When I was nine, I had my first skin test. My brother was allergic to peanuts and tree nuts and I was not. I never thought I would grow into an allergy. I never knew you could grow into an allergy. The skin test was inconclusive.
“What does inconclusive even mean?”
“It means we are taking you to the hospital to get an oral challenge. It involves a doctor giving you small amounts of peanut butter to see if you react.”
“…I don’t like where this is going, Doc…”
Obviously, I didn’t speak like that when I was nine, but it’s definitely along the lines of how I felt. Long story short, after a few small doses, I had a reaction once I got to a full teaspoon of peanut butter, thus labelling me as “ALLERGIC!”
At the very beginning I did not like having a peanut/tree nut allergy. At the time, an allergy seemed very negative to me after seeing my brother endure years of avoiding the things I loved. All the good foods had nuts. All the restaurants had nuts. No one could guarantee anything and my life was confined to homemade meals. However It wasn’t long until I slowly found out that allergies aren’t so bad. Safe homemade goodies were amazing and at every birthday party I went to, my mom secretly sent along a special safe piece of cake for me! My cake was always better than the birthday boy/girl’s cake. Always!
My mom’s special & safe birthday cakes were the best!
Looking at my allergy now, I’m actually pretty thankful. I learned how to become more independent, I learned how to cook food, and I eat way healthier by avoiding most desserts, pastries, chocolates etc. that contain or may contain nuts! My advice to people newly diagnosed with allergies:
An allergy is a blessing in disguise. It keeps you on your toes, it teaches you a lot of life skills and there is always a delicious allergen-free food waiting around the corner. Just be patient, cautious, and spread awareness to those around you!
Tags: diagnosis, Dylan B., Staying Positive