Lynn and I are nearing the end of our series highlighting life with a nut allergy. Today, her daughter, who has recently been diagnosed with a nut allergy, shares her experiences as a kid with nut allergies -- go check it out!
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I was 5 when I learned a had a nut allergy.
My parents were cracking nuts for the holiday season, and I wanted to try one.
So, I did.
And, my throat began swelling shut.
There was no history of nut allergies in our family, so this new allergy was a surprise to us.
So, for the last 22ish years, I've been living with a nut allergy. {As a side note, my sister also has a nut allergy}
I formally was tested for allergies when I entered junior high -- that's when my doctor recommended it. Really. Things have changed drastically over the past 20 years when it comes to allergies, and allergy testing, which I think makes growing up with a food allergy now a little "easier" and also "harder" than it was 20 years ago.
What's "easier"?
Well, there's an awareness about food allergies in the general public that wasn't there when I was younger. Schools have "peanut-free" zones or lunch tables, and know there are some snacks that are off limits. School nurses are trained with how to handle allergic reactions. Diagnosis of food allergies may occur at an earlier age. Families and friends are aware of people having severe allergic reactions to foods.
What's "harder"?
Nuts are a health craze and almost a fashion statement right now. So, nuts are in way more foods than they were when I was younger. Manufacturers want to make sure they don't get sued over food allergy issues, so many of them slap the "this food was processed in a facility that processes nuts" onto foods that should never have come in contact with nuts making it overly challenging for someone with a food allergy to know what foods are actually safe for them to eat. It's kind-of like the "boy who cried wolf" scenario. No one wants anyone to succumb to an allergic reaction from their foods, so warning labels go up all over the place and that makes food decisions challenging.
In a way, the awareness and knowledge of food allergies is also a challenge: people know about food allergies, so there is an assumption that either the allergy isn't really that bad or that a little bit of the allergic food won't hurt.
What's the same?
Being a kid with a food allergy is HARD. It's hard because you want to blend in with the crowd, you don't want to be the only one not eating at a party, or enjoying someone's birthday treat. It's hard because you don't know how to respond when a loving adult offers you something you know you can't eat, and they don't respect your polite decline of their food. It's hard because so many of the foods that you want to enjoy are off limits. Like ice cream. This is the hardest thing for me ... nothing tastes better in the summer time than a cool ice cream treat. Maybe it's from your freezer {think ice cream sandwiches}, maybe it's from your Ice Cream Man, or maybe from a local ice cream store -- anyway you slice it, a nut-allergic person like me isn't going to be able to enjoy that special summer treat. Handling those emotions and realities as a kid is tough.
What I recommend:
As a "kid" with food allergies, I recommend learning how to make some of your favorite treats in your own kitchen so you know they are safe. I love making homemade ice cream, and it's a real treat to share with friends.
Find out ahead of time, if you can, what the "birthday treat" will be, and make a similar treat for your food-allergic kid. For example, if there will be cupcakes passed out for a school friend's birthday, make a cupcake ahead of time and send it with your child to school so he/she can enjoy the "same" treat as his/her friends.
Have the party at your place -- this way you know what foods are being served!
How about you? Any tips for kids with food allergies?
