At the age of 11 after an anaphylactic reaction I learned I had a tree nut allergy. A couple of years later at the age of 13 I was constantly sick with sinus infections and GI issues. Eventually it got so bad that I was experiencing dysphagia and severe GERD. At 13 these symptoms were unknown to me and therefore hard to explain to my mom. Finally after what seemed like a never ending round of tests and then an endoscopy I learned I had Eosinophilic esophagitis. After a series of allergy tests I learned I had 13 food allergies some of which are anaphylactic. After 13 years of living with food allergies I have outgrown a few as well as developed additional food allergies. I have had 18 endoscopy/biopsies and have recently started adding additional food into my diet. I hope my personal and professional experience can help others navigate food allergies by finding fun with food again.
When first trying to understand and find resources around food allergies my mom and I used FARE as a guide. Years later and I am now a masters level registered dietitian and have used what I have learned professionally and adapted it in my own life. I share resources such as FARE, the academy of nutrition and dietetics and some allergy friendly food brands with my patients who also have food allergies.