with a peanut.

The first major league baseball game that I remember going to, was my freshman year of college. It was a floor bonding activity, so I didn't want to miss it. My mom had warned me on the phone the night before that there would be a lot of peanuts. I hadn't realized how serious she was though. I had been to sports games before, and seen a few minor league games when I was a camper during the summer in Maine. I never remembered being uncomfortable, or even concerned in any way about peanuts.

The experience was eye-opening to me though! I couldn't relax or enjoy myself. I couldn't touch anything. If I did touch anything then I used a wipe. I couldn't touch my face all night! I didn't eat anything, drink anything, or enjoy the experience in any way. It feels debilitating to go somewhere surrounded by something I am anaphylactic to. It is nearly impossible to enjoy myself when I am thinking the entire time about not having a reaction. I was also with people I had just met a few days earlier and barely knew. My roommate and a few others on my floor were aware of my allergies, but I am sure they didn't understand the severity, or why I sat there on the edge of my seat counting the innings until the game would be over.

Now they have baseball games on certain dates, that have either peanut free sections or peanut free games. Go to: http://foodallergies.about.com/od/nutallergies/a/peanutbaseball.htm

There is a listing and links to find baseball games that are peanut free. I think this is a great option, instead of risking the other games, while also feeling uneasy the entire time! I would imagine that these games are a lot more enjoyable to us allergic reactors!

Last night Mr. Comprehender asked me to go to a baseball game with him this week. He didn't understand my immediate reaction of "No, I can't. Sorry. You should definitely find a friend to go with you though." I felt bad because of his excitement at being given free tickets and his enthusiasm to take me, but there was no way I could legitimize putting myself in a position I knew I felt uncomfortable in. "I won't be fun," I told him. "But I don't understand why you don't want to go. You don't have any other plans. It would be fun," he countered. "I don't think you understand," I said. "There are peanuts everywhere! I know I don't usually let my allergies stop me, but I have done this before, and I know how it is. I know I will sit there uncomfortably the entire time. You would be much better off finding a friend to enjoy it with." Mr. Comprehender was still dubious of my certainty. Maybe he'll understand tomorrow night...

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream

2009-04-12T12:01:00.006-04:00

I was walking around the city yesterday. It was beautiful, sunny, and unseasonably warm outside. This must have been the reason I was craving an ice cream (or just because ice cream is the awesome)! I walked into Ben & Jerry's. "Can I get a small chocolate fudge brownie in a cup please?" I asked. "Can you also please get a clean scoop from the back and make sure the area is clean before scooping my ice cream? I am very allergic to nuts," I said. The guy who was waiting on me was clearly new, and unaware of the routine that is established at Ben & Jerry's with allergies. Luckily, a woman who also worked there, overheard my request. She knew exactly what to do and why to do it. I was very impressed. She explained to him, "You need to get a clean scoop from the back (as she walked back with him to get a scoop). Make sure not to put the scoop in the water fountain because that is what contaminates it," she explained. "Open up a new box of ice cream underneath the one that is already open, and scoop it from that one," she said to him as she helped him get my ice cream. I was extremely impressed with her knowledge of allergies, and how seriously she took the situation!

I have always had similar experiences at Ben & Jerry's. Never have I had an experience where anyone didn't take my allergies seriously there. I have had plenty of experiences at other ice cream places, but never at Ben & Jerry's. They are the best!

Peer Pressure

2009-04-08T23:43:00.006-04:00

I met some friends out for dinner last week. It was one of their birthdays. I already had plans to eat with my parents, so I met them afterwards. The girls had ordered sushi to share. I am allergic to fish, and clearly couldn't eat the sushi. I knew the girls from high school, but was only friends with them through a few classes and organizations we were both in at that time. I ran into them and re-connected the week before at another friend's house. None of them remembered I had food allergies, or maybe didn't even know about my allergies in the first place.

When I got there, they tried to offer me some sushi. I politely declined, and ordered something to drink. I always have great excuses in my mind, in case I don't feel like I need to share my allergies with people I don't know very well. They asked me a few more times, pressuring me to try some. I said I was full from dinner (which was true), and they finally stopped asking. In this situation, I could have explained my allergies, but I didn't need to, and decided to not make it a big deal. Either way, I did experience peer pressure. The peer pressure to try some food I couldn't eat.

Peer pressure is something I remember happening a lot when I was growing up. Of course it didn't always involve food, but many times it did. Even my close friend could occasionally have a momentary lapse of forgetfulness and offer me foods I couldn't eat. It is the pressure though, and the need for acceptance that is the problem. I luckily never succumbed to the peer pressure. I never tried food out of courtesy or politeness. If it came down to something like that, I would then explain my allergies. I am not the type to make a big deal about something, if it isn't necessary. I think I am pretty good at knowing when it is and when it isn't important to share my allergies. Over the years I learned who needed to know, and who didn't.

Broadcasting my allergies to everyone isn't necessary. It is however necessary to inform the important people (teachers, coaches, nurses, parents, close friends, etc.). Those are the people who will help if something happens, and who should know the precautions that I take.

Preparing For Italy

2009-04-08T07:21:00.000-04:00

As I start to get ready to move abroad at the end of August, I realize there are details I must figure out, as well as some concerns I have.

The first step I have already taken, is starting to learn Italian. I am working with an Italian tutor as well as using Rosetta Stone. It feels like a slow, difficult process trying to learn another language, but it is also fun and exciting knowing that I will soon be using this new language daily.

The next step was finding out if I could get a Medic Alert bracelet written in both English and Italian. I also wanted to make sure the Medic Alert symbol is recognized worldwide. Although I have lived abroad before, this will be my first time living in a country that speaks another language other than English. I called Medic Alert and found out that I can get a bracelet with both Italian and English on it. I'm very excited and relieved about this! I also found out that I could do it through Medic Alert here in the U.S., or one of their affiliates in either the U.K. or Cyprus. Great news!

I have already taken a look at the Italian allergy website: http://www.foodallergyitalia.org

The website is in Italian. I am going to ask my tutor to help translate for me. I will probably try to e-mail them and maybe also try to call them. I need to find out how foods are labeled there, and if there are other suggestions and precautions I should take.

When I went to Italy a few summers ago with my family, I made multiple copies of chef cards in Italian. I want to update it and make sure there is nothing else that I want to add or include.

There are a few concerns I have about moving to Italy with my allergies. I may live with another teacher there. If I do, will they be careful with my allergies, and not make me feel uncomfortable in my own apartment? Living with other people can be difficult in general, but with allergies, it presents many more complexities. Any common space is always a big question mark. Did she eat something I was allergic to while sitting on the couch? Are the dishes clean and safe for me to use? etc. (I will go into this further in a follow-up post).

Another concern (that may sound a bit silly) is whether I will be able to find chocolate and ice cream that I will be able to eat. Now I know on the grand scale of important concerns, this may not seem big, but going somewhere for a year, and not having any ice cream or chocolate is kind of a big deal! When I lived in Australia, the only chocolate I could eat was Twix bars (because they were manufactured in a different facility there, than in the U.S. where I can't eat them) and soft serve vanilla from McDonald's. That was it! I rarely had the soft serve because it wasn't very good, and after a while, Twix bars can get pretty old! Now, I am definitely an extremely healthy eater, but come on...a girl needs something sweet on occasion! I already know I can't take the risk with gelato because of cross-contamination, so will I yet again live without sweets for a year? I hope not!

One other concern I have right now, is how much money I will end up spending on food. In Australia, I used to go to the grocery store almost every other day to get fresh food. I could barely eat anything packaged, so I needed to buy fresh meat, veggies and fruit. I would spend at least $100 a week, if not more, on feeding myself! I am wondering how much it will cost in Italy. Will I be able to find more packaged foods that I can eat there? I doubt it...

I will continue to add and update on my findings, as I go about the process of preparing to move to Italy!

The Steps I Take...

2009-04-05T09:47:00.030-04:00

Before I go out to any party or social gathering, there are always a few steps that I make sure to take before leaving. Last night I was at friend's apartment before going out. I took some video to show how I prepare.

Step 1: Always eat ahead

Step 2: Bring a safe snack

When I bring a snack to a friend's house, I always make sure to set some aside to keep it cross-contamination free. Then I put the platter out to share. That way, if someone eats something I am allergic to, then touches the brownies I brought, I don't have to worry that I can't eat them. I know I have some set aside just for me.

Missing Out...

2009-03-22T15:29:00.007-04:00

"Can you please check the ingredients in the tea sandwiches?" I asked the waiter at the Four Seasons.

