Page 62 - The Ultimate Guidebook for Teens with Food Allergies

The Interview, by Erika
I had interviewed for a position at a new company. I was worried that mentioning my severe food allergies might affect my chances of being hired. As such, I decided not to mention them. When hired, I told the HR person as well as my supervisor about my allergies and asked what accommodations they could make. At the time that I mentioned my allergies to them, I did not express how severe they were.
When a colleague left a box of nuts in the lobby for everyone to share, I got extremely scared. It meant that there were people eating nuts all around me and that the desk I work on would have nuts all over it. I tried to talk to them about my allergies again. Some colleagues and other staff did not really believe me that my allergies were so serious because I had downplayed them in the beginning. I did not want to be a burden or nuisance to others for whom nuts and peanuts were a staple in their diets. This led to me feeling guilty when colleagues would mention that they had to avoid bringing in foods they always used to eat. They noted that they were confused why they could not bring them in anymore. Looking back, I was wrong in the way that I had managed the entire situation of informing others about my allergies. I should have mentioned my food allergies in the interview process and informed of how serious they were. Had I done that, colleagues would have better understood the accommodations and might have been more likely to support and understand me.
Camp Counsellor Conundrum, by Erika
I worked at a summer camp and not all of my colleagues were fully aware of how serious my peanut and nut allergies were. I showed up for work one morning and started preparing to sign in children. Once the children had arrived, and we were ready to start the camp, I went to join the other camp counsellors and campers. And suddenly I freaked out. There was a huge bowl of trail mix on the picnic table and all the children were grabbing handfuls of nuts. I had no clue where the bowl of trail mix had come from. But I knew one thing. Having a dozen children under the age of 10 running around with hands that had touched tree nuts was really risky. They would be touching all the same equipment I would be touching. Plus the younger kids often tried to hug us or run up to us from behind. I was so overwhelmed and terrified that I failed to communicate to the camp leaders what was going on so they could remove the nuts. I went to the bathroom and cried. I was lucky that one of my friends, also a camp counsellor, understood my allergies and came to calm me down and re-assure me. He had the bowl taken away and all the kids had gone to wash their hands.
Looking back, there was no way for me to know that there was a bowl of trail mix out on the picnic table. However, I should have educated all the camp counsellors about the seriousness of my food allergies and perhaps they would have identified the threat sooner. I also should have said something before running away from the situation. I am, however, not upset about my reaction. I have learned from it and know that there are certain situations when our emotions take over and it is hard to control them. I was scared and I fled the situation. I was lucky to have a friend to help me. It is extremely important to speak-up about your allergies and educate those around you whether they are friends or colleagues.