My allergic reaction started when I was 8 months old, but because of my age, doctors couldn’t provide a diagnosis yet. My second reaction occurred when I was 1 year and 2 months old; the reactions included eye swelling, coughing, and rashes. I then went through skin testing and was diagnosed with allergies to gluten and albumin (egg white).
The first method I followed was avoidance, waiting for the allergy to heal naturally. Throughout this process, I had to carry a large bag of essentials for my allergy, including medication and an EpiPen. However, the results were unclear, as my blood test allergy levels didn’t show signs of decreasing, and carrying the bag everywhere slightly impacted my school life.
After I turned 9 years old, I tried another treatment method called OIT (Oral Immunotherapy), starting with egg. This treatment showed very clear results, and I was able to eat a whole egg within six months. I continued this treatment with gluten, starting with only 30 milligrams of gluten powder daily. After 10 months, I was able to eat 45 grams of gluten (about 3 pieces of bread), and I maintained this amount for 6 months. My doctor then suggested I try different kinds of food while maintaining the same gram amount, including spaghetti, pizza, donuts, and snacks.
Finally, after a year, I was able to travel EpiPen-free and consume gluten and eggs normally like everyone else. It has been 6 years, and I am still extremely grateful and enjoy everything I can eat!
Since I was very young when I was diagnosed, my mother was responsible for all the research. She visited every page and joined every group affiliated with food allergies that she could find, as well as baking and cooking pages dedicated to children with food allergies, since everything I ate had to be homemade.
