Andrea Garza's Autobiography- With the assistance of Debbie Garza
The Personal Perspective of Life With Food Allergies
My name is Andrea Garza, and I am the creator of FoodAllergyTalk.com. I know many of the viewers that use my website find the information helpful in their quest to learning about their food allergies. There is one thing that I have keep hidden from my viewers for fear of loosing trust in my work. However, I have decided to reveal this to you. Think no lesser of my work, my website, or the information that I provide. Do not feel uncomfortable with the information that I am about to tell you, for all of the information on my website is true and intended to help you and your family adapt to food allergies and learn all the information you can about them.
I have spent years creating FoodAllergyTalk.com and many hours of my time have went into answering your questions, providing helpful information, and guiding you. I am so pleased to help so many people, and I could not think of anything more fulfilling for me. I love helping others, and I could not imagine life without my website. So now, I reveal my little secret to you; I am currently 16 years old. Many think I am one of the numerous mothers that have created a food allergy website because the child has allergies, but I am not. This site is different from all the others, created from the child's perspective. My website is created based on my life, my mothers wonderful discoveries, and the difficulties that we have had to overcome. This blog will reveal the problems that both of us have had to tackle, and the emotional side to having food allergies.
This page will become more of an autobiographical account of the events that happened in my life and my mother's countless efforts toward discovering the secrets to having food allergies. We will share various situations that have occurred, and how we have had to deal with them. Most sites only have facts, but this site takes it one step further. I know you want to know how to deal with your children when they are begging you to let them eat that favorite cookie, when they are crying because they cannot eat the 'regular' food, or when others just don't seem to take your child's food allergies seriously. I have dealt with the teasing, and the difficulties of loosing my favorite foods, and I am here to help you discover what your children may be going through, and helpful advice for your children to follow.
I have read your emails, listened to your questions, considered the options, and have decided to taken action. It's time to seek support from others and discover the personal side to food allergies from the perspective of a child, and a mother.
-Andrea G.
foodallergytalk.com
Dec. 2007
Discovering My Food Allergies
When I was young, my mother figured out that I was allergic to milk, and for the longest time that was the only allergy that we were aware of.
However, when I was in middle school I began getting sick every at least four days every month. It was horrible; throwing up, diarrhea, and stomach pains. Finally my mother decided to get me tested again for food allergies. By the end of 7th grade we received the test results and discovered I had an unbelievable amount of food allergies. Wheat, Gluten, milk, eggs, corn, soy, eggs, you name it.
Probably a month or two previous to my allergy test, my younger sister was tested, and she has more allergies then I have. We both have many chemical sensitivities as well, which always causes problems anywhere we go. My sister was forced to be home-schooled by my Mother, Debbie, because the chemicals in her school made her sick each time she came back, and would make her sick for three days.
When I received the allergy test results in early 2004, I was the most devastated to learn that was allergic to wheat and gluten. I was so disappointed...
After we left the Dr.'s office, we went out to eat at a fast food restaurant. I ordered a hamburger and fries, knowing that was the last time I would eat a hamburger the way everyone else does: and I was right. To this day I can only order hamburgers with "no bread, nothing on it, only lettuce." After that day, there was no more Oreo's and milk, no more pizza, no more junk food, and no more eating whatever was available.
When I have to inform people about my food allergies and how I can only eat meats, vegetables, fruit, and special allergy free foods, their first reaction is to say "ooh, I'm sorry..." However, I do not feel the need to be felt sorry for. I have a healthy diet, I lost weight, and I am definitely more fit then I was before my allergies. My life would be so different without food allergies, and I don't mean that in a bad way.
Going back to school was difficult at first because I had to pack a lunch that I was able to eat at school. My mom informed the school and I was able to warm my lunches up at the nurse's office. One time my friend had the nerve to make a joking comment about my lunch which hurt my feelings. You have to learn to stick up for yourself. They do not know what you have to go through. Stay positive, ignore the ignorant, and try your best to stay focused on the future. You are not alone-there are many children, teens, and adults that have food allergies and have to go through the same obstacles.
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