I'd like to welcome Rachel Brookstein, one of my very good friends from college, to our Weekly Spotlight Feature! Rachel was the first person I had met in college with a similar allergy to my own, and our very first conversation was about all of the different things we are allergic too. She's definitely someone who understands how difficult it is to have food allergies, and how being a young adult presents new challenges when dining out with friends. I have definitely learned a lot from her, and I am so glad everyone else will be able to as well!
Where are you from, how old are you, and what are you allergic to?:
I am 21 years old from Philadelphia. I am allergic to tree nuts, shellfish, and seeds. Tree nuts include everything that is not a peanut...pistachio, hazelnut, walnut, cashew, almond, macadamia, pecan, pine nut, and chestnut. The shellfish allergy includes crab, shrimp, lobster, scallops, mussels, and oysters. The seeds include poppy and sesame.
What is your biggest fear when dealing with the allergy?:
I love eating out but hate it at the same time. I am usually terrified of everything at restaurants because I don't know all of the ingredients. I can never order salads or desserts because they usually have nuts in them. Even when a waiter assures me that what I have ordered is nut-free I still have trouble eating it. Another problem with restaurants is they usually cook the seafood along with everything else. If I eat anything that has been cooked with seafood I will go into anaphylactic shock. I always make sure not to order anything fried because I never know what it has been fried with. This usually eliminates french fries, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, etc. It is just very frustrating to not know what goes on behind kitchen doors at a restaurant but still trust that you will be okay after you eat.
How does the allergy affect you on a daily basis?:
Like I said before, it is very difficult to go out to eat. I like to stick to basic foods and restaurants that I have been to before and trust. It also takes a lot of time to constantly read the ingredients to everything I eat. I usually read the ingredients 2 or 3 times just to make sure that I haven't missed anything. Sometimes I even make other people read them. I hate having to stick to such basic and plain foods.
Have you ever had a reaction?:
I have had a ton of reactions to food. About once a month I get a swollen lip because I have eaten something that touched a nut or a poppy seed. The most recent reaction I had was on my first day of college. My parents had just left and I was at an orientation with a friend where there were tons of cookies. I ate a cookie which I assumed was white chocolate chip and sadly it turned out to be a macadamia nut. I had about one bite and within seconds I could feel my throat tightening up and beginning to close. I told my friend and he took me to Rite Aid where we grabbed a box of benedryl and I took 3 on the spot. I then could barely breathe so I laid on the floor of Rite Aid. My friend carried me back to his dorm room where I figured I would just fall asleep because of all the benedryl I took. He had called 911 but didn't tell me because he didn't want to scare me. I barely remember the rest but the next thing I knew I was in the lobby of the dorm with paramedics and received an Epi-Pen.
I was then taken to the hospital, received an IV of benedryl and an oxygen mask. The doctor said that if I had received the Epi-Pen a minute later I would have died. I was lucky to have been with someone
who knew to call 911.
What has having an allergy taught you about yourself ?:
It takes a lot of strength not to let the allergies control my life. I have learned that I can control it myself by just being smart and monitoring what I put into my body. I used to think that it controlled me, but now I am realizing that I can control it.
What advice can you give to anyone who is dealing with an allergy?:
Do not hide in a bubble and never let yourself try new things. Always carry an epi pen and benedryl and if worse comes to worse, you will be able to help yourself. It is always important to let others around you in school, work, etc. to know about your allergy and what to do if you have a reaction.
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