The Private Sector

When I was in elementary and middle school, I always had ups and downs when dealing with my food allergies.

In preschool, I had to eat lunch at my own table. I didn’t like that at all, but it kept me safe. In elementary school, it was easier to handle my allergies. I was teased a few times, but most people really understood my allergies, including teachers and classmates.

Going to middle school meant transitioning to a new private school. There, we ate school food for lunch, as opposed to elementary school, where we packed our own lunches at home. Every day, peanut butter was an alternative to the normal lunch. We were placed at different tables every three weeks so that we would dine with a variety of people, and it was not uncommon to sit next to someone with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Once, someone who did not understand the seriousness of my allergies brandished a knife with peanut butter in front of my face. Other times, people would ask me to recite the long list of allergies I had, or they’d tell me how “lucky” I was to get special food. I didn’t consider myself lucky, so I got annoyed when people said that to me time after time, but I did like when people were curious about my allergies. Telling them what I am allergic to allowed me to teach them a little bit about food allergies.

Still, my allergies made lunchtime inconvenient. I normally had to wait until the server asked me what I wanted, and then I asked to go get my food. Everyone else had the option to just eat what was on the table. In addition, I had to eat what I was given. Everyone else could go to the salad bar or choose something else at the window. One good thing about this situation was that one of my closest friends also had severe allergies, and we always had the same meal. Although everyone confused us and assumed we were both allergic to the same things (which we’re not), we weren’t alone in our food situation.

In the fall, I will begin attending a public high school, which, I’m sure, will bring new ups and downs. On one hand, many people bring their own lunch (as I will do, because I am allergic to too many things to risk eating in the cafeteria), so I won’t be considered “the girl with the food allergies.” On the other hand, the school is several times bigger than my middle school, and I will be carrying my medicine with me instead of leaving one pack in each building, as I am accustomed to doing. I am still excited about this choice, however, because it means more independence for me. I am now in charge of my allergies, and I am responsible for my actions.