As a treat throughout my growing up, my mom would take me "out for tea" at the Four Seasons. They were always fabulous there about my allergies! They were very thorough, and would check and double check everything. I would usually order hot chocolate to drink. I loved it because it would come out in a tea pot, and next to it on the platter, was a small bowl filled with homemade whipped-cream. As someone who grew up enthralled by every American Girl book, and a proud owner of a Samantha doll, I loved to feel like I could dress up and play tea party too! Aside from the hot chocolate, I was always able to order tea sandwiches. They would come out on this tall tiered tray. My favorites were turkey and cucumber! Of course I could never order any desserts, but that never bothered me.

I remember the day though, when my enjoyment for going "out to tea" ended. I was probably around twelve when we went for the last time. I order the same things I had always ordered, and asked the waiter to double check on all of the ingredients, but prefaced it with saying that I had come here many times and ordered the same foods. The waiter came back and told me that I couldn't have the whipped-cream anymore, or the tea sandwiches. I was so disappointed! After that, it just wasn't the same! It took away from the fun- not being able to eat anything!

Often there are times when I feel like I am missing out. It has always been that way, and is really just a fact at this point, but I still find myself disappointed sometimes. I really do enjoy food, so I feel like I am missing out by having allergies to so many foods! I usually stick with Italian restaurants when I go out to eat. I think that I would really like sushi, Chinese food, Indian, and Mexican food though, if I wasn't allergic. I am not a picky eater either. I will happily try any food as long as I am not allergic to it. There is also nothing that I really hate eating. I am a very healthy eater also! You will never find me eating fast food! Pizza is as close to fast food as I will come!

I do have a sweet tooth! Every time I walk by a bakery, I feel like I am missing out, not being able to try all the eye-catching, delicious smelling cakes, cookies, and other desserts. When I was in Italy, I couldn't try any gelato. That was hard for me because I love ice cream! I was there in the summer too, when it was so hot, and all I wanted was something cool and refreshing! Whenever I travel, it is hard to find ice cream, or anything sweet that doesn't contain nuts. It makes it very difficult! A fun part about traveling as well, is being able to try different foods that you normally wouldn't eat. This is something I really wish I could do!

There have also been countless times when I have sat and watched everyone else eat, while I couldn't be served, or eat anything. I went out for a tea lunch with my grandmother, aunt, and mom. There wasn't one thing I could eat or drink! Everything was cross contaminated. We thought I would be able to at least eat a salad, so I went on an empty stomach and sat there while they ate. When this happens, I try to just enjoy the company that I am in, and not focus on the food. That is really all I can do! When I was younger, that was much more difficult to focus on though! Children don't understand how to focus on other things. They are hungry, so they want food, and they want it now! Fair enough though!

I know I am always going to be missing out on certain things, but I also try to remember all the things that I am lucky enough not to miss out on! It is something that I am sure I could not focus on though until I was older. For kids, the best way to get around this, is finding ways for them to feel like they are special and have their own treats or food. It is also nice to find restaurants and places that will work with their allergies, so they and you can relax and enjoy food together!

Roasted Nuts on Street Corners

2009-03-21T15:32:00.002-04:00

Something I have noticed throughout my city travels, are the roasted nut carts that seem to pop up on so many street corners. Recently, I was in my home city, walking down one of the main streets full of shops and people. There on the corner was a roasted nut cart. When I saw it, I crossed the street. I don't like walking by them. The fumes are in the air, and it makes me uncomfortable. I have never had a reaction from air inhalation, but I don't like to breath any of it in. If I see it ahead of time, I avoid it. Sometimes they are there though, and are almost impossible to avoid (especially when they are on both sides of the street)! This is one reason why I think it is so important not to shelter your children. There is no way to prevent those carts from being on the street, or to stop people from eating foods with allergens. By constantly trying to put children in environments that are "allergen free," they are being exposed to the idea that this is real life.

Educating your children on how to take care of themselves is a fantastic solution, instead of trying to make each environment free from allergens. More than likely these "allergen free" environments are not truly allergen free. It gives children a false belief that the real world can be allergen free. Keeping this in mind, I think is very important. There are certainly precautions to take, but only exposing children to environments that claim to be "allergen free," is unrealistic in real life. Teaching your child how to be responsible and take care of themselves, starting from an early age, is the best tool you can give them. That is how my parents raised me to be so responsible and to take care of myself. I'm so lucky that they did such a fabulous job, at a time when so few people even knew allergies existed! I definitely understand that at certain young ages, children are extremely reliant on adults to help them, and to keep them safe, but it is also important that as an adult, you are teaching your child along the way. Children are not going to always have their parents by their side, so when they are a little older, and go off to school, or go play at a friend's house, it is important they know what to do. This will only help you as a parent as well, because then you can have some confidence that both your child, and the adult supervising your child, know what to do to stay safe.

The whole concept of "peanut free" or "allergen free" is knew within the past five years or so. Not until then, did this concept ever exist. Of course now there is more of a prevalence of children with food allergies, but I still think that this concept is being used blindly by people thinking it is helpful, when really it is giving the wrong message. Educating both teachers and children at school, is certainly important, but singling kids out to sit at their own "nut free" or "allergen free" table, is unrealistic and sends the wrong message. No matter where you go, there is no where else that will be allergen free. It is important to take some cautious steps, but to raise kids thinking they will have places where they don't have to worry about allergens in a public setting seems contrary to what we should be educating them. The only time I can really understand taking more precautions is when children are at the preschool age. They are too young to truly understand, and it makes sense to take more precautions. Once children are at the elementary age, they understand better (even if teachers need to remind them sometimes) to wash their hands and to be respectful of other people's space and food. The PAL program that FAAN has established, I think is a good step too. I was lucky to find friends who understood. PAL is good for having classmates learn and understand how to take care of their friends.

To read about this program go to: http://www.foodallergy.org/pal.html. I think by educating, and using programs like this, there will be a lot more success for this new generation of children learning to live with food allergies.

Pizza, Pizza...What Kind Of Oil?

2009-03-16T22:36:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was not my best planned day! I went on a long run, then rushed to go meet a friend outside the city. I grabbed a pear, an orange, my water bottle, and headed out the door. Clearly, this food was not going to be enough to sustain me for the day. This is why planning ahead is so important! If I had thought through my day, I probably would have brought more with me.

My friend wanted to meet at a bakery cafe. I didn't mind, but I knew I wouldn't take the risk of eating or drinking anything there. I got my usual iced tea at Starbucks afterwards.

An hour later, I had to leave my friend and drive into the city to meet other friends to see a show. All day, the only food I had a chance to eat was the pear. I realized oranges are not the most "travel friendly" fruit! I contained my hunger throughout the entire show! After the show, my friends and I went to get a slice of pizza. The pizza place we went to was one I had been to once before, but not since the fall.

I walked up to the counter and asked the man working there if he knew what oil they used in their pizza. I could tell English was not his first language, and he was struggling to understand what I meant. I then tried to explain, but was definitely stuck with a communication barrier. I tried asking the other men behind the counter, but they had the same problem. They said it had "regular oil" in it. Now what does "regular oil" mean? I was guessing it probably was fine, but without knowing, it is never worth the risk. I didn't order. Everyone else sat down with slices of pizza. I will gladly admit that I was extremely jealous! They would have been happy to go somewhere else, but there were only sit-down restaurants in the vicinity, and we had already done a lot of walking. I didn't want to make them wait. So I sat there, and put on a happy face. What else could I do? It was no ones fault. I just knew it wasn't worth taking the risk. Ingredients in food can change so often, and I never take a risk like that. If I don't know, I don't eat it. End of story! It's frustrating, but it's real. That is just the way it goes.

An hour later, I was back at my car with a package of Parmesan Goldfish to snack on. I would go home and eat something real for dinner- that I made and knew would be safe!

Out to Eat, but NOT Eating

2009-03-03T15:33:00.005-05:00

The scenario: Phone rings, "Hey, we are going out to eat at (some restaurant I can't eat at), do you want to come?"

When this happens there are a few different options I have. I can: a.) decide not to go b.) decide to go, but not eat anything and listen to my stomach growl c.) decide to go, but eat ahead of time d.) suggest another restaurant e.) if the restaurant allows, bring my own food to eat.

Countless times I have chosen each of these different options. The worst one is watching everyone else eat, while also being hungry and not eating. Sometimes there is no way to even plan ahead. Last summer I went with my aunt to her friend's beach house. We spent the day at the beach, then went into the town to get some food. We opted for an Italian restaurant because that is usually the safest with my allergies. We sat down, looked at the menu, then decided to split a pizza. When I showed the server my card, she said that they used nut oils, and that I wasn't safe eating anything, including both the pizza and pasta. I felt bad because they would have chosen a different restaurant, if it wasn't for my food allergies. They offered to try somewhere else, but there weren't many other restaurants that even had the possibility of being safe, so we stayed there. Yet again, I watched as another meal was eaten in front of my very hungry, growly stomach!

