LIVING WITH A NUT ALLERGY
Monday 20th February 2017
What is a Nut allergy?
A nut allergy is when someone is allergic to nuts but someone who is severely allergic to nuts has anaphylaxis and it can be life threatening.
My Story
I have known about my nut allergy since I was 5 years old. I first found out that I have anaphylaxis when I was given a celebration chocolate when I was in year one at school. This memory is one I will never forget.
I remember putting the chocolate in my mouth and eating half and spitting the rest out as I didn't like the taste. Soon after that I started feeling unwell but luckily it was time to go home. I walked outside the front gates of my primary school to meet my mum and she knew I wasn't very well straight away. I started being sick and hives began spreading all over my body. My mum didn't know what was wrong. When I got home my mum put me in the bath as I felt itchy. I wasn't getting better so my mum rang up the doctors and then took me straight to the surgery. I was given some steroids stop the hives.
I was then sent for blood tests to find out what had caused the allergy. When I was a baby I did have allergies to Milk, Wheat and Eggs but I grew out of them as I got older. I also suffered from extensive eczema. After my blood test all allergies where ruled out except a serious allergy to Peanuts and Hazelnuts and was told to carry around with me an Epipen, Piriton and a blue inhaler at all times in case I had an allergic reaction as I was told my allergy was off the scale and I was likely to have an anaphylaxtic shock.
Over the years I have learnt how to deal with my allergy and what I can and can't eat. The hardest part about having the allergy when I was younger was going to birthday parties and having to take my own food when everyone else got to eat the food at the party. A lot of the time I felt left out ( like who wouldn't feel left out that they couldn't eat the delicious birthday cake)! I always have to look at the back of food packets and I am always shocked to see how many foods actually contain nuts and may contain traces of nuts (which I was also advised to avoid).
Easter is another hard time for me as I can't eat a lot of the chocolate eggs. But, luckily a company called Kinnerton who do nut free chocolate brought out their own range of easter eggs which make it easier to enjoy Easter like everyone else.
Going on holiday can be a nightmare for me. When I went away to Torquay with my family we always had to have the room in the hotel which had a kitchen so that my mum could prepare my food for me or I had to have a happy meal from Mcdonalds.
Now I'm older I like to go abroad on holiday which can be very difficult as foreign countries do not always understand how serious a nut allergy can be and it can get very confusing. So I either have to find someone who speaks very good English or stick to self catered food or again a McDonalds. My family like to go on cruises which are amazing and luckily on cruises I get treated like a queen and they are very good at dealing with my allergy. When I went on a cruise in September 2016 my waiters where amazing they were so good catering for me I ended up having 4 desserts a night all of which tasted amazing!
People don't realise how serious a nut allergy or any allergy can be. I have to fully explain it to them in detail before they can appreciate how tricky it is for me. When they think of a pizza for example they think "oh its just a pizza it doesn't have nuts in" it may not, but its where the pizza has been made and what it has come into contact with. This is especially the case if nuts are processed in the same factory.
I have been told that I am unlikely to ever grow out of my nut allergy but I can't let it take over my life. As I have had it for so long I know where I can eat and what I can eat and still enjoy a normal life. I always ask before I eat somewhere new and have left places before if they seem unsure or cannot gaurantee my food. Restaurants are much more aware of allergies now and will try and cater for sufferers like myself in the main.
Special Food I enjoy :
* Good Food Company Birthday Cake from Tesco and Sainsbury's
* Wow Butter from Holland and Barrett
* Oh So Good Belgium Nut Free Chocolate from Boots
