I was so embarrassed of my allergies that I risked my health

Walking through the hospital car park, Mum and I processed the news.

I had just been told I had a severe wheat allergy, and on top of that, I also had coeliac disease.

We’d been waiting a long time to find out what was wrong with me, and after years of going back and forth to the children’s hospital, a diagnosis felt like we’d closed a chapter, but it was also the start of a whole new one – and this time it was lifelong.

I was only 11 at the time and didn’t have any grasp of what it meant to have allergies. Now, of course, I know better. But I still think society has a way to go in taking allergies and conditions like mine seriously.

I always remember being quite an ill child. Throughout primary school I’d come out in rashes, hives, and I had to have time off school so we could attend hospital appointments.  

I wish I could pinpoint all the foods or the moments these things happened, but to me it was just part and parcel of my life. I didn’t always think anything of it.

However, I do remember that, when I was around 10 years old, I had two particularly bad flare ups. The first came as part of a long car journey.

At home, Mum always cooked our food from scratch. I was generally eating healthy, balanced meals.

When we went on holiday though, I’d indulge in a sweet treat. My choice was always a cake from the bakery.

On this occasion though it caused a really scary episode: Hives covered my body, my lip swelled and I began projectile vomiting from the back seat.

At that moment, Mum – who was already concerned – became even more worried about what was going on with me.

For weeks and months after we went back and forth to the doctor who ran all kinds of tests. Yet they never seemed able to put their finger on what was going on.

That same year we went on holiday to America and I couldn’t wait to get stuck into a portion of mac ‘n cheese. Only, the same symptoms flared up again: my legs were covered in welts and once again I was seriously unwell.

Luckily the symptoms subsided on both occasions but it was enough to make Mum push doctors for an answer.

It’s important to note that, when it comes to testing for an allergy, the process is different for everyone. In my case it started with doctors asking me to keep food diaries and write down when I was having reactions. 

A pattern soon emerged and it became clear that I had a severe wheat allergy.

And just like that, at the age of 11, my life changed.

I couldn’t just go to a friend’s house for dinner after school anymore. If I did, it all had to be planned out. I’d have to find out exactly what their mum was cooking and check with my mum. 

Then, in high school, when every one of my mates was getting their tray and buying lunch in the canteen, I was confined to the contents of my lunch box. It doesn’t sound earth shattering as an adult, but as a young teen it made me the odd one out and I hated it.

I used to envy my friends eating their pizza slices or paninis without a care while I had nothing but a chicken salad to enjoy. Because let’s not forget, the ‘free from’ aisle we’re used to seeing in supermarkets now simply didn’t exist back then. 

There wasn’t gluten free bread readily available on the shelf, and even if there was it tasted vile or would be rock solid by lunchtime.

Sometimes, I’d eat my lunch in the hallway, so I didn’t draw attention to myself as being ‘different’.

That desperation to fit in, to feel ‘normal’ was so all consuming at that age that, to my mum’s dismay, there were times when I would knowingly buy and eat something with wheat in it without any thought for the consequences.

‘What are you doing?’ She’d cry upon seeing the hives up my back or welts down my legs. ‘You can’t do this.’

Even then I still didn’t really grasp the seriousness of what I was living with. I was young and thought I was invincible. 

While I can’t pinpoint the exact moment everything clicked for me, suddenly when I was in my early twenties, I realised that this was not something that was ever going to change so I had to find a way to manage it better.

After I moved out, I was forced to learn to cook for myself and to my surprise I fell in love with cooking. I realised I didn’t have to miss out on things I enjoyed like burgers, pasta and garlic bread or roast dinners, I just had to adapt them for me.

That’s partly been made easier thanks to supermarket free-from sections getting bigger and restaurants asking about allergens as they seat you, or having the symbols on the menu, but I still have to be aware.

Just because something says it’s gluten or wheat free, doesn’t always mean it is. I still have to advocate for myself because my wheat allergy is not something to be taken lightly.

More than that though, when I started posting about my recipes and the fact I have coeliac disease and an allergy online, I quickly realised I was not alone. 

Allergies affect the lives of up to approximately 21 million people in the UK, and 1 in 100 people have coeliac disease, but it’s important to note that these two things are not the same.

An allergy is where your body reacts to something and presents as symptoms which range from mild (like a runny nose) to severe (such as anaphylaxis where there is trouble breathing).

Coeliac disease, however, can cause damage to your gut (small intestine) stopping your body from properly taking in nutrients, and can cause serious damage later in life if you don’t follow a strict gluten free diet.

According to medical studies, cancers associated with coeliac disease include small bowel cancer, small bowel lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma.

I’m so proud to have a platform where people can come to get dinner inspiration and just feel seen. I wish there had been more people talking about allergies when I was younger.

It’s why I also became an ambassador for The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, because I want to use my following on social media and being in the public eye to raise awareness of allergies and conditions like mine.

Allergies need to be treated seriously; people are being put at risk, because mistakes are being made.

Eating out shouldn’t be at the expense of life; food shouldn’t be something that has to be feared, and having an allergy should not make anybody feel like a burden.

Now that I’m a mum, I want Landon to grow up in a world that is not only aware that allergies and coeliac disease exists, but is informed about how to help navigate and incorporate them into daily life.

For that to happen, we must start teaching ourselves (both adults and children alike) about them. We should know what the dangers are; we should know the signs if someone is having an allergic reaction or flare up and what to do about it. The responsibility is on all of us.

My son is too young right now to take any of this in, but I’m very conscious about setting an example for him as he gets older.

And yes, I am gradually introducing potential allergens to his diet on the doctor’s advice so as to prevent him developing one, but should he still get an allergy I’ll be ready to help him navigate that.

Because life doesn’t have to be different if you have an allergy, intolerance or coeliac disease. Of course you have to be careful and other steps must be taken, but you can have a normal, fulfilling life – and it can taste good too.

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