How I deal with Social Situations

A little while ago I published two posts; one about alcohol and the lack of allergen labelling in the industry, and the second about feeling left out. I thought I would post a bit of a part two seeing as both those posts gained very positive feedback.

I have heard from a lot of allergy parents that they are terrified of letting their allergy children out of the house unsupervised. This fear is not unjustified! There are so many ways that your allergy child can get hurt, and it's not just food that I am talking about.

However, it is possible for your kids to go out and have a completely safe and fun time!

In terms of food, I religiously research potential food outlets and choose one that I will eat at before I go anywhere new. I call the restaurant, speak to the waiter/waitress and the chef and explain my situation. That way when I get there, they already have an idea of what they need to be doing.

In doing all this research, I feel more comfortable and I am sure my parents appreciate it too! That said, sometimes you do not get the desired result.

Funny story time! When we order a 'special meal' quite often we expect to get a meal from a restaurant that is tailored to our needs, for example without a certain sauce, or swapping a bun for slices of bread. However sometimes this is not what we get. I went out for breakfast recently, which I never do as I find it to be one of the hardest meals for a person with allergies. I ordered a meal that was toast with bacon, eggs, baby spinach and grilled tomato. I told them my allergies and stated that I would have to omit the eggs and butter off the toast. So what I expected based on my conversation was toast with bacon, baby spinach and grilled tomato. What I ended up with was a plate of bacon. Just a full plate of bacon. See what I mean?

When I go out partying with my friends, I generally stick to the same non-alcoholic drinks, for a few reasons! By ordering non-alcoholic, I know exactly what I am eating/drinking and have a clear mind. I also know what that particular drink looks like when poured. I stick to lemonade or water, they come out of a handheld remote style controller that the bartender has, and it is easy to ensure that you do not get served the wrong drink.These drinks are often inexpensive/free, which means my bank account doesn't hate me at the end of the night! It also means I can remember all of the fun times!

When I go to the movies, iceskating or other social places, I generally eat beforehand or take my own snacks. This minimises the risk of cross-contamination or an allergic reaction! The same goes for university, I take my own lunch and if I do buy snacks, I buy the ones that are already packaged with ingredients and allergy information clearly displayed (e.g. Smiths chips)

At work, I take my own mug and teabags. I take these home with me everyday to ensure they are clean and untouched by other people.

I understand that this can seem a little bit over the top to someone without allergies, but in truth it is ensuring my safety in a world where people do not always understand what allergies are or how severe they can be.

These are just a few of the ways people with allergies can handle certain situations and help their parents to feel a bit more comfortable letting them out of the house.

Cold Snap!

Welcome to winter everyone! With a massive cold snap hitting the East coast of Australia at the moment, I feel like it is finally Winter time! The wind chill is bringing the temperature down to around 4 degrees celsius so I have reason to dig out all the winter clothing!

So I thought I would share some tips about keeping your eczema hydrated during colder weather.

Moisturise!
It might be obvious but moisturising is the best way to keep your skin happy during the colder weather! The cold and wind tend to dry out your skin a lot more, as the air is drier. So it is super important to moisturise more frequently and use more moisturiser than usual. Your skin will thank you!

Use a thicker moisturiser
As well as moisturising more frequently, it is important to use a thicker moisturiser. Especially one that will protect against dry weather and the crazy wind! I tend to mix my regular moisturiser with a paraffin cream, which is usually enough to keep my skin nice and moisturised.

Protecting the outer layers!
Whilst you can cover most of your body with multiple layers in the cold and the wind, some areas like hands and face can be harder to keep covered all day! So it is important to moisturise your hands and face during the day if necessary.

Don't get too warm!
I know it's tempting to jump in the shower and turn the hot water on full blast, but it will not do any good for your skin! It will heat up your skin and make it itchy! Plus it makes the air colder when you get out of the shower! Try a lukewarm shower instead.

Another tip to keep your body moisturised is to take an oil supplement or add it into your moisturiser. Such as flaxseed oil, rosehip or fish oil if you can have it!

I hope everyone is faring well in this cold snap, rug up and stay warm!

The Winter Blues

So for those of us who have allergies to egg, you have probably been told the same thing I have in regards to the flu vaccine: Don't do it!

In fact, I was told that they would have to do it in hospital with the epipen at the ready but even then it still wasn't recommended as the risk was too great.

About two weeks ago I lost my voice to a virus based just in my throat, which sucked but I got my voice back. 

I had a shift at work at the start of the week and as I work in retail, I am in constant contact with members of the public. As it is cold and flu season the common conversation goes like this;

Me: Good Morning/Afternoon, how are you today?

Customer: Oh pretty bad

Me: That's no good

Customer: Yeah I've got the flu/a cold

Me (internally): SO WHY ARE YOU OUT HERE INFECTING ME!

Seriously though, I cannot understand how people with the flu think it is okay to come out into a public place and infect everyone with their germs. 

Due to my allergies, eczema and the fact that I only just got my voice back, my immune system was compromised and I now have a cold. 

Which brings me to a few questions. 1) How can those with more susceptible immune systems cope? 

2) What are the best ways to deal with a cold?

So here are a few answers based off my personal experience

1) Wash your hands regularly and try not to do things like bite your nails or touch your face. 

2) Codral Cold and Flu tablets, Lemsip, Panadol, vaporub etc are all great but I also love the more natural remedies such as; garlic, onions, eucalyptus, lemon and honey, plenty of water and rest. 

Let me know how you fare during the winter blues and how you deal with sickness in your household! New post coming on Friday so keep an eye out!