What It’s Like to Live With a Dangerous Allergy

I don't want to just be seen as the person that has food allergies. I want to be seen as me, and that I have other things to offer.

I am allergic to milk, eggs, shellfish, and tree nuts. So the milk, eggs, and shellfish I found out when I was three. So I had a lot of problems when I was younger. I found out that I was allergic to tree nuts, like pecans and almonds and walnuts, when I was 18.

The most challenging part of handling my allergies is planning. You have to plan ahead of time. You can't just show up at a party or show up at a restaurant and just expect to eat. You have to plan. And you have to ask ahead of time.

One of the things I think that's gotten easier for me is the internet, because I'm able to research a lot before I go to places, especially if it's a new restaurant.

How I avoid things that I'm allergic to is reading ingredients, asking questions. I think just being aware of what you're putting in your body.

When I was 18, I had a really severe reaction that I didn't even know that I had ingested something that I had eaten. And it was at a graduation party. My eyes started really itching and swelling. And so my dad took me to the hospital immediately. They took me right back, because my oxygen level was really low. And obviously, I was in pretty bad shape. The doctors came in. They were just like, you better start praying, because we can't give-- we've done everything we can at this point.

I went through a really difficult time, especially after my anaphylaxis episode. That was just a big turning point for me in my life. And I really did some serious soul-searching to figure out who I am and what I'm about. And it really was several years later that I realized, man, this is part of my life. But I have so many other things to offer.

I would just encourage people to remember that allergies are not the end-all, be-all for everything. And yes, it's part of your life. And yes, you do have to plan. But you are bigger than them. And there's so much out there in life for you to experience. And don't let that hold you back.