What is Food Allergies
A food allergy is hypersensitivity to dietary substances, leading to various types of gastrointestinal complaints. It occurs mainly, but not exclusively, in children. It is a commo...
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Bubble Girl -Allergic to the world it seems
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So, I really need some advice on how to deal with my astounding number of allergies on everything from health issues to dealing with people in spite of them. First, before I go into detail on why I'm reaching out for advice just take a quick glance at what I'm allergic to.
FOOD ALLERGIES: Highly allergic to Peanuts Rye Carrots Tomatoes Peaches Baker's Yeast(pretty much in EVERYTHING!) Brewer's Yeast Chocolate Catfish Bass Perch Shrimp Lobster Crab *...food I'm not highly allergic to, but can only have small amounts of...* Egg Yolk White Potatoes Broccoli Squash Strawberries Oranges Other Allergies HIGHLY allergic to Tree Pollen: Mt. Cedar Red Cedar White Pine Hackberry Red Birch Weed Pollen: Giant Ragweed Common Sagebrush Grass Pollen: Johnson Grass Kentucky Blue Grass Perennial Rye Grass Timothy Red Top Orchard Grass Dust, Mold and Epidermals: House dust Dust Mite P Dust Mite F Neurospora intermedia Penicillium Mix Mucor Plumbeus Cat Dander Cockroach Mix Cigarette Smoke ...Did I mention I live in East Texas? =D And of course as far as the Patch test is concerned I am slightly allergic to: Formaldehyde Parabens and Colophony LASTLY, I have SEVERE contact dermatitis to something else that is STILL unknown. So, now you can see my dilemma. As far as the outside allergies and things of that nature go I can deal with them pretty easily... it's called Singulair and Benadryl, but my real problem is my food ones. First of all I feel tired, down, and sick all of the time because I'm not getting all of the nutrients my body needs and I don't know what I SHOULD take or do to build up my immunity. *NOTE-I do also take multivitamin and a spoonful of honey a day* More than anything my allergies seem to be more of an inconvenience on other people more so than myself. Before I can eat ANYTHING at all I have to read the label to it as yeast and tomatoes are a common ingredient in a ton of stuff. Going out to eat anywhere is a nightmare as whoever I’m with has to accommodate for me-which after awhile takes its toll. My biggest hassle with my food allergies however is the constant battle of people making fun of me for them. Any time someone learns of my allergies the 1st response is ALWAYS, "God, wow! ...Sucks to be you. ...If I were you I'd just put a bullet in my head and end it." Statements like these are generally followed by "you should live in a bubble" jokes as well as anytime I'm about to drink or take a bite of something "oh wait kelly, are you sure you can eat/drink that hahahaha?" It wasn't until my senior year I learned of ALL my food allergies and since then it has been a nightmare. I'm a pretty strong woman and can deal with a lot of crap, but after a certain point a person can only take so much. It astounds me that there is not ONE single person(including family&friends) that has not cracked a joke at my expense. If I had cancer or something along those lines they wouldn't make cracks about my illness then; so, why is this okay? I start college in the fall and am not really sure how to deal with my allergies. I'll be meeting with the school dietian to make arrangements soon, but how do I make arrangements to dealing with the other people? I really do not want to go through all the taunting I've endured over the past year because it really and truly has been just that bad, BUT I'm not an idiot and I know that people will HAVE to be informed. ...So, what do I do? Continue to be constantly ridiculed and miserable for all the crap people will give me about them or just lie and tell people(excluding campus staff) that I just simply don't like Pizza, or chocolate, or bread,etc... of anysort? I just want to enjoy my college experience as much as possible. I don't want EVERYONE in my life having to treat me differently like they did in high school. nor do I want to be picked on DAILY anymore. ANY ADVICE from someone with similar experiences would be awesome; as I just need someone who understands where I'm coming from. ~Sincerely, Kelly Ann Posted on 08/17/08, 04:08 am |
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Hi Kelly Ann,
I feel for you. We have a 5 yr old daughter that is in the same boat and we have taken a very proactive and strong approach to this with everyone! First, put together a 504 plan with the university. It is your right as technically you are disabled due to your affliction and you have rights. Make sure you meet with the school and they understand your situation. I would also recommend you start a FAAN group on campus, I a sure there are others and they would love to get you started! Be vocal and proactive, knowledge is power! Remember this can be life threatening to you! We have keep copies of articles, pictures when flared etc. Also if possible I would see if you can get referred to National Jewish Medical & Research center in Denver. They are the world experts on this stuff and they have turned my daughters life around be terminating exactly what she is allergic to, giving her immune system an ability to catch up and grow out of some stuff. I know if is very hard, esp with family, but you need to be strong. Good luck and god bless- 
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I can see we are in the same boat!