I never want people to feel bad though! I have learned to live with it. It happens all the time, and I know that at some point I will find something to eat. I just have to remind myself of that sometimes. It can be incredibly frustrating for the allergic reactor to sit and watch everyone else eat, but often there is no choice. I know that eventually I will eat. This is easier to remember as I get older.

When I was a child, I always handled my allergies very well. When I was a baby through toddler and up to age five, I would have temper tantrums though. It would seem like everything was fine, then all of a sudden I would be crying and screaming for no reason that my parents could figure out. I have read a few different journal articles, while doing research, and I think the cause of these tantrums may have been due to the frustration of my allergies. Of course I have no proof of this, but from what I have read it would make sense that my allergies could have been a trigger. When children are little, they can't express their frustration like they can as they get older. I'm curious to know if other parents with food allergic children have also experienced temper tantrums that seem to occur out of nowhere?

Eating In Paris!

2009-03-01T15:14:00.002-05:00

The first night we arrived in Paris we were starving! I was on a trip with my family, during the summer a few years ago. We had just come to Paris from Italy, where we had traveled for a few weeks. Everyone in Italy had been fabulous about my allergies, so the first night in Paris was eye-opening!

We were staying at a nice hotel right on the Seine. Down the street was a large area with restaurants. We chose one and sat down to look at the menu. The waiter came over. I had my chef card in French out and ready. The menu was in French and English, which was helpful because I had a better idea of what I was ordering. Unfortunately, our waiter had quite the attitude! I tried to order what I thought was a very simple chicken dish, then gave the waiter my card. He shook his head, saying he could not help me, and that he didn't know what was in it. I asked him if he could bring it to the chef, which he refused to do. I then asked if I could just get some plain pasta, which still was apparently a big deal to him. He wouldn't help me, so I wouldn't order from him! The rest of my family had already ordered. It was pretty late, so I didn't want to make them find another restaurant. I sat patiently while they ate their dinner.

After our first dining experience in France, I was not too excited for many more fabulous dining out fiascos! We walked around after dinner, trying to find a store where I could find something to eat. We came across a Ben & Jerry's! Now, I will admit that I am often extremely disappointed at the noticeable presence of globalization in so many countries, BUT in this case I was not! I know that ice cream should not be a replacement for a meal, but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. They had pints of it with English ingredients, so I split a pint with my sister and called it my dinner!

The rest of our time in Paris was a mix of difficult eating experiences. It was certainly not my most food-fulfilling week! The only food I could eat at the patisserie was bread. I watched as my mom would try delicate and delicious looking desserts. It can be disappointing, but as long as I am keeping myself safe, and finding something to fill my stomach, I am okay!

In the News...

2009-02-25T20:20:00.004-05:00

Lately there have been quite a few articles about food allergies in the news. My friend from college who I hadn't heard from in over a year sent me an article the other day on the allergy studies being done for peanuts. I guess there are some people who will always remember my allergies and think of me!

There have been articles lately about Northwest and Delta serving peanuts on their flights and the outrage this has caused (mostly in MN), articles about the peanut studies being done, and about the prevalence of food allergies and the growing numbers of children being diagnosed. These are the main topics I have seen over the past few weeks. One article I read this morning caught my eye as I was about to leave for work.

The article is from NorwalkPlus.com, a Connecticut news website, and is about a bill being introduced to create uniform guidelines for schools to manage food allergies in schools. It is something parents should be aware of. It is called the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2009.

You can check out the article at: http://www.norwalkplus.com/nwk/information/nwsnwk/publish/News_1/Dodd-Alexander-Lowey-introduce-bill-to-protect-children-with-food-allergies3249.shtml

I will add more about my thoughts on this later...

Yesterday I was out with another teacher at recess. She told me that a new student was joining her class next week. "He has a peanut allergy. I've never had a student with one of those before," she said to me. I told her I had anaphylactic allergies to many foods, including peanuts (I'm new to this school and many people don't know about my allergies). Then some students were arguing and she had to run over to them, and then it was time to go inside, and I didn't get a chance to talk to her about it anymore. I want to tell her to ask me if she has any questions about food allergies. Many of the teachers seem pretty unaware of allergies. This is a big concern to me! Teachers really need to be educated. As someone in this field, I feel like it is especially important that more education happens for teachers. If they know how to handle food allergies, then they don't have to be worried about having "one of them" in their classroom!

To be continued...

The Touch Test

2009-02-25T19:52:00.004-05:00

The other night I went out to dinner with my Nana. We went to an Italian restaurant I had been to before, but not in at least a year. I gave the server my card and she came back and said I should be all set. They only used pure olive oil, and no nuts. She said the fish was cooked separately from the meat. I was all set!

When the food came to the table, I put a small taste on my fork. I then touched the sauce from my chicken parm up to my lip and let a little sit there for a minute. I can tell right away if I am having a reaction, so when I felt nothing, I tested a small bite. It tasted great, and no allergic reaction!

Ever since I was little, I have always done the touch test. Basically this consists of touching the food lightly to my skin to see if I get a reaction. My dad taught me this. If I don't get any tingling or a hive, it is on to step two: the taste test. When I taste test a food, I have a very small taste of the food. Then I wait a few minutes to make sure I don't get a reaction. I usually take these pre-cautious steps when I am trying something new. It is a safer way, instead of going right in and taking a big bite out of some dish I have never had before.

The first time I am out with someone and they see me do this, I often get asked, "Is your food okay?" Then I have to explain what I am doing. I don't mind this explanation though. It makes sense, and could save me from ingesting a large amount of something I could have a reaction to.

Part II of My Dad's Theory: In General the Nicer the Restaurant, the more willing to Accommodate

2009-02-23T17:10:00.004-05:00

Going along with my dad's first theory, this next theory is also true. In general, the nicer the restaurant, the more willing they are to accommodate. Servers in nicer restaurants are used to dealing with a lot of requests. Since they know their customers are paying a lot of money, they want to help and work with you, to find something you can eat.

When I was staying in N.Y.C. one summer, I went to meet a friend out for dinner. He was taking one of his clients out, so he had picked a nice, upscale seafood restaurant. He remembered my allergies, but thought they would accommodate for me. He was right. I was able to get a delicious cut of steak with vegetables, and I didn't even have to worry. The server was very nice about it, and said I had nothing to worry about.

This is not always the case, but it has now happened to me quite a few times, where I have gone to upscale restaurants and had servers be perfectly helpful and nice about my allergies. I guess you just never know!

My Dad's Theory: The nicer the restaurant, the higher the danger

2009-02-22T17:09:00.008-05:00

My dad has always had this theory, which I often do find to be true. Usually, the nicer the restaurant is, the higher the danger for my food allergies. Restaurants that are nicer and more expensive, tend to also be able to afford nicer, more expensive ingredients for their dishes. That is why, when I look at menus for expensive restaurants, I always see 'walnut butter', 'encrusted with almonds', etc. It is unbelievable how many dishes they can think of with allergens to include!

I also know that nuts are supposed to great flavor enhancers. That is why I have to avoid any baked goods. Many have some kind of nut, nut oil, almond extract, etc. There may also be hidden ingredients that I would never have suspected.

Avoiding really upscale, high class restaurants, is the best thing to do with food allergies.

"We don't put pine nuts in our pesto...ya know...everyone is allergic to nuts these days"

2009-02-21T00:08:00.004-05:00

I work at an Italian Restaurant once a week. Over the years I have worked at quite a few Italian restaurants. It is the safest type of restaurant for me to work at. I don't usually divulge my allergies when I am working at these restaurants. I think I would be thought of as a liability to them. I know my comfort zone though, and I know what I can and can't do. I know how to avoid situations I can't be a part of, and I have had enough experience with it, to not be too worried about my allergies when I am at work. I know as a parent, this might sound a bit shocking, that I put myself in this kind of situation. At my age though, I know my comfort zone. I know myself very well, and I know my limits.

It is difficult getting jobs when you are younger that don't involve food. I could never work at an ice cream stand (like my mom did when she was in high school during the summer), and I could never work in a cafe. There are way too many nuts everywhere! When I was 16 years old, this cut down on many jobs that I could get. I was a camp counselor and a hostess at an Italian restaurant for most of the summers throughout high school and college.

The other night when I was at work, one of the owners was answering a question about pine nuts in the pesto and he said "We don't put pine nuts in our pesto...ya know...everyone is allergic to nuts these days!" I was impressed with his awareness of this growing concern, and glad to know there were no nuts!

Ketchup & Why I Love It!

