Hi there! Today I'll be talking about the different types of questions that I've been asked about in school, at relative's houses, friend's houses, birthday parties, and summer camps.
In the past 8 years, I've been asked lots of questions about my food allergies. Lots of people at school would ask me easy to answer questions, like "What are you allergic to?" and "Do you have to touch the food to get an allergic reaction or do you have to ingest (eat) it?". You might think that the only people that ask me questions about my food allergies are my friends from school, but my relatives, teachers, classmates, neighbors, and family friends also ask me about my food allergies. Today I'm going to be answering an assorted list of questions that I've most been asked. Let's get going!
What are you allergic to?
Oh, that's an easy one! The foods I'm allergic to are all tree nuts except almonds, dairy, and sesame seeds. I also have seasonal allergies; I'm allergic to pollen from trees and grass.
Do you have to touch the food to get an allergic reaction or do you have to actually eat it?
I am touch sensitive, which means that if I touch a food that I'm allergic to, I have a risk of getting a reaction. So, I either have to eat the allergen or touch it.
What food allergy do you dislike the most?
I think the food allergy I don't like having the most is dairy, but the food allergy that I least want to have an allergic reaction to is tree nuts, especially pistachios. The reason for this is because I'll get an anaphylactic allergic reaction if I eat tree nuts, which means I'll get a life threatening allergic reaction instead of a less severe allergic reaction like I may have for dairy or sesame seeds.
How many allergic reactions have you had?
Well, I've had only one anaphylactic allergic reaction in my life, which was to one pistachio, when I was three or four years old, but I also had an allergic reaction to yogurt when I was about one year old. Another allergic reaction I had was when my dad accidentally switched my soy milk and my sister's cow milk at dinner, so I had a minor allergic reaction to that, when I was probably 8 or 9 (we no longer have plain cow milk in our house!) I also had a minor allergic reaction to some french fries at my sister's birthday party (I was around 10 years old). These were the most major allergic reactions that I've gotten.
If you could be allergic to just one food out of the three you're allergic to, which would it be?
Probably sesame seeds because they aren't in a whole lot of foods. The only things I might eat if I wasn't allergic to sesame seeds is hummus, some types of crackers, some types of trail mixes, some types of breads, and some types of seeds that use the same equipment as sesame seeds.
Which allergic reaction was the worst?
Definitely the anaphylactic allergic reaction that I had when I was three or four years old. One night, I had eaten one pistachio and I had gotten many symptoms that hint at an anaphylactic allergic reaction. I had to take my Epi-pen and I was sent to the hospital.
When did you first discover you had food allergies?
I think when I was one, when I had the allergic reaction to the yogurt. When we went to the allergist to figure out what was wrong, he said that I was allergic to dairy and eggs (I outgrew my egg allergy later).
Were you born with food allergies, or did they "pop up" throughout your life?
My food allergies have come up throughout my life, and maybe more will!
Do you like having food allergies?
Eh, it's okay. I like being unique but it's a pain because I always have to read labels and pay close attention to how I'm feeling and bring my own food everywhere.
When was your most recent allergic reaction?
Haha, I won't tell you this one! This question will be covered in my next post. Watch for it!
What's getting an Epi-pen/having an allergic reaction like?
I haven't had an allergic reaction that requires an Epi-pen in a long time, but I do remember that it's hard to stay calm, especially if you're having breathing problems. Staying calm is supposed to help, but it's almost impossible if you aren't with someone.
Sorry about how long this post is! Thanks for reading and watch for my next post: My Most Recent Allergic Reaction: Backpacking!
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