Eating with an Allergy

Having a food allergy makes simply eating a dangerous game. A monotonous behavior that everyone needs to complete to survive creates another problem for me. With a severe dairy allergy, every meal has to be carefully prepared, by eliminating any tiny presence of milk, butter, and cheese, whether that be through using separate utensils or keeping counters and workspaces clean. If not, I will have a reaction, which can range from mild symptoms like hives or to severe ones like anaphylactic shock. Also, people fail to understand what an allergy is and what it entails. No, I am not lactose intolerant, I have an Epi-Pen, and without it, I could die.

This ignorance seeps into restaurants and eateries, creating a dangerous environment. If most of society fails to understand the seriousness of food allergies, how can waiters and chefs ensure to keep their guests safe? Waiters always write dairy allergy in large letters on the food ticket, yet I am handed something that makes me ill. Chefs or the managers of the restaurant will guarantee that a meal is completely free of milk, then I am met with an itchy tongue and a swelling throat on the first bite.

One time, a memorable time, I had a terrible experience, when I went to Des Moines, Iowa for a national track meet with my twin brother, Aurelius. We decided to get some Italian food for a late lunch.

I asked for a safe meal, spaghetti and marinara sauce, which is one of the only Italian dishes I know will never have cheese or butter in it. However, I always ask anyway to ease my paranoia.

After I received my supposedly dairy-free meal, I took a few bites and was greeted with an itchy tongue and a swelling throat. I asked my waitress if there was dairy, more specifically cheese, like parmesan or mozzarella, but she said no, and assured to me that it was dairy free. Why was I having a reaction then? She took my plate after a short amount of bickering and asked a chef whether he used the right sauce. He used Pomodoro. After receiving the correct meal, lunch was fine, and the chef said to me that it would be free.

Though this was one individual event, it was not anything new or surprising for me. Many of my reactions are due to the ignorance and carelessness of those who work in restaurant establishments. The lack of communication between waiters and chefs, the lack of having allergen guides both threaten my life. Luckily, I have had great service at times, as I was able to have chefs and managers talk to me about meal arrangements, but unfortunately, those experiences do not outweigh the others. I hope in the future, society and restaurants become tolerant and inclusive to those with life-threatening allergies.