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.

TOP FIVE ALWAYS

1. Always carry TWO Epi-Pens.

For real kids, do this. The idea of having an allergy attack makes me want to cry and crawl into a ball under my bed but the dust bunnies would probably give me an asthma attack. (jkjk my room is clean right now like nobodies business) Can you imagine having an “episode” (hahaha I hate it when people say that it sounds like we are having a fit or something. It’s not a 25 minute segment of television that will continue next week, my body is trying to kill me!) and pulling out your one epi-pen and it NOT WORKING. Holy. Moly. Kamoly. I would flip the flip. But maybe the natural adrenaline in your body from freaking out would be enough. NO IT WOULD NOT. Do not try that, you need meds. Anyway, having two is always important for many reasons. One, if the first fails or breaks or whatnot and second, because what if you are out in the middle of nowhere and it will take a while until you get to a hospital? You might and probably will need more than one shot. An Epi-pen does not cure you of your allergy attack, it’s more of a stabilizer for until your body flushes out whatever is making it freak the freak out. When I was young and very very reactive to things, I would get sent to the hospital and just sit there being injected with epinephrine all night long. Super fun childhood times.

2. Always carry your Epis and Medical Alert Bracelet.

And while we are on Epis, even though I think this should be common sense, ALWAYS carry your epi-pens with you. No matter where you are, have them on you at all times. You never know. Really, never leave home without them and know where they are at all times. And on top of that, if they are somewhere, like say a coat check or at a club or something, let the people you are with know where they are. Wear your medical alert bracelet as well. If you don’t have one, GET ONE! Seriously, if you are having a reaction and need help but can’t speak (which is likely to happen since, you know, the whole throat closing thing) having a medical alert bracelet is a great tool for medical personal to see and take action from. You don’t want them to waste time with other stuff while your body is trying to kill you!

3. Always be honest about your allergies.

I have mastered every deflection in the book. “Oh, I’m on a diet.” “No thanks, I don’t like that.” “Oh I’m just not hungry.” All the while I’m thinking, “Haha, I have never been on a diet in my life, I love me some foods, that looks freaking amazing and oh my word the smells, and I think my stomach is actually eating itself. I do have two Epis on me, is it worth it?” Really, don’t lie it will only make the people around you feel like you are lying and be confused when sounds come from your midsection that sound like someone is trying to escape from your stomach. Also it will only make you feel uncomfortable and strange because you are lying about something very silly. HOWEVER I do understand that when you open the can of worm of “Oh, no I’m allergic” it can be annoying and frustrating to have to sit through the next three hours of conversation being centered around guessing what you can and cannot eat, even though you said you can’t eat dairy and yes last time you checked, cheese, cottage cheese, and cheesecake all still have dairy in them. Point is, the attention can get annoying at times I know and I’ll go over that in another post no worries, but really it’s much better to let people in so there are no awkward moments latter when they start a food fight and throw a dollop of sour cream at you and you start to die. That just makes every night awkward.

4. Always read labels.

I could recite the ingredients to Dr. Pepper. I have read and re read the labels to everything every single time I eat or drink it. Even obvious things like soda. I read the bag on carrots. CARROTS. Guess what’s in them - Carrots. The point is that it is a really good habit to get into and a great piece of mind. I know I know that nothing is going to be in carrots but if I actually know I feel much better about eating them. And ingredients change! You should always read labels every time in case something has changed. I will go over this more in a later post on tips for choosing food based on labels but for now, just read, it wont kill you, but that hidden ingredient could. Ohhh ominous.

5. Always trust you gut.

If something looks funny or you just get a weird feeling, don’t eat it! Follow your gut always, it is your best way to tell what is okay and not. There is obviously a reason your body is reacting to something so pay attention to that! Our bodies, even though they try and kill us sometimes, have excellent BS meters, we just choose to ignore them most of the time. Stop ignoring them and pay attention because you are trying to tell you something.

So there you have it. My top 5 always. Trust me there are a lot more rules to live by but these are the basics. Questions, comments, suggestions, or if you want to have a chat is always welcome. I’m here for you! So, until next time, Ciao!