Medicine and Milk

Sometimes finding out if allergens are in products goes far beyond just reading a label that clearly states “milk.” This has been the problem for me in recent years when trying to find medications.

           

Letter to Mom About the Dreaded Lunchroom

Recently a mom of a child with food allergies e-mailed me asking some questions. (Which I was sooo excited about! I can’t even begin to explain how ecstatic I am over the support I have been getting! Please e-mail me!) She was going into her daughters school soon to have the talk about the lunch room. She wanted to get my perspective on it. I thought I should do some research before answering her because in reality when I first started eating in a lunch room I was 4 and in kindergarten so my memory may be off. So I enlisted the help of my dear sweet mother and called her. She gave me some (surprising) advice and this is what I wrote back to her. A little edited of course for privacy and all that jazz. Enjoy!

My Personal Journey

Pardon me while I get a little real on ya’ll.

I woke up this morning in a ball and bawling. (say that ten times fast, sorry, okay serious time!) I was jolted awake from a dream I was having that left me sobbing in my bed. I can only remember this type of violent reaction from a dream one other time in my life. Needless to say I was in a weird state as I began to regain my awareness of my surroundings and put together the pieces of what I had just dreamt. 

         

This is how I remember it:

Finally! Croutons!

I remember going to The Olive Garden as a young child (it was the first restaurant I ever went to!) and seeing the giant salad they would bring for my family that was covered in cheese and the biggest croutons I had ever seen. They were giant and looked so wonderful. I loved anything bread and the idea that bread could be on my salad was amazing to me. However I would have to get my own salad minus the wonderful bread chunks and tasty dressing. Instead my salad was bare and kinda boring, but I had the whole bowl to myself so that was pretty neat. 

       

Get the Disease or Keel Over from the Vaccine?

As some of you know and I have mentioned it a couple times in my blog already, I am trying to study abroad in Italy this summer. I had to go to a travel meeting at the health center to talk about health concerns traveling abroad. We went over immunizations and usually this would be the point in the conversation when the health professional urges me to get as many shots as possible and I clam up saying “well I think I’m allergic to all those but I’m not sure…” and they would push on. My history with doctors has not been completely great in the past. It seemed I always had to do a lot convincing and defending which seemed totally backwards to me. But I will talk in depth in a later post about finding a good doctor. 

         

Let Them Have Non Refrigerated Snacks!

Long periods away from my house make me nervous. Some people would call this agoraphobia; I would call this liking to eat. When I am away from my home for long periods of time I get hungry as any normal person does but unlike the normal college folk I’m surrounded by on a normal basis I cannot just pop into Starbucks and pick up a tasty treat to tide me over until later. As a general rule of mine I do not eat anything someone else prepares. This is something I have taken upon myself to give me piece of mind and insure my safety. If I know 100% what is in it and how it was prepared than I feel a lot better about eating it.

            

The Holy Grail - Dating with Allergies

Dating with Allergies DUN DUN DUNNNN!!

I know at least with my friends this is the one topic they always ask me about. “So like what happens if the guy like eats a peanut and then like kisses you? I mean would you like die?” Well hypothetical friend first off I don’t let just any stranger come up and kiss me, chances are good if I’m kissing him, he know me and my situation. Well, hang on, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Lets start from the beginning.

My Top 5 Always

Hi all. So I think a good early post would be one that lays the foundation for how I think about allergies. Here are my top 5 ALWAYS when it comes to your allergies and how you interact with the world around you, because that’s what it’s all about right?? We can’t be hermits kids, we have to get out there and live! Okay anyway, here you go.

Oh My! Oh My! That Gal's Got Pies!

The way to any man’s heart is through his stomach. More specifically though, through pie.

            I was never to smooth with the man folk. I was shy and awkward. I always seemed to have some version of a bad bowl cut going on. It was not until junior year in high school did I figure out the magic needed to make a man happy. Pie.

           

Here Comes The Sun... For Two Minutes

I woke up today to something very strange. It was the sun. Here in Oregon the sun is a stranger. Our sad pale bodies can only handle so much so when it streamed through my windows this morning I was startled and confused. But then I remembered the long forgotten days of summer where the sun would shine between the clouds for like three whole hours! It was amazing.

           

Why I Hate Moustaches

I have never known my father sans moustache. I’m not talking about a tiny attempt or he just forgot to shave. My father has had a full on make Tom Selleck jealous moustache since 1974… when he promptly was kicked out of the house for it. When most pimple faced boys are asking girls to their senior prom, my dad at the tender age of 17 fresh out of high school (the nuns would not allow facial hair) made a decision that has shaped his destiny forever. He started to grow the stache.

Happy Easter!

       Holidays for children are normally filled with excitement and anticipation of the candy filled days to come. However for me the sight of candy filled baskets was nothing I was interested in. Chocolate shaped into funny animals wearing candy coated pants did not tickle my fancy. I just opened doors with a little more caution as I spotted chocolate covered fingers. As I went home this weekend for Easter and walked downstairs to see my first Easter basket in years I was pleasantly surprised. I remembered back to my previous Easter baskets. They were bright and colorful and always made me feel special. And then I remembered the go to candy that was given to me by other people. If jelly beans could be used as fuel, I would be set for life.

The Story Behind The Name - It's A Doozy

       So although the name of my blog might seem a little obvious, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to my title. 

       

       Because I’m Allergic To You… the most romantic words ever uttered…

       Here is the story…

Hello!

       Hello! So if you could not guess by the title, I am allergic to things… most things. Anyway. I am a 21 year old college student doing college-y things with my life and I thought you know what! It’s about dang time that someone made a resource for young adults with allergies. I’m not a mom dealing with a baby with allergies so that about limits me from most websites and support groups dealing with allergies out there. So! I decided, well gosh golly (haha who says that?!) that I was going to make my own! So here it is. This is my place to talk to you. My aim is towards young adults, so ranging from teens to early 30s. I want to talk about what you want to hear so I’m going to start off with what I would have liked to hear someone else talk about. Whew, was that as confusing to read as it was to write? Sorry it’s late and I’m excited. Once this things gets rolling I’ll base what I’m going to talk about off what feedback I get from you. So let’s get started!

       

       A little bit about me:  (Allergy wise)