2009-02-19T15:40:00.004-05:00

A main component of my diet (especially when traveling) consists of ketchup. I believe my love for ketchup developed from all the bland food I would get stuck eating! Ketchup can be added to anything- eggs, pasta, rice, meat. I commonly put ketchup on a food if I can’t use any other sauce. When I was traveling near the Mediterranean one summer, all I could find to eat were veggies, pita, and plain white rice. I ended up using a lot of ketchup that summer for the rice! I have tried to cut down on the amount of ketchup I use, but when I travel, it ends up being a pretty important part of my diet!

The Media Portrayal of Allergies

2009-02-19T15:36:00.012-05:00

In the past few years, I have noticed a new character trait in the movies and on TV: food allergies. Although this seems to be a fad, the problem with this, is that more often than not, it is misrepresented. That is a huge concern, because people might think that food allergies are something to joke about, and don't understand the actual severity!

I know the list goes on, but the ones that I could think of off the top of my head were: Movies- Hitch, The Da Vinci Code, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. TV- Freaks and Geeks, a soap opera episode (not sure which one), and Michael on The Office saying, "If I was allergic to dairy, I think I would kill myself." Out of these examples, I believe only one of these was handled responsibly. The media really needs to do their research!

Summer Camp & Independence!

2009-02-19T15:34:00.011-05:00

When I say I have traveled and I have done things that people thought someone like I couldn’t do, I mean it. Camp was my first real push into independence. My parents had the confidence in me that I could be responsible and take care of myself. It started off as just day camps, but became over night camps that lasted more than half the summer. I carried my epi-pen always. I was the one in charge of it from day one. Yes, my counselors were well aware of my allergies, but at that time, there was no one else with my allergies at camp or even anyone else I knew, so it was not a well-known occurrence to have such severe allergies.

I would go into the kitchen at the dining hall and ask to read the ingredients in all the food. The whole kitchen staff got to know me pretty well and the chef was great about showing and telling me everything to watch out for. They were even willing to make me my own food and keep my own yogurt in the fridge in case there wasn’t anything I could eat.

There were some activities at camp that I remember not participating in. Each year every bunk would go on an overnight or weekend camping trip, and I never participated in that. It always involved being in the woods in the middle of nowhere, so it was decided that I would stay at camp. This ended up turning into what I decided then, was in my favor. I stayed with the oldest girls bunk and did everything with them for the two or three days my bunk was gone. All the attention was on me because I was the little one with all the ‘big kids’ and because I had no older siblings, I loved the feeling of having some at camp! My bunk would come back dirty and complaining about their trip, and I would fill them in on what had happened while they were gone, and how cool the older kids were. Sure, I did miss the whole camping part of camp I guess, but it helped me to realize that there are ways to find other options that might be just as fun!

Other Peoples' Reactions

2009-02-19T15:25:00.009-05:00

As I get older, it seems my friends, or other adults who know about my allergies, get more nervous about them than I do. “Can I eat this peanut butter at the same table?” I often get asked. “Yes, it’s fine. Don’t worry,” I say. I am so used to people eating food I am allergic to in the same vicinity that I can’t worry about it anymore. It happens, even if you try to avoid it. People aren’t mind readers. I don’t wear a sign on me that says “Hi, my name is Allie. I am anaphylactic to peanuts, tree nuts, and fish. Please don’t eat any of those foods anywhere near me.”

I actually had a circumstance a few months ago, where as I look back, I would have handled it a bit differently. I was at an NFL game sitting in the stands, and the man sitting behind me two seats down was eating peanuts. He kept cracking the peanut shells and dropping them on the ground. He was pretty sloppy about it, and the shells were all over. I could even see peanut shell on my seat. I wouldn’t sit down the whole game. Now, I could have turned around and said to the man, “Hey do you mind being a bit more careful. I am severely allergic to peanuts. Thanks.” Instead, I kept quiet about it for the full four hours we were there.
How could that guy possibly read my mind and know that I was allergic. He couldn’t. It wasn’t his fault he was eating peanuts and making me uncomfortable. He had no idea. For some reason, I just didn’t feel like bothering him. I know I could have handled this better. I could have spoken up and said something to him. The problem is that sometimes I feel like maybe I am bothering someone by asking them to be careful. I don’t like bothering people, but I have a right as much as that guy, to feel comfortable sitting in my seat at a football game. Remember that!!

At my age, I know my comfort zone. I do what makes me feel comfortable. Everyone has their own comfort zone. The other morning my friends and I were all eating breakfast together, and one of them took out peanut butter to put on his bagel. He sat across from me, and while I knew it was there and I recognized the peanut butter, I also knew that I could easily stay away. Although I would always prefer to not be near the peanut butter, I am comfortable enough to stay where I am sitting. If it bothered me, I could move my seat.

My friend told me a story about how he went to a bar with some of his friends, and they had peanuts at the bar. They ended up playing a game with the peanuts and the next thing they were throwing peanuts threw the air. This would be a situation that I would not be comfortable in. It would definitely not be or feel safe to be in that type of environment.

What it really comes down to as an allergic-reactor, is putting yourself in situations that match your own personal comfort zone. As you get older, your comfort zone may change. It is always important to keep yourself safe. Becoming more responsible for yourself though, also means that you will start to decide what feels safe and comfortable to you with your allergies. BUT, NO MATTER WHAT, CARRY YOUR EPI-PEN! That will never be about comfort, that is always going to be important, no matter what age!

Laziness & Exhaustion (Especially For My Other Allergic Reactors)

2009-02-19T15:20:00.012-05:00

FEELING LAZY

My biggest problem with going out to eat is getting lazy and not wanting to make a big deal about my allergies. I often go with dishes I have had at that restaurant before, and ask the server to double check that nothing has changed. It gets exhausting having to ask each time I eat somewhere what is in everything. Don’t get lazy though! It is always important to ask. If people in the restaurant give me a hard time, I go to a different one. There have been a few times where I haven’t felt confident in the wait staff, and that is not a good feeling. Trying the food you order and feeling unsure about it is not worth it. If the server did not leave you with a confident feeling that they knew what they were talking about, don’t eat until you feel confident that it is okay. The best way to do this is ask for the manager, or go right up to the kitchen and ask to speak with the chef. I have done both many times. BE ASSERTIVE! Trust me. It is much better to get the "okay" from the people who are actually supervising and cooking the meals!

Whenever I try food for the first time, I sometimes think I am getting a reaction, like an itchy throat, or my mouth will get dry and I will cough a bit. Then my heart beat starts jumping up through my throat because I have made myself so concerned that I may be allergic to this food, that I think I am getting a reaction, even though I am not! That reaction is all in my head, but sometimes it is unavoidable! I find the best way to try to have these moments of panic pass, is to take some deep breaths, ask again if I feel apprehensive, and try a tiny bit on my hand, then lip. I would only ever try the food, if I knew it was okay. If there are ever any unclear ingredients, I will not eat.

EXHAUSTING

It really is exhausting! I think that is the best way to describe it. When I am traveling, that is when my allergies become the most tiresome. Every meal becomes a bit less enjoyable, just knowing it will be a process to eat. There is no great advice for the exhaustion, besides saying I understand, and having patience is important. It is a part of traveling, and a part of the unknown, but everything else about traveling makes this part worth it to me.

When I was young it was the most difficult to understand. People usually get grouchy when they are hungry and over-tired. Unfortunately, us lucky allergic reactors, get the joy of having extended periods of time where we may not find food we can eat. This is something that happens when I travel. It may be hours before I come across some food that I can eat. It is difficult, and I have definitely had my mini temper tantrums in my mind because I am so hungry! I deal though. I wait it out, pretend I am not bothered by the fact that it has been eight hours and I have not found one thing that seems safe enough to eat! What can I do? I try to prepare by bringing food with me, but honestly there is only so much I can carry, and I can try to be prepared, but it does not always work out. So I wait…until finally we arrive somewhere… and I see… fruit, or something packaged where I understand the ingredients!

It makes you very tough. You have to be your own biggest fan, and tell yourself how great you are being, because often as you get older, you are not with people who could ever possibly understand. If you are lucky you find friends and travel companions who are sympathetic, but you have to be your own advocate. Only people with allergies can really understand the difficulty and frustration of sitting on a plane for fourteen hours and not eating anything. It tries on your patience, and you want to scream from hunger pains and the growling lion inside your stomach, forcing the person next to you to look over at you and wonder why you are not eating because your stomach is so loud!

Don’t be afraid to dream big about the places you want to go and the adventures you want to have, because you can still do it. Knowledge and strength are both important aspects in believing that you can. You need the knowledge to know how to take care of yourself in case of an emergency, and you need the strength to believe in yourself and your abilities to handle a situation!

My decision: ITALY!

