Food allergies VS Holiday Dinners

For those that have food allergies and are eating your “special food” out of a plastic container with an EPI pen in your pocket: you are not alone. There are those who understand that grandma’s homemade mac and cheese surprise is deadly to you, and that certain foods are poison. As parents of a child with food allergies (eosinophilic esophagitis) we understand, we know that you lie everyday with the “I’m not hungry” or “I just ate”. We know the look people give you like it is an insult that you don’t eat the food they spent all day making but it’s more of an insult that they expect you to just taste it and end up in the hospital. Be patient with them, it’s not ignorance; it’s just that they don’t understand. We saw a post on a friend’s page that said something like “you wouldn’t ask someone with a peanut allergy to try a piece of pecan pie just this once” but those with gluten, soy, dairy, protein allergies, this is an everyday occurrence. We know you stay home and don’t go to family get together just to avoid the “you have got to taste this dressing” or just to avoid the temptation or the pain knowing what you used to eat. Please don’t be angry with them just try to educate them as best you can. Take your cooler, your allergen free salad dressing, your dairy free egg nog, your “safe food” and eat them with pride, you are not alone and some of us understand.

If you’re a family member of someone who has a food allergy and this post sounds offensive to you, please ask questions of your allergy suffering loved ones, don’t necessarily do it in front of 30 people and ask “why can’t you have my homemade lasagna?” but  find out what they have and google it. Death is a reaction to some allergies, stomach pain, throat closure, EPI pens and enemas are just some of the side effects and treatments.