Fear of the Food Allergy

Hey Y'all,

Today I'm going to go off the writing course for a bit and talk about allergies.

I was watching a documentary on food allergies a few days ago and a realization hit me with the force of a brick. Food allergies are scary. 

Like I guess I always knew they were something to have a healthy awareness of, but listening to stories about how little kids almost died from the same condition as me was almost surreal, as if I'd just gotten to the point to where I wasn't afraid, but listening to those stories caused the fear to rise again.

So now we have two red flags. Being terrified and not being afraid at all. Both of these are trouble, for completely different reasons.

First off,
Being Terrified: 

It's kind of obvious why this is a problem, while there needs to be an awareness of 'yes if I eat almonds I can die' but it can't get to the point of 'you ate an almond three weeks ago? Get away from me! Are you trying to murder me?'

That could pose as a problem for making friends. ;p

Psalms 23:4 says "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me"

God knows everything that has happened and everything that will happen in the whole realm of the universe. Who am I to be afraid of a peanut when God's planned out my footsteps and is going to take me home right at the very moment I need to be?

Being scared of a food allergy lets it run your life, lets the what if's run your life, and if something else is running your life (other than God) is that really living?

That being said this can lead to another big problem:
Being Fearless

Yeah, sure, being fearless can be a good thing to a degree, but not when it comes to food allergies. I have read so many anaphylaxis death stories that have the words 'did not have epi-pen' in it. To which I respond "why in the world did someone not have their epi on them???"

You see guys, it's all well and good to not let the fear of the allergy run your life, but that is NO excuse to not use common sense. If you have an epi PLEASE carry it around with you, just because something has never happened before doesn't mean something never will.

You still have to be diligent in keeping yourself safe, even if that means sacrificing the invitation to Texas Roadhouse. It's better to be a social outcast then dead right?

So where do we find the happy medium guys? Where is the I have a healthy respect for my allergy?

To be honest... I don't know.

I lean more on the 'being terrified' scale when it comes to my food allergies, but I have recently taken to not letting it run my life.

A few weeks ago I was at a large function, that was supposed to be nut free with LOTS of food, with some friends of mine. While there a group of boys I knew, but wasn't great friends with came sprinting up to me telling me someone was eating peanut butter. I thanked them for telling me and was about to turn around to go the other way when one of the boys stopped me and said "how do you do it? How do you go to things like this"

I'd never been asked that before, but I knew the answer. I looked him dead in the eye and uttered one word: "Faith."

God gave me these food allergies for a reason, and I'm not going to be afraid of something God ordained.

What about you? Are you more terrified or fearless? I'd love to hear what you have to say on the subject.

-Libby

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" Matthew 17:20

Being 'Difficult'

Hey Y'all,

I've had a revelation this week I thought I'd share.

I'm currently in the process of registering for a large multi-day event that serves food, and throughout that process I've had to email the director about making it free of nuts and asking for her to send out emails to the scores of people attending about my allergy.
At the end of my latest email I had the urge to tack on "Sorry to be difficult", but thought against it. Why?

Because I'm not being difficult when I'm trying to keep myself safe. 

Yes, I require more in the planning phases of an event than others, but I'm not doing it to be difficult or a pain or needy. I'm doing it so I can have the same experiences as my non allergy friends.
So why do I feel the need to apologize for asking these things? Is this what sub-consciously I have been taught? That my allergy needs warrant the need to apologize for being an inconvenience?

That saddens me.

So how do I write an email that outlines what I need done without feeling the need to apologize fifteen times for being over dramatic and whiny?

Here's what I've come up with.

1. Explain the situation 
In my experience as soon as I explain the situation as the forefront of the email it lessens the need for me to apologize because I'm restating to myself this is why I'm doing this. This is why this needs put in place.

2. Be polite 
While this seems like a given, at least for me it really isn't. My first instinct is to outline my needs in a list form with a simple thank you and smiley face tacked on at the end. Uh no. This is what I'm trying to avoid, when I'm talking about allergy accommodations I simply thank them at the beginning for offering whatever it is they're offering, then say what I need done, and reiterate why, then thank them again. This way I come across as asking instead of telling.

3. Don't be afraid to say what you need
Early in my allergy journey I thought of myself as a nuisance to everyone, that asking the bare minimum was too much to ask.
This isn't true. If you are capable and invited to go there is no reason you shouldn't be given the opportunity. State what you need done upfront so there aren't any last minute complications later.

4. Don't go overboard
 I confess, I am a worrywart. Everything that can go wrong has already run through my head five times with varying horrible outcomes, so when I'm asking for accommodations it's also my instinct to explain every little thing that could be done, including x-raying all participants for signs of nut protein.
I don't need that. 
Would it be nice to know no one has eaten nuts in twenty four hours? Yes. Is it necessary for my well being? No. Only ask for what you need, no more. Now this may seem to contradict number 3, but they really go hand in hand. Don't be afraid to ask for all the things you need, maybe that's only a simple reminder email, maybe it's a lot more. But at the same time if you really do only need that email done, don't ask for more.


This list isn't the end all be all, and maybe I've messed something up, but this is what I'm trying to follow to attempt to get my point across without appearing needy. Anyone else have any tips?

-Libby

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." Proverbs 17:17

Annoying Allergies

Hey guys,


Allergy post today.

So did ya'll know that the volunteers at the polls for the election can eat whatever whenever? Yeah, me neither, until yesterday.

How's a girl with airborne nut allergies supposed to vote when there are nuts all over the voting facility? I know you can do an absentee ballot, but where's my 'I voted' sticker?

Not fair.


Any of you guys run into allergy problems like that? Or am I the only one?

-Libby

"Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God." Romans 13:1

Halloween with Allergies

Hey ya'll,

In news completely unrelated to this post I decided to do something completely crazy this month. I'm doing NaNoWriMo.

For those of you who don't know what that is, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Where us brave (or insane) few try to write a novel in 30 days.

Yep, I'm officially crazy.

Have I written a novel? Yes, but it took me over a year. Now I'm supposed to write a novel in a month?

Alright enough ranting...

Today, I actually wanted to talk about Halloween with food allergies.

So I may be one of the very few, but my nut allergies are airborne, meaning I can't be around them, so Halloween isn't my favorite holiday in the world. Can anyone relate?

Yet, my siblings still want to put on costumes and go trick or treating, so I, as the dutiful big sister, go with them, and in the years of nut allergies I've learned some tips for allergies and trick or treating.

1. Don't go alone. I mean this is a given anyway, but what I mean is don't go with just your family who may or may not have allergies too. Go with a friend or relative who can go through your candy so you don't stick your hand right into a half open peanut butter cup.
2. Say more than trick or treat. If you know your neighbors like I do this won't be a problem, seeing as the whole street has classified us as 'that allergy family'. (anyone else with that title?) But if you're trick or treating where no one knows you it's better to say 'I can't have that' to the offending candy than have it in your bag and risk contaminating everything. 
3. Go last. If you're going in a group be the last person to get candy, that way you can see what they're giving out. If it's something you can't have just blend in with the crowd and walk off.

That's all I have. Anyone else have any surviving Halloween with allergies tips?

"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." Philippians 4:6 

-Libby