Peanuts

I was told by my doctor that I have a peanut allergy this happened a few years ago on a visit, I wasn’t born with it, and it developed over the years. Before that, food was just food, I didn’t have any restrictions. Once, I was told about my allergy I had to become very aware of every snack and sweet I ate. I had a few almost accidents when I ate sweets that might contain peanuts. Once at a birthday party I was excited and had a lot of sweets, one must’ve had peanuts because my throat felt tight and I was breaking out in hives, my body was starting to feel hot. I remember my parents rushing me to urgent care. After that scary moment, I had to be very careful when I ate.

My parents made sure this was my responsibility because they weren’t with me when we were in school, even when grocery shopping my mom must make sure none of the ingredients contain nuts, she likes to make most of my meals homemade. Even when I went to events, field trips, and sleepovers I had to tell the adults in charge. People misunderstand allergies and think it’s just don’t eat peanuts and you’ll be fine; it’s also about cross-contamination and air exposure that can cause reactions.

My allergy allowed me to advocate for myself, I learned to speak up, real labels and trust my instincts. I used to get jealous when I could see other kids eating whatever they want without limitation. Over time, I stopped seeing my allergy as a weakness and started seeing it as a part of who I am. Overall this allergy made me more aware, responsible, and resilient than I was before.