I am allergic to: DUST MITES, MOLD, TREE POLLEN, NON-TREE POLLEN, GRASS, JUNIPER, CEDAR, MOLD, ANYTHING FERMENTED OR AGED, FEATHERS, HORSES, CATS, NITRITES, MSG, DAIRY, LEGUMES, COFFEE, TEA, CHOCOLATE, CARAMEL COLORING, BHA, BHT, TOMATOES, WALNUTS, TOBACCO and COLA. There are probably others I'm not remembering off the top of my head. Man, that's harsh that you aren't allowed Catfish! My solution (besides the daily dose of Benadryl) has been to make a point of listing all the things I CAN eat, and make a challenge out of finding ways to prepare it that I can stand (yep -- I'm also a picky eater with a weak stomach). Sometimes I just say "fcrew it" and eat something with nitrites or dairy or whatever, with a Benadryl chaser. You have to eat SOMETHING, you know? One astounding tool I've found that really helps is a juicer. I've been able to eat for the first time -- or rather, drink! -- foods that I need but which make me gag, like the dark-green leafies. I just juice some nectarines or whatever with them to cover the taste. You also wind up getting the nutrition of many more servings of each food per day using this system. I really, really recommend an anti-inflammatory regime to reduce the intensity of those allergies. MDs know NOTHING about this. There are books on it you can read. Basically, it means replacing all your usual foods with foods you haven't used before, lots of fiber and phytochemicals to clean out the system, and for some people it means going on an all-fruit, all-whole-grain or all-juice regime to give the liver a chance to really detoxify the system properly. I grew up playing in toxic waste w/o knowing it, so detoxing makes a huge difference to me. I hope it will help you, too. I would recommend a few books: "21 Pounds In 21 Days" by Something-or-other De Luz (the high priestess of juicing); "Rawsome!" by Brigitte Mars; "You Are All Sanpaku" by George Ohsawa; "Sugar Blues" by Bill Dufty; "The Anti-Inflammation Diet And Recipe Book" by Jessica Black; any decent vegan cookbook (the ingredients are naturally anti-inflammatory) like "The Student's Go Vegan Cookbook;" when I say "decent" I mean "stressing halthy, whole ingredients and steering you away from sugar and fat." Start taking flaxseed oil IMMEDIATELY to reduce the systemic inflammation. 2 capsules a day or 2 tablespoons of the whole seed, ground in a coffee grinder and mixed in water or something else you like, like applesauce. I think the ground seed works better -- unground, they will pass untouched through your system. Tastes like walnuts, which I am not allowed. Cut sugar and fats out almost completely. Replace fats that are solid at room temperature with liquid oils like olive and peanut. DON'T DREAM of eating margarine or any other trans fats -- if you think baker's yeast is in everything, wait'll you start looking for trans fats on the labels of foods you eat! I hate to tell you cut anything else out of your diet! But this helps a lot! Stress eating deeply-colored vegetables and fruits like sweet potato, collard greens, pumpkin, pomegranate seeds, cherries, spinach, blueberries. They are packed with anti-inflammatory compounds and critical nutrients those of us on restricted diets lack. Examples of things you can live on and carry easily: Smoothies made of green food powder and frozen berries, carried in an insulated bottle or lunchbox. Quick breads made with salt and soda instead of yeast, full of pumpkin, banana, dried blueberries, etc. Fresh fruit. A Tupperware thingy of vegetable soup or rice and steam-fried veggies. Homemade burritos on flatbread you made yourself, w/o the yeast (chapatis only take flour and water plus a drop of oil; tortillas require only cornmeal and water). As far as your social life goes, just brown-bag it as much as you can. Say you're saving your money for gas. And when possible YOU be the hostess, serving things everyone will like (like crudites and nonlethal dip). It can be done!
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So sorry to hear about all your allergies! Makes mine look like nothing! And I still complain! LOL! I feel for you. You know, every time I go to a wedding, baby shower, bridal shower, etc.etc. I have to bring my own food. Sure they will order me a plain ol steak, or a grilled chicken, but the rest I have to bring myself from everything from the hordoeuvers to the 2nd course and dessert. If I sit there and don't eat I get: "Aren't you eating? What..are you like on a Diet or something". To which I respond "Yes, I'm on a FORCED Diet. Meaning I'm allergic to it." Then I get the open mouthed stare "You can't eat THAT??!" NO..thanks for reminding me! Then I get the inlaws house. They like to order pizza all the time, and for me, I get stuck with the little frozen gluten free pizza deal..and I have to sit there and hear "Oh! This Is SO Good!" just rub it in my face! "Oh, is that any good. It doesn't look very appetizing." No..yours is better. I don't have any trouble eating at my mother's house, but God do I hate dining with the inlaws. Work is another story. "There's donuts in the break room"...Ah, huh. Can't have any. You would think that with all my food allergies it would be a cinch to lose weight?! NOT. Basically my diet consists of Corn, Potato,Eggs and Rice. With a few vegetables and fruit thrown in for good measure. I am allergic to:
Dairy Peanuts Wheat (That alone is 30 pages worth of food I can't eat) Shrimp Scallops Peas Stringbeans Mushrooms Oranges Strawberries Tuna Asparagus (I know there's more, I'm drawing a blank) Horses Dogs Cats Dust Mesquite Pollen etc.etc.etc. (((HUGS))) For you.
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