2009-02-16T08:40:00.009-05:00

I came to a job decision! I am moving to ITALY! I will teach at an international school there, starting in the fall. I'm very excited! Now that I have made this decision, it is only the beginning of all of the details I will need to figure out with my food allergies, before I leave. It is a country where I do not speak the language. I will need to figure out how to get around language barriers, and find foods to eat. I have traveled to Italy before, but I will be living in an area I have never been to. I think it will be a great experience for me to grow on many different levels. It will certainly be a test of my independence, and will be an even greater test of my ability to find food and adjust to a country where the first language isn't English. This should be an interesting challenge! I will write more about my questions, concerns, and how the process is going soon!

The International Job Fair

2009-02-16T08:40:00.006-05:00

I have never been to a job fair like this before! There are around 80 schools represented from many different countries, and around 500 candidates looking for positions. Usually this ends up being plenty of schools for the number of recruiters, but this year, that is not the case. The economy is affected world wide, and it is definitely showing here. There are not very many elementary positions. I was lucky to get three interviews. One interview was with a school in Cairo, one was with a school in Italy, and one was with a school in Colombia. I had interest in other schools too, and left recruiters notes in a mailbox with my resume. The recruiters can then leave me a letter of interest and information about their schools in my mailbox. The interviews went really well, and I was offered a job right away by two of the schools. Now I have to make a decision...

*I just want to also add what I did for food this weekend. I stayed with two of my friends at their apartments. I packed a cooler with food in it, and planned my meals ahead of time. I didn't want to stress my friends out unfairly, by feeling like they had to feed me. I was also at the fair for the majority of the day, each of the three days. I left the cooler in the car (it was freezing outside, so everything stayed cold). When I had time, I could always run out to my car in the parking garage and grab whatever I wanted. One of the afternoons, I had leftover beef stew. I asked the restaurant at the hotel where the fair was, if they would heat it up for me. They were really nice about it, and put it in a bowl for me at one of the tables. I really appreciated it! This weekend just showed how important it is to plan food out ahead of time. I had plenty of food and was never hungry, because I figured out a way to eat my own food, and not have to worry about finding food I wasn't allergic to.

<3 Valentine's Day Dinner <3

2009-02-15T08:23:00.008-05:00

Last night for Valentine's Day, I went out to dinner at a wonderful upscale Italian restaurant right in the city. My boyfriend called ahead about the reservations, and asked if they would be able to accommodate my allergies. They said they would be able to! Fabulous!

When we arrived at the restaurant everyone was incredibly helpful and friendly. The server we had was wonderful about my allergies. He made me feel like I barely had to say anything. He seemed to already understood the severity. I gave him my Chef card. He came back and said that everything was all set. I didn't feel nervous or uncomfortable at all. Our reservation was pretty early (that was all there was left), but I think it worked to our advantage because they weren't stressed with orders in the kitchen. The food was flavorful and delicious. We were very satisfied by the entire experience!

After our lovely Italian meal, feeling extremely full, we met some friends out for drinks at a classy jazz club some blocks away from the restaurant. After walking in my high heels for what felt like about five miles, we finally arrived in time to take the seats our friends had saved for us at the bar.

Even after a few years of practice, I still find going out for drinks to be a bit daunting. I don't usually trust any mixed drinks. There are too many different mixes and liquors. I haven't tried enough different alcohols to make sure I am not allergic to some component of a mixed drink. I also worry about cross-contamination. I often choose either beer or wine instead. I still worry sometimes if I don't know the beer, and tend to stick with the ones I know. I am concerned less about wine, but do realize that some wines are now being labeled with fish and egg warnings on them. The first time I actually saw these warning was when I was living in Australia. Last night, I chose to get an individual sized bottle of champagne that I had drank there before.

It was nice to have a fancy night out with no allergy worries! This is not a frequent occurrence, so when it does happen, it really makes the whole night that much more relaxed and enjoyable!

Adding To The List Of Unfriendly Consumer Products...

2009-02-04T05:59:00.006-05:00

I was flipping through my FAAN newsletter this month, and guess what I saw? Scotch-Brite scrub sponges with walnut shell in them! Tissues, sponges...what is next? According to the studies done, people who are allergic to tree nuts, are supposed to avoid contact with these sponges. Makes sense! My question is why is it necessary to add allergens to random products, when there are other moisturizers, or in this case, abrasive aids? When allergies are rising, why does it seem that there is also a rise of allergen-containing products?

I have a few concerns with this sponge. One concern is going out to dinner. I would guess that the odds are not high that a restaurant would buy these sponges to use, but they could. They could then use them on their dishes, and although the chance would be very small, there is still some possibility of a reaction. Another concern is eating at friend's houses. It is more likely that a product like this would be bought by a household I would think. In that case, if I were to go to my friend's house and eat something, not realizing they used that sponge to clean their dishes (at my age, there are many friends of mine who don't have dishwashers in their apartments), I suppose I could get a reaction and not even realize the source!

These products seem unnecessarily dangerous. In that same newsletter, there was a consumer alert from a woman who found almond oil in organic dish soap. Definitely not a big surprise! This is certainly something to be aware of. More often than not, sweet almond oil, or something of the variety is used in soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, make-up, and other beauty products. I just wanted to reiterate this again, because it is important to read the ingredients of EVERYTHING, not just foods! These examples emphasize the importance of always staying aware!

Contemplating International Job Decisions...

2009-02-03T23:35:00.008-05:00

I am in the process of figuring out potential jobs for next year. This weekend I am participating in an international job fair for teachers. Teaching internationally is something I have wanted to do for many years, but is certainly a substantial decision! As I go through the list of potential schools that I will meet and interview with, I'm aware that my allergies are a consideration in the location I may end up. I have lived abroad before, but never in a country where English is not the first language spoken. More than likely, if I do end up getting a job abroad, it will be in a country where English is not the main language. This adds more complexity to the situation, but certainly does not deter me from looking at jobs in these countries. I'm excited by the possibilities, and look forward to writing more about the experience and decision making process!

Jokes That Aren't That Funny!

2009-02-01T00:46:00.010-05:00

"Hey, what did you put in the sauce?" I asked my friend, as we sat down the other night to eat dinner that he had just prepared. "I put tomato, onion, garlic, olive oil, etc... and fish oil of course," he said jokingly. There it was...the allergy joke!

Throughout my life, I have encountered many variations of these jokes. Very often when people feel uncomfortable about something, it is a natural part of human nature to make a joke about it. There have been so many in fact, that I have my favorites (hint the sarcasm)-- the ones that stick out in my brain because I have heard them over and over, from many different people, over many years! I'll do a countdown of my top three favorites...

Joke #3: "What do you eat?"

I know the list sounds long when someone asks me what I'm allergic to, but in reality, the food I can eat is a much longer list! I suppose when you rattle off multiple allergies, it can sound like there is nothing else really left to eat. It does seem though, that even when I start to list the foods I can eat, people are so consumed with all that I can't, that they don't even really hear me. After my list of allergies, it is also quite often followed by a response like, "Oh, I love those foods! I can't imagine living with out them. I think if I had allergies I would just eat them anyway." Right there, is a clear indication that the person does not understand that eating them is definitely not an option! Yes, of course I would eat it too, if it couldn't potentially send me to the ER! People who can eat anything though, have a hard time grasping that food can truly do that to someone.

To me, the following scenario seems more strange. I was watching a commercial on TV for a grocery store in my area. In the commercial a mother is walking through the store, putting food in her cart, and not even looking at what is in it. After that commercial I was thinking, "Wow, most people can just walk into a grocery store and put anything they want in their cart, without spending any time looking at what it contains! That's all they have to do!" It does still astound me though that people can do that. I sometimes forget that is actually the norm, and that most people don't stand around reading everything before buying it. I don't mind grocery shopping, but it can certainly feel like a much longer errand, when I am reading everything before I put it in the cart. The only other people who might be looking at that box are people who are on a diet, besides that, everyone is free to pick whatever they want! It's amazing! Truly...it is. People are lucky.

Joke #2: "Well, at least you will always stay skinny!"

I love this one. Really? Do people really think that because I am limited on a variety of foods I can't eat, that that is what prevents me from gaining weight? I don't think so! I've always been extremely athletic, and a healthy eater. That is what gives me a healthy body size. It has nothing to do with not being able to eat certain foods! There are plenty of (although growing fewer) unhealthy foods I'm sure I could find to eat if I wanted to. Of course in a society that places such a high value on being skinny (according to most television, magazines and other media), this would become a joke!

Joke #1: Survival of the fittest- "Wow, it is amazing you can still survive, considering you are certainly not the fittest or best equipped for surviving with all those allergies!"- Or some other fabulous variation...

Last, and certainly not least, this joke has always really bothered me! Yes, I suppose a few hundred years ago, when there was less food, and even less resources, people with allergies probably would not have survived. But, at that time, if people did have allergies, they probably didn't even know they had them. Allergies have grown into an even bigger issue (most likely partially due to the environment), which back then was not a concern.

