Teacher vs. Teacher- Part II

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!

Teacher vs. Teacher

"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. 

My First Gelato!!!!

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! :)

Venice Carnivale- I ran into a nut!

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

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

To me the hardest part...

"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!

A Cause for Understanding

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!

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

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

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!

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

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!

Finding the H1N1 Immunization

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

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!

"Piacere" and the handshake

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!

To Hike or Not to Hike?

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

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!

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

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! :)

The Star of the Show!

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! 

Preparing For Italy

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 Media Portrayal of Allergies

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!