Food allergies stink.
STINK.
That really sums it up. In a world that is somewhat obsessed with food, having food allergies is no fun at all. Every single day someone offers my son a treat either candy, cookies or something random that he just can’t have. We’re used to it now but that doesn’t mean it is easy.
My son was born with 22 food allergies. Not able to be tested until he was 12 months old, we found out about them the hard way, by reaction. His first reaction came just days after leaving the hospital and from that point forward, I spent most of my time studying food allergies.
We have been fortunate to have pretty amazing doctors for the most part that helped us along the journey. He is now allergic to only egg, milk, peanut, tuna and garlic. It’s still a lot but not nearly what it used to be however, his diet is still very restricted as all are life threatening.
Since he was born with food allergies, he has had a very natural aversion to food. He eats to live, he does not live to eat. He is also very, very picky, eating the same things every single day. He does not like to try new foods or even talk about them for that matter. My prayer is that by starting this website, it will help him to enjoy the foods he can have even more.
When we go out to eat, we bring his food in a lunchbox. When we go to birthday parties, we bring snacks just for him. He’s used to the looks and the questions but sometimes, it really gets to him. Many food allergy kiddos have a hard time in school. Fortunately, he goes to the most amazing school on the planet that has worked with us every step of the way to make sure he is always included. There are not words for how grateful I am for that.
He has gone through a lot and while he cannot remember all the episodes of reactions and trips to the hospital, he certainly remembers the feeling. And after all that he has gone through, he is still strong.
Life with food allergies is no easy thing but it does not have to be miserable either. In the midst of all of these things we have a joy that cannot be taken away. A joy that can be seen in his eyes at any given time and that will always be beautiful to me.
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