How do you or your child avoid these jokes?

At this point I do seem to have a formula answer to each of these. Jokes are unavoidable though, but the way I respond to them is in my control. I can either get upset about it, answer with some witty reply, or brush it off with all the other jokes from the past. I usually choose to either answer with wit, or brush it off with one of my standard answers. If someone really doesn't know about allergies, I also sometimes actually try to explain the severity, but only if I truly have their attention and won't scare them off. It depends on the circumstance, but many of these encounters are first or second interactions with someone. It's better not to scare them off right away, and build on their allergy knowledge as you go along!

Education- The Main Goal

2009-01-22T06:12:00.007-05:00

"Waaait, so you are telling me that we use an oil that you can't eat, but they use an oil that you can eat? So you can't eat here, but you can eat there? I don't really understand." This is what I deal with. People who just can not comprehend the fact that there are foods that people just can't eat. It is not a choice, it is a fact. If I eat the food used with a nut oil I will have an anaphylactic reaction. I didn't make this up. I didn't pretend so that I didn't have to eat something. But some people just don't get it!

To continue this story, the man who was speaking to me was a restaurant manager, at a well-known, highly recommended restaurant in the town where I went to college. I went out to eat with my friend that night after moving back in for graduate school. Over the years, I had been to this restaurant many times before while I was living there. The only item on the menu I could eat was a grilled chicken sandwich with no fries on the side. I told them my allergies, as well as giving them my chef card. I prefaced it by saying that I had been there many times before without a problem, but I just wanted to make sure nothing had changed (another great topic- never assume the food is the same at a restaurant...it is always better to double check).

The waitress came back a few minutes later and said, "I'm sorry. I asked the chef and showed him your card, but we can't serve you. We use a nut oil in some of our foods." I asked her if they used in on the chicken. "Well, they won't serve you. I'm not sure, but you can't eat here." I looked back at the menu, "Do you know if there is a plain salad I could get? We already have our drinks and everything." The waitress said she would go check. She came back a minute later, "No, I'm sorry, but there is nothing you can eat here." Of course she had already put my friend's order through, and we already had drinks. My friend suggested that I go get a slice of pizza across the street and bring it back, considering they wouldn't serve me, and he was already getting food.

I went across the street, and very discreetly walked back into the restaurant with my pizza, but I was stopped by the hostess. "You can't bring that pizza in here," she said. I started to explain to her that they couldn't serve me, and that my friend had food. Then I started to walk to the table, but she came back over to me as I was walking and said in a very confrontational tone, "YOU CAN'T BRING THAT IN HERE!" I said back to her, "who is it bothering? Is there a manager I can speak with?" The girl said, "The manager is the one who told me to tell you to leave." I looked at my friend. I told him I would be sitting outside eating. Then left to eat my pizza. Five minutes later my friend came out with his food to go, and sat with me. I felt really bad. We had left our drinks, without even drinking them, to sit outside in the cool, windy evening air and eat in the dark. Fabulous!

After I finished my pizza, took a few breaths, and vented my frustration to my friend, I decided I should go speak to the manager in the restaurant. I went back inside and asked for the manager. The shifts must have changed, because a man was now the manager on duty, and came over to speak to me. I explained the turn of events, and why I brought pizza in to eat. That is when the manager said, "Waaait, so you are telling me we use an oil you can't eat, but they (the pizza place) use an oil that you can eat? So you can't eat here, but you can eat there? I don't really understand." If there was a scale for my frustration level at this point, it would have been bordering between at least an eight, maybe a nine out of ten. I decided to try to explain again, to educate this restaurant manager, who told me he had never heard of this before! I couldn't believe it! After another failed attempt at explaining food allergies, and him trying to pretend he was interested, I left.

I do believe that education is what is most important. It can be so difficult sometimes to get through to people. Some people, no matter how many times you explain it, will still not truly understand. We need to find ways to educate people who don't understand though. That is the best way to help people with food allergies. If you educate the people around you, around your children, and at school, then that is the best tool. I feel so lucky that my parents realized this, sent me to school, let me explore, travel, go to camp, and try to live a normal life, even with my allergies. It can be done! I know, because I was one of those kids, and I had those parents who knew how to give me the tools to let me live like other kids. Thank you mom and dad!

Even Mr. Comprehender Doesn't Always Comprehend!

2009-01-21T05:02:00.004-05:00

Even in my twenties, parties can still be a challenge! Knowing this, I usually try to bring food I can eat, like brownies (nut free of course)! I also eat ahead of time, because I very rarely eat other food at parties. Even if my friends can tell me what is in a dish, I usually don't trust eating it because of cross contamination.

Over the weekend, I went out to a party with the guy I am dating. Plenty of food was at the party, including a bowl of peanuts sitting on one of the coffee tables. There were platters of veggies and dip and chips and salsa, which are okay for me to eat usually, along with many other dishes. Once I saw the peanuts though, I knew it was best to just wait to eat at home later that night. I was out in the city all afternoon, so I wasn't prepared like I usually am. I ate a few of my brownies before people started touching them, but I was hungry for something more healthy and substantial! Sometimes I will put food aside ahead of time if I know I can eat something, or make sure I am the first one to serve myself, depending on the situation. When we arrived at the party, there were already people there eating, so it wasn't worth taking any risks.

The guy I am dating was eating all night at the party. He didn't eat any peanuts, or anything that I was definitely allergic to, but he did eat food we weren't sure about the ingredients. When he brought me home later in the evening, I was starving and wanted to make some Annie's mac and cheese. I went to go change because it was snowing pretty hard outside, and the bottom of my pants were wet from dragging in the snow. When I came back downstairs, the Annie's were ready, but I saw him take the spoon and have a bite, then put it back in the pot. He listed off what he had to eat and drink since the party, and I decided it was okay, but it still made me feel a little frustrated and nervous to eat the Annie's. I know there wasn't a high likelihood that I would have a reaction from him sharing the spoon, but I still was surprised he had done that. We hadn't been to his apartment, so he hadn't brushed his teeth or chewed any gum. He did eat and drink "safe" foods after the party, so I was probably over reacting a bit. It is hard sometimes though, especially if it is late at night, in a snow storm, where you know if there is an emergency, it is not the easiest time to get help.

For someone who I thought truly was a "comprehender," I was surprised by this action. It shows that you always have to be careful, ask questions, and trust your gut feeling about the situation. Even people who "get it," can sometimes get a little mixed up, or not go about something the same way you would. It reminds me of something that happened when I was little.

My family spent many weekends when I was little, driving to visit our close friends a few hours away. These friends were always really amazing about my allergies. They would try to make sure there was always safe food for me, and knew how to check the ingredients to make sure I could eat it. One weekend when we went to visit, Leslie, my best friend's mom, was so excited she had found potato chips that she thought I could eat because they didn't have peanut oil. At this time almost every chip had peanut oil! In being focused on the smaller picture of no peanut oil though, she missed the bigger picture that I can't eat potato!

This story emphasizes the importance of empowering your kids to read labels and trust themselves. Even people who do "get it," can slip up from time to time, and the best way I was taught to prevent this from happening, is to always double, even triple check ingredients, ask questions, and teach your kids to read and understand their allergies.

One mom who I spoke with, interviewed, and was extremely helpful when I was doing my independent study in college, wrote me an e-mail yesterday. In the e-mail, she said that she always remembers my advice of empowering your kids to handle it themselves from an early age. I am so glad this advise helped her, and I hope it helps others. My parents showed me how to be responsible for my allergies at a very young age. They would bring me to the grocery store and read ingredients with me. They would make me responsible for always bringing and remembering my Epi and knowing what to do if I was having a reaction. I wore a Medic Alert bracelet since I can ever remember. I was looking through old pictures from when I was little, and my bracelet is on in every one (just like in this photo of my dad and I at a wedding)! It is just one other way of keeping myself safe, and something I continue to wear today. There are so many ways to empower your children, and by teaching them responsibility and ways to keep themselves safe, you will be truly helping them out, especially in the long run! I definitely believe that I am a more responsible person because of my allergies. This is something positive I possess from this experience, along with some other crucial benefits, which is a topic for another blog!

New Job, New people, New Concerns

2009-01-15T20:59:00.004-05:00

I started at two new jobs recently. I try to usually ease in with my allergies. I don't want to come off too intense or overly concerned, especially since I'm not either one. I was pushed into telling my new colleagues about them though at my full time job in an elementary school, when I realized nuts were everywhere. Many of the people in the room I am based out of, had started a diet for the new year. In this diet, nuts are a big piece of what you are allowed to eat. Once I saw everyone eating the almonds, I was concerned. I told them about my allergies, and explained that they could still eat them, but if they were touching the doors, or papers or anything I also touch, that I would really appreciate them washing their hands.

