Guest Post: Living with Food Allergies – Timothy's Story

In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week, we're bringing you Timothy's story — a honest and sincere look at life growing up living with multiple food allergies. His story shows you the challenges, lessons, and continuous impact that allergies have on daily life. Thanks, Timmy, for allowing us to share your path.

Timmy’s Food Allergy Story

Food allergies have made a big impact throughout my entire life in every way possible. I have had allergies to milk, eggs, shellfish, tree nuts, and peanuts during my lifetime and have outgrown all of them except tree nuts and peanuts. One way it impacted me was when I was eight years old and accidentally drank my friend's chocolate milk without knowing. My mouth started to feel itchy and tingly, and I knew something was wrong. I told my mom, and then my throat started to feel off as well. I ended up throwing up multiple times and had to use the EpiPen®. That was the only time I ever had to use the EpiPen outside of a doctor’s office—and it saved my life.

Even though I have outgrown most of my allergies, they still affect me today. With milk, I was never able to have regular cheese, and I had been eating dairy-free cheese my whole life. I still eat the dairy-free cheese today because that is what I grew up eating, and it tastes good to me. Regular cheese tastes different and not as good, and I don’t really like it at all. People who try my dairy-free cheese think it is disgusting and think real cheese is way better because that’s what they grew up with. With eggs and shellfish, I still don’t really eat either of them plain, just because I never did. I will eat them mixed into things, just not alone.

Another thing I grew up having to do was food challenges. I would go to the doctor’s office, not eat much the day before, and try the food I was allergic to to see if I’d have a reaction. Sometimes they were scary because I didn’t know what would happen and might have to use the EpiPen. Sometimes I was excited because if I passed, I’d be able to eat so many new foods. I only had to use the EpiPen one time at the doctor’s office, and that was when I tried to get rid of the almond allergy. [Timmy participated in supervised food challenges, and over time was able to tolerate certain foods he had previously been allergic to.]
I eventually got rid of it, but it was one of the harder ones to accomplish. The milk allergy was by far the hardest to get rid of. I had a food challenge for milk countless times. Each time I’d get farther and farther, but it took so long. We even had to separate them—starting with milk baked into goods first, and then trying milk by itself later.[Timmy is now in 12th grade and has outgrown several of his food allergies, though he still avoids peanuts and tree nuts.]

That is my story about my food allergies and how they hold a big impact on my life and still do today.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI):

About 80% of children with milk, egg, soy, or wheat allergies may outgrow them—often by age 5–10.
Only about 20% of children with peanut allergies and 10% with tree nut allergies outgrow them.
Shellfish and fish allergies are usually lifelong.
Outgrowing an allergy often requires ongoing monitoring by an allergist and, in some cases, supervised food challenges.

WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORY!
If you or your kiddo is living with food allergies and would like to share your experience for a future feature, send your story to info@allergyapparel.com with the subject line "My Allergy Story." We love connecting with families and sharing real voices from our community.