Here to Help!

My name is Allison, and I have been living with food allergies for the entire fourteen years of my life. I was diagnosed with food allergies when I was about 4 months old. I was born with hives all over my body and the doctor dismissed it as a new born rash. We now know it was probably eczema. When my mom went back to work she started feeding me formula, which was when we found out I am allergic to milk. Throughout my first year, I kept on throwing up every time she fed me something new. Finally the doctor said you might want to go to an allergist, she may have food allergies. When I was tested, they found out I am allergic to milk, eggs, beef, peanuts, lamb, sesame, carrots, strawberries, and nuts. Not to mention animal fur and every seasonal allergy under the sun. If you're reading this, I’m sure you know the scale that is used to measure food allergies. If you are under the certain number for the food, you are not allergic. For example, milk is a 6. This means that when you are tested, if you are a 6 or under, you are not allergic to milk. When tested as a toddler, I was over 100. Now, I am around 72. The doctors originally said I was going to grow out of my milk allergy at 5, then they said maybe 9, then they said puberty, and yet, nothing. I am not alone in this though. I have two older sisters, now 16 and 17. I also have a little brother, who is going to be 12 in a few days. He has food allergies too, and luckily it’s to everything I am allergic to. So my parents are not just taking care of one child with food allergies, but two. My family, my friends, and my faith have helped me deal with food allergies, and as I've gotten older, I've learned to deal with them in my everyday life. As part of my Silver Award for Girl Scouts, I've decided to help you understand them better as well. Know that you are NOT alone! I'm going to post recipes, stories, and little tips on how to make food allergies easier. Comment, share your stories, or ask questions, I'm here to help!

-Alli