Nicole Greal
Personal Narratives I have lifelong experiences with both environmental and food allergies. I received allergy shots for my allergies that are environmentally based for a few years during middle school and early high school, which helped with maintenance and overall symptoms. My food allergies are more prominent in my everyday life as far as exercising preventative measures. I am allergic to tree nuts, which are a fairly common ingredient in a lot of health foods, desserts, and snack-type foods. Being that I am a vegetarian, I have to be considerate of the fact that many vegetarian products include tree nuts as a source of protein. I also learned from a young age—I became aware of my tree nut allergy around 11 years of age—that it is important to ask for confirmation of ingredients before consuming any food given to me by someone else. In the early years of being aware of my tree nut allergy, I accidentally consumed tree nuts on a few occasions and learned that it is better to be safe and politely decline food if someone is unsure of all of the ingredients. I have also made a habit of carrying an Epi-Pen with me at all times since becoming aware of my food allergy. While I am fortunate that I have never had a severe allergic reaction thus far, I am aware that preventative care and having a line of defense in the form of my Epi-Pen is important to maintaining my health and wellness. While my allergies do not have a significant impact on my everyday life, they are something I am aware of on a daily basis and give consideration to around meal times, especially if I am eating something I didn’t cook. In my eyes, these small preventative efforts help to mitigate the potential for a greater health crisis as a result of my allergies.
pg. 14 | NPHR 2020