That afternoon my lips felt a little puffy. I decided it was probably from touching something that somebody who was eating nuts had touched, then touching my face. I took Benedryl and was fine. It did make me even more mindful of washing my hands more frequently, and speaking up about my allergies again if I needed to. The people I am working with don't seem very knowledgeable about allergies. I will try to educate them when opportunities present themselves. I'm surprised that in this school environment, these teachers seem so naive and unaware.

I know that schools are a big concern to parents. When I was in elementary school, there were no signs on the door, or pictures of me hanging in the lunch room. There were no "allergy-free" tables, rooms, or zones. I was the only one in any of the three different school districts that I went to that had anaphylactic allergies! Of course my parents were huge advocates for me, but being the only one, made it even more important to know how to take care of myself!

There is a lot more to say on this topic, and I will continue later...

How I Chose My Best Friend & My Favorite Cereal

2009-01-13T18:25:00.002-05:00

It's the first day of pre-school. Over in the corner I see a pretty girl with dark brown hair, wearing a blue Alice in Wonderland dress, and decide she will be my new best friend. I am four.

It's funny how you make decisions when you're a child. I picked my best friend since I was in pre-school, based on my fondness for Alice in Wonderland. That friend though, and her family, have been a part of my extended family ever since that first day of school. They learned and knew my allergies inside and out. They, among a few other families, who I also consider part of my extended family, were people I felt I could trust with my allergies growing up. These were people who knew how to use the Epi, understood I couldn't eat any foods or have cross contamination. These people "got it." They were comprehenders. They understood and helped me. These people are the ones who made me feel like I was just a normal kid, because when I was little, I felt like I could trust them with my allergies. I didn't have to worry that they didn't understand, or would feed me something I couldn't eat.

Having friends and people like that for your child is HUGE!!! It is one of the most important things my parents did for me, because those people never made me feel singled out. I was singled out in school, in camp, and in just about any other group activity or program, but when I was at my neighbors, or at my friend's, I never felt singled out.

My favorite cereal was introduced to me by my best friend's mom. I can still picture that day. Sara and I were outside playing on the swing-set in her yard. It was after school, and her mom came out and called us on to the porch. In her hand was a box of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. I remember being amazed I could eat them! To me, all those pieces of apple cinnamon, stuck on the cheerios, looked like nuts. I remember reading the ingredients with Leslie, Sara's mom. There were no nuts! Even to this day, they are still a favorite!

I just want to reiterate the importance of finding friends you can trust with allergies. Now, in my twenties, I trust myself when it comes to my allergies. I recognize the importance though, of finding people for children to trust. People who truly "get it," are hard to find, but important to recognize, because those are the people who can make a child with allergies feel like a normal kid.

Hostess Cupcakes & Birthday Parties

2009-01-05T13:28:00.002-05:00

I was driving down the East Coast from Massachusetts to Florida and back last week. In the beginning of the drive, I had nice, safe, healthy food packed. As the drive wore on, I started getting tired and desperate for snacks. At one of the rest stops in Virginia, I went in, and there on a rack were Hostess cupcakes. I can't remember the last time I had a Hostess cupcake, and decided that would be my unhealthy snack.

As I opened the Hostess cupcake package and took my first bite, memories of birthday parties when I was a child flowed back. In my hands, placed on top of the birthday present for my friends, there was always a pack of Hostess cupcakes. By doing this, I would always have my own safe cake to eat at parties. I can picture walking in to a birthday party with my dad. I was five years old, dressed in this green, sweatshirt type dress. We walked in, holding a present, two epi-pens with Benedryl in a plastic bag, and a pack of Hostess cupcakes. My dad walked over to the parent of the child whose birthday it was, showed them my medicine and the Hostess cupcakes, as well as making sure I knew the parent, and where my medicine and cupcakes were being kept. I would then go play with my friends, like every other child.

When it came time for cake, and everyone would sit down at the tables with plastic or cray-paper table cloths, I would go get my cupcakes, place them on the paper plate in front of me, wait for everyone to get their cake, then I would eat the cupcakes. Sometimes I felt jealous of the other kids. I was always the only one with allergies. Everyone else could eat the cake with colored sprinkles, while I ate the Hostess cupcakes.

I never fought it. I always knew what I needed to do to keep myself safe. This understanding of was mostly due to my parents. From a very young age they were both showing and telling me about my allergies. I understood and listened to them, because I knew I had to.

Sometimes I felt like I stood out, which is something I have felt my entire life. That is certainly not to say that standing out is always a bad feeling. Sometimes it can be nice to have the attention, but other times it can feel isolating or lonely. This is why, in a way, that the growing allergies among children, help kids with allergies feel less lonely, because now children know others with allergies. I was 16 years old before I met someone with severe allergies like mine. This means I went through the majority of my growing up feeling like I was the only one who had these crazy allergies! The only one who had their own "special" food. The only one who had to ask about the ingredients in anything I put in my mouth. The only one who was often singled out accidentally in school to go get my special snacks or come up and check ingredients. I knew (sort of) that other kids existed with allergies, but I had no proof. I had never met them!

This is an important topic that I will continue to discuss...

Nuts are now in tissues??? Come on...

2009-01-02T10:26:00.001-05:00

I saw a commercial the other day for Puffs tissues. In the commercial they advertise that they are moisturizing with Aloe and ______. Where else do they get this amazing moisture? The answer is Shea Butter! Yes, shea butter, which comes from shea nut, a tree nut. Here is the link to watch the commerial: http://www.puffs.com/en_US/games-commercials/tv-commercial.shtml.

I always read ingredients in any product I use, including shampoos, conditioners, lotions, toothpaste, make-up, etc. It seems crazy to me though that a company would put tree nut in their tissues! I know people don't eat tissues, but they certainly put them against their face. What stops someone from breaking out in hives if they are allergic to tree nuts and use a shea butter Puff tissue? Tissues are everywhere; in stores, doctors offices, schools. I can't say that I usually look for tissue ingredients. If I am out somewhere and I need a tissue, I usually just take one. Not until I saw this commercial, would I have thought that I now need to be careful of the kinds of tissues I use. Who would have guessed that a company would be naive enough to put shea butter in their tissues? I think this is rather outrageous...!

Along this same topic, let's discuss hair salons. When I go to the hair dresser (which is more often than not a different place each time, depending on where I am living), I always read the ingredients in everything. The first words that come out of my mouth as soon as I am taken towards the sink is, "I have a nut allergy. Can I please read the ingredients in the shampoo and conditioner that you will be using." Usually the conditioner will have 'sweet almond oil' or 'shea' in it. I then have the woman who is washing my hair, scouring the shelves in search of a nut free product to use! Often times, after my hair is cut, the hair dresser will go to spray something or put some sort of product in. I always specify beforehand that I don't want anything put in my hair, or if they want to, I need to read the ingredients first.

I'm still astounded by these tissues. The lesson in this is to read the ingredients, no matter what it is! Who would have thought... tissues!

New Year- New Stories

2009-01-01T23:48:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!! I'm excited to write consistently on this blog, as one of my resolutions this year! I am hopeful that I will start to build a readership of parents who find this blog helpful. I would love to hear feedback and comments as well!

Yay to 2009! Happy New Year!

Big Plans For My Blog In 2009!

2008-12-28T11:14:00.000-05:00

I realize there has been no consistency in posting on my blog. One of my resolutions for 2009 is to write at least three times a week, if not daily on my blog. In any given day, there are probably close to a hundred things I could write about food allergies. I've heard that it takes a month to create a habit, so I am hoping by the end of January, I will have created my new habit of writing daily on this blog!

Allergy Encounters While Traveling

2008-12-28T11:00:00.002-05:00

Allergy Encounters- Istanbul, Turkey: From 9/23/08

- When I was in line going through security at the airport, I called back www.selectwisely.com. I gave a man named Jim, my e-mail address to get a travel card made in Turkish. It willl say all my allergies in Turkish.

- I am flying Luftansa. When I arrived at the gate, I requested a nut free flight. The man gave me a hard time at first, then went to ask the captain who told him they would still serve nuts (macadamia specifically).

- Sitting on the plane, I felt a bit uncomfortable around all the people eating dinner. I shyed away a little bit from the people next to me. When I was told they wouldn’t fly nut free, they asked how severe my allergy was, then started to suggest I find another way to travel. I hate when they do that. I had to turn the conversation around, so they would still let me fly and not feel like I was a liability. It can be uncomfortable and frustrating.

- No snack foods written in English at the airport in Frankfurt!

