Page 92 - The Ultimate Guidebook for Teens with Food Allergies

Telling people about your allergies may sometimes seem daunting, especially if you just met them. It is always best to be honest and straightforward right away. Most people will listen and will be interested in learning how they can help. Educating people can be as simple as telling them what your allergies are. But it’s often great to show them how to use your auto-injector, explain what a reaction looks like, and maybe even tell them about cross-contamination and reading ingredients. People are often fascinated to learn what you have to deal with and willing to learn more.
Finally, when you choose to educate friends, family, teachers, coaches or anyone else about allergies, you are helping to spread information that can change the lives of many people with allergies. The more people there are who understand allergies, the easier it gets for all of us!
When things go right
Two Steps Ahead of Me, by Bailey
I always try to take every opportunity to educate others about anaphylaxis, particularly my friends. I try to teach all of my friends how to use my auto-injector and what to do if I was to have a reaction. But I’ve always wondered if they truly understand how serious my allergies are. One day, after school, a group of my friends and I were planning on going out for dinner. Originally, we were going to go to a restaurant where I had eaten many times before. So I felt certain that the food was safe for me to eat. At the last minute, however, two of my friends decided that they wanted to eat at a different restaurant that I had never been to before. When they proposed this idea, I told them that I would have to call the restaurant first to see if it would be safe for me to eat there. To my surprise, my friends then told me that they had already called the restaurant themselves and asked about all of my allergens. This showed me that my closest friends really do understand how severe anaphylaxis is and I hope that, in the future, more people will be able to understand it as well.
Quick Tip - Building friendships with others who truly understand your allergies is really helpful in a variety of situations. You can build a great support system by informing others what your allergies are, how to read labels and how to handle a reaction.
When things go wrong
Own Your Allergies, by Tess
At the very beginning of grade 9, my French teacher brought in food to help expand our French experience. She did this without notifying our class or parents. As an afterthought, I think the teacher remembered that I had food allergies. So, at the start of the class, I was asked to come to the front of