Dairy & Eggs

Living with a class 6 anaphylactic allergies to dairy, eggs, and nuts has shaped arguably every part of my life. I’ve come close to losing my life on multiple occasions, which makes my condition not just nuisance, but dangerous. It’s hard living with the fact that something as little as food can put me in a life threatening situation. Because these ingredients are in so many common foods, I always have to be aware of what I’m eating and where it comes from.

One of the hardest parts is feeling like I can’t participate in things that seem normal for all of my friends and family. Whether it’s eating at a nice restaurant, going to parties, or even just grabbing food with friends, I usually feel left out or different. It may seem insignificant to everybody else, but not being able to eat the same things as everyone else can feel isolating over time.

I’ve been hospitalized multiple times due to severe reactions. Each experience is extremely scary. Even after living with these allergies for my whole life, the fear never really goes away. I was diagnosed with a dairy allergy when I was 1 and an egg allergy when I was 2. I’ve grown up constantly managing this condition. My allergies seemed to improve around age 11, but after a major reaction when I was 14, my immune system became even more sensitive. This caused my allergies to worsen than how they were in the first place.

Living with this has been a rollercoaster of fear, but it has also made me more cautious on every aspect of my life. I’ve learned how to advocate for myself and take my health seriously, even when it’s difficult.