- 9/24/08 We went out to dinner in honor of my arrival in Istanbul at a restaurant on the top floor of a hotel. I was able to eat cucumber and tomato salad, which was just big pieces of these veggies. They made me plain grilled chicken with rice pilaf. It was very good, and once I tried a bite, I felt comfortable eating it.

Jobs & Reality Television

2008-12-08T23:03:00.008-05:00

I was contemplating my lack of job situation over a hot chocolate at Starbucks today. It reminded me of how I could never work at Starbucks because of my allergies. There are nut coffees, nut drinks, nut desserts, and all of which I would likely be responsible to either make or touch if I were an employee. That is one difficulty with food allergies. It does cut down on some of the potential jobs I could get.

I have worked in restaurants as both a hostess and a server. By doing this, I knew I was taking a risk. I've worked at a breakfast diner, three Italian restaurants, and a burger type restaurant. The only place I served food was at two of the Italian restaurants. I felt fairly comfortable working at these places because there were few or no nuts, and the only food I had to be careful of was fish. I managed to do a fairly good job of not touching the foods I am allergic to. There were a few times I broke out in hives on my hands and neck, but nothing that greatly concerned me. Having food allergies certainly doesn't make working in restaurants easy though. I never made it well-known that I had food allergies while working at these establishments, because I didn't think managers would hire me, or want to have me continue working there.

Although I have no intentions of becoming the next Top Chef on Bravo, that certainly would not have been a possibility either. However, participating in the Amazing Race may actually have been my calling. Unfortunately, due to the random clues involving food in places all around the world, I am afraid that may blow my possibility of a reality television career. I always thought I might be a good contestant for Real World because of my allergies. They haven’t had anyone on there with anaphylaxis. It can make life interesting to the outside observer I suppose. I'm sure they would create drama in some way. A roommate would probably complain about having separate dishes or having my own foods in the refrigerator. I can picture it now...

I would wake up one morning to find my entire stash of food mostly gone, and clearly picked through from my roommates who spent their night drinking, then came home, and ravaged through my food.

This scenario has actually happened to me before. I was living on an island two summer's ago in the staff housing for my work with six other people. We had one refrigerator to fit all of our food in. I kept my food in a small blue cooler, in hopes that it would be left alone. The non-refrigerator food I kept in my room. Since there were so many of us all living together, I didn't trust the dishes or really anything to be safe or clean for my allergies. I rewashed everything before I used it. It was difficult to cook there, and I found myself eating sandwiches for both lunch and dinner.

One morning I woke up. I remember being woken up quite a few times throughout the previous night from the noise that carried so well throughout the entire house. I went for my usual run before work, then came back and was hungry. I went into the fridge. My cooler had clearly been raided through the night before. The food was all touched and had to be thrown away. The people I was living with, although they knew about my allergies, certainly did not "get it," or even care enough to try. I ended up taking the small locks off my backpacking and having to lock up my food in the cooler. I felt kind of ridiculous doing so, but food is expensive, and I didn't want to waste money replacing it everyday because of my roommates. I also didn't want to worry that my food may not be safe for me to eat. After that summer, I knew staff housing was certainly not the place for me.

I met someone who "gets it"

2008-09-11T11:26:00.007-04:00

I have finally met someone who seems to actually fully grasp my food allergies. It amazes me how well thought-out he is about what we eat and where we eat. He looks at ingredients before he buys food he is planning on making me. He makes reservations and calls ahead when we go out to dinner. It is amazing to finally find someone who doesn't need constant reminders and who doesn't need everything written down.

For the past four years I dated someone, who although I know tried, and certainly did care, did not truly understand my allergies. He knew the routine. He knew what he could and couldn't eat, and he would be careful when he cooked for me, but it took the full four years for it to really all sink in. It was frustrating, and his family was even worse at understanding. Some people don't know why it is so difficult for some people to comprehend the severity of food allergies, but too many people don't. I have dated both- the "comprehenders" and the "naive pretenders." The "comprehenders" get it. They don't usually need reminding, they just know what needs to be done and they do it. The "naive pretenders" are the ones who say they understand, but in actuality often forget and don't know what the term "life-threatening" means.

When I find a "comprehender" it is amazing, because it is such a rarity. This guy I have been dating is a comprehender, which makes everything we do revolving around food, that much easier!

Almost turned down from breakfast

2008-09-07T09:10:00.005-04:00

Yesterday morning I went out to breakfast. The "Breakfast Place" was just that, a small diner style breakfast restaurant. My friend and I walked in, sat down, and browsed the menu. The pancakes were the only dish advertised on the menu that contained nuts. One of my favorite breakfast foods is an omelet, which seemed like a safe option. I chose one with veggies that sounded good, then was ready to order. When the middle-aged, unhappy looking waitress came to take my order I said, "I would like to order the Western omelet with no broccoli and American cheese. Do you know what oil they use with the omelets or if they just use butter? I am allergic to all nuts and nut oils." The waitress said she was pretty sure it was just butter, but that she would go check in the kitchen. I gave her my Chef card so there was no confusion. A few minutes later the cook came out to our table. "Who is the allergic one?" he asked as he looked at me. "We don't use any nuts or nut oils but I can't guarantee that there isn't any cross- contamination from one of the utensils in the kitchen. We do use walnuts in the pancakes. I've never seen a card like this, and it seems very severe, so I don't think that you should eat here. I do want to be responsible for something happening." I felt frustration forming but I took a deep breath and said, "As long as you use clean utensils and are as careful as possible, it should be fine." The cook confirmed that he was not responsible, but would be careful. I realized then after he went back to the kitchen that my friend was nervous about eating there. I wasn't worried though and told him not to worry. It turned out fine. The omelet was good, and I had no allergic reaction.

The moral of this experience is really to stick to your own comfort zone. If I was really concerned about cross-contamination I would have left, but I wasn't, which is why we stayed. Breakfast food is more often than not, a pretty safe choice as long as no bakery items are involved. I felt confident about my choice to stay and eat there, and was glad that they were at least being honest, even though they were concerned about liability. The worst part of this experience for me was having my friend be nervous. It is especially difficult when I make new friends who are not used to my food allergies. The best way to handle it though in my experience, is to be smart about my decision and confident with whatever I decide. It is also important to be aware and slightly cautious when trying foods at different restaurants for the first time. If I ever have a gut feeling I shouldn't eat something, I won't. Having the confidence in my decision making process to make those decisions is what I find to be most important.

Out to Dinner

2008-08-29T08:48:00.022-04:00

Last night I went out on a date to an Italian restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island on Federal Hill called Constantino's. Not only was it an aesthetic atmosphere with an open outdoor patio alongside the room we were seated in, and live music outside, but the restaurant was able to accommodate my food allergies without any problems. Since I didn't know the restaurant, I called the day before to make sure they would accommodate my allergies. I didn't want to arrive at the restaurant, and find out they wouldn't serve me. This is why calling ahead is always a good idea! That way, if they won't accommodate allergies, I can make different arrangements ahead of time, and not go through the process of being turned down. They assured me over the phone that I would definitely be able to eat, and told me to make sure I told my server about my allergies (of course).

Looking through the menu, it appeared there was a wide selection of dishes that were more than likely safe for me to eat. There was a note running across the bottom of the menu that said to tell the server if you have any food allergies, so that they can accommodate your needs. I appreciate when restaurants do this, because it shows they recognize food allergies, and have at least some knowledge about them. They will also more than likely be willing to help you find a dish that is allergen free.

I ended up deciding on a pasta primevera dish that was excellent, with homemade pasta, veggies, and a light wine cream sauce. When I told the server what I wanted, I said, "I am allergic to all tree nuts, peanuts, fish, and potatoes, and would like to order the pasta primevera. Here is a card with all my allergies on it to give to the chef." When the server came back a few minutes later to tell me that the dish would be fine, he said, "You don't know how much the chef and I really appreciate this card. We often have people come in, and they list off foods they can't eat, and it makes it much more difficult. It is so nice to have it all written down." This reinforces my point, that chef cards are not only easier on the allergic reactor, but also on the restaurant staff. It is also a more effective way to get the point across that food allergies are serious, and there is a meaning to what is said, not just to add more work to an already full plate for a server.

Going out to dinner in social situations can always be a challenge. Depending on the situation, there are a few different ways I handle it. If I know the restaurant I am going to does not accommodate allergies, or is at a high risk for cross contamination, I usually eat ahead of time, then sit and have a drink while everyone else is eating. For example, a few weeks ago I met some girl friends at a Mexican restaurant for dinner and drinks. I decided to eat ahead of time because I had been out to eat pretty often recently, and was a bit exhausted from dealing with my allergies. I thought it would be easiest on me to just eat ahead of time. I also could have called and asked before going there, but most Mexican restaurants use nuts, so I decided not to take the risk, and to eat ahead instead.

Coming up: more examples of eating out scenarios...