They Aren't as Bad as They Seem

  So I've decided to do my post a little early this week due to the fact that a horrible cold is keeping me up until midnight, so to pass the time i figured I'd write! Here we go. I'm going to tell you why food allergies are really not that bad. It seems like its going to be a difficult task, right? To answer that, it really won't be hard at all. 

  I've had food allergies since i was 4, so naturally, I've gotten used to having them (I've had them for almost 13 years!) The first reason why allergies are not horrible to have is that people remember you. You have that unique quality of being able to die at any random time just by eating something or being around a food. I've noticed that many people remember me with more ease than others just by the fact that i have my own unique way of dying. Sounds kind of bad, doesn't it? If it does, that's not what I'm trying to get at, I'm just getting at the point that my food allergies make me unique. They make me who i am and have helped to shape my life and make me a more responsible and mature person.

  On to the next one! My food allergies have also made me a much more social person, due to the fact that i have to talk to adults and other people to tell them about my allergies. Having food allergies is also a great conversation starter! "Have you ever had to use your epi-pen?" "What's it like having a reaction?" "How long have you had your allergies?" I have heard all of these questions and more. People are curious about food allergies and that constant threat that surrounds you. I have made many strong friendships because of my allergies and talking to people about them. I used to be a very shy and quiet person but because of the necessity there is to talk to people, i had to overcome my shy personality to keep myself safe. 

  Number three. Personally, my allergies have given me confidence and have made me less afraid of death. This may not be true for everyone but it is especially true for me. Almost everyday, someone does the kind gesture of offering me food (people without allergies probably don't notice that this happens basically every day to them but with food allergies you have to take notice). Usually if the food is not safe I'll casually say "No thanks, that'll kill me" or "Nah, I'll die." I try to make light of the situation because I've taken my allergies so seriously for so long that i want to be able to keep the situation light, while still keeping myself completely safe. One person has even told me that i am the most comfortable person with death that he's ever met. I took that as a compliment because, yes, i may have the possibility of dying from my allergies at any moment, but there is no way that I will ever let that get me down. Over time i have learned to love my allergies and all that they have made me. Never let your food allergies get you down. Be safe, but always stay happy!

  Those are three major reasons why food allergies don't have to suck. Those are definitely not the only three though. I may be ending this post now but expect many more posts like these to come, mixed in with my other stories! I have to end this post now because i really shouldn't be staying up until 12:30 with a horrible cold! 

  I would love to get some comments, so if you have anything to say write it in! I'd love to hear it! I hope everyone is having a great beginning of the school year! Talk to you next week!

Restaurants

So we all know that having food allergies is no fun, but when it comes to restaurants, it can get a lot worse. If you're ever just going out with your friends, you have to call ahead to the restaurant to make sure that you can actually eat something there without dying. If it ends up that that restaurant is not good with dealing with allergies then you have to pick a completely different restaurant to eat at, usually screwing up your plans. If it turns out that the restaurant is safe and you can eat there, then once you get there you have to tell your server, who usually brings over the manager so they don't accidentally kill you, and then you tell the manager and they assure your safety. 

Sometimes the managers are more re-assuring than others. At one restaurant, The Border Cafe, i told my server about my allergies and she then brought over the manager. The manager came up to the table and the conversations went as follows:

"So i heard that someone here has a food allergy?"
"That's me" I said, raising my hand,
"OH! YOU!" He yelled, pointing at me, "You'll be fine," and he walked away.

After that experience i do not plan on going back to that restaurant, even though the food was good and it didn't kill me. Other managers are more assuring and promise to have your food made separately from everything else. Some fairly-priced restaurants that are good about this are The Ninety-Nine and Bertuccis. Although the more expensive restaurants are usually very good about it, they're over-priced.. For instance, Abe and Louie's in Boston is great with allergies, but they are way out of my price range for being a teenager!

When going out to eat, it can be hard to speak up for yourself and tell the server about your allergies. It can sometimes be embarrassing when you can't eat the food you want and you sometimes keep your friends from eating what they want because being around that food will kill you. But not talking to the server is dangerous and i highly recommend that every single person with food allergies talks to their server every time they go out to eat. It can be embarrassing, but death is way worse than a little bit of embarrassment.

Introduction

Having food allergies sucks, whether they're life-threatening or not. For those who have them, it's a difficult adjustment when it comes to being a teenager. There's peer pressure, the desire to just be like everyone else, and the hope that one day the allergies will just disappear. For some with lesser allergies, they can go away with age, but for others, like me, they will never go away, no matter how much time passes. This blog is to share my stories (I'll be posting every Sunday) and for others to share theirs about the pro's and the con's of having allergies. I hope those who read this gain insight to my life with life-threatening allergies and are willing to share their own stories. Allergies suck. Hopefully this blog can lighten the load!