how i deal with food allergies

Having an allergy sucks. Having multiple food allergies that prevent you from having a normal dating life is the most horrible thing I could imagine. Wait. That’s me.

Yep, I am deathly allergic (anaphylactic) to all nuts and shellfish. This means, I can’t eat at ANY seafood restaurant, have ANY desserts ever (because of cross contamination), or make out with a guy who has recently used a lip balm made up of unknown oils. I have to constantly read the ingredients on everything – makeup, lotions, soaps and foods - anything that could potentially kill me. I even have to take my own pedicure kit with me when my toes are in need of some TLC.

What’s worse than all of the above? Dating. It’s one thing to have a boyfriend who understands that you are completely obsessed with making sure everything you eat contains no traces of any type of nut, or shellfish product. But, it is quite another thing when you’re going out on a first date to a restaurant where you’ve never eaten before and trying to explain to the waiter your situation. Plus, adding in the additional, “Can you make sure his food doesn’t contain anything either?” Then, when your date asks you why, you can not-so-casually explain that if he’s expecting any first date smooching, you don’t want his kisses to kill you.

When I was in high school, there was a girl who had a similar allergy to mine. She had a serious boyfriend who knew all about what she could, or couldn’t eat. One day after school, they went to his house to hang out and of course, started to kiss. Hours before, he had eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and didn’t think it was that big of a deal, since so much time had passed. She started to have a reaction while they were making out. Since she had inadvertently left her Epi-Pen at home, she couldn’t get the life-saving drugs in time and so, she died… from a kiss.

Since then, I started to always carry my Epi-Pen around with me. It’s a huge pain in the butt, but it’s better than the alternative. I also have some Benadryl on hand, just in case I can’t get my Epi-Pen out in time, or to work right.

Do you have any food allergies, or allergy-related stories you want to share? Trust me, I feel your pain.

xoxo,
Deanne
Senior Web Editor, CosmoGIRL!