“I never get down about having a peanut nut allergy. I never let it control what I do or where I go.”
I never thought of myself as being different. I never asked to be treated differently. I guess I was taught early that having a peanut allergy was my issue and should never restrict others. My parents always taught me that I had to look out for myself and never trust what others would do for me. My allergies never controlled me but rather I have learned to control my surroundings and live with it much like a person that wears glasses.
One of the worst feelings that a person can feel is being different. I remember when I first started school as a kindergartener. I was very excited and could not wait. I also remember the first day at lunch. It was one of the saddest days I have had in school. While all my friends sat together and laughed, I was at a separate table with two other students that I did not know. I was at the “NO NUT” table. Other students were socializing and making friendships. I was isolated. Luckily for me my parents who are both in education would not stand for it. They made sure that the school understood that this was my issue and that I had to learn to be careful. They made me understand that they or any other adult could not always protect me from nuts or anything else. The good news is by the end of the week I was sitting with my friends, laughing as well as being cautious of what dangers were around me.
My second grade classroom said, “NO NUT CLASSROOM”. I had an elderly teacher that was very near to retirement. One day a student was passing around a birthday treat. The school took many precautions with birthday treats. In other years, my teachers had a private stash of birthday treats just in case a student brought in something that had some type of nuts in them. So, when a ButterFinger was placed on my desk I thought nothing of it because my teacher didn’t give me something else to eat. I took a few bites and one of my good friends said, “Nick I think that has nuts in it”! Luckily for me another student told my teacher. My teacher told me to go to the nurse to get checked out. In the end, my parents were more upset that I was told to walk alone to the nurse after I had ingested a product that contained nuts. What I remember most about the situation was that my parents helped me understand that I had to be in control of my environment and not rely on anyone else.
I never get down about having a peanut nut allergy. I never let it control what I do or where I go. I’ve learned valuable lessons along the way but ultimately I learned that I had to be in control of my allergy and not let it control my life.
-Nicholas