As an infant, I was adamant about not getting my feet in grass. Mama said she tried to put me in grass to walk, but I shrieked and drew my feet up higher than my bottom when I was first stood in grass. Certain foods never passed through my lips. Mama said she entertained friends with my grass avoidance antics.
When I was 23 and had allergy tests, I reported all that I am allergic to--basically everything and specifically, grasses. She was sad, cried, and said she thought the grass avoidance was funny. She apologized for days, sometimes through tears.
Some foods or scents make me woozy at times. They always have. I am labeled a picky eater by people who are into making judgments. My lifelong ear and throat problems are the first symptoms of my throat swelling shut--anaphylaxis. I feel like skewers are being poked into my eardrums. It is excruciating.
Anytime anything green touches me, I have itching and possibly hives. Until I was six, meat was just not going to come near my mouth. Until I was twenty-five, the smell of chili nauseated me and made me weak. Can you imagine how I spent my days at school when chili was served? I walked around in a stupor. Finally, once home and after a little recovery, I felt almost normal.
I believe that all the foods I turned down with "I don't like that." were foods that my infant and toddler body reacted to with an expression of "dislike" because my mind did not have the knowledge to express " allergic." Having fed infant siblings, other children, and three babies of my own, I know there is lots of food rejection going on that probably makes it difficult to determine what is texture/taste rejection or allergy rejection.
If you have a child that complains about different foods, maybe it could be an allergy. Read this story of a young man who died from half a cookie. Often, one bite of bread will throw me into excruciating neck, ear, and throat pain.
Your turn
Does you have allergies that are sometimes disabling? Experience with others' allergies? Do you label people picky?
I once wrote a post on this exact same topic. I was labeled a picky eater, too. No one would listen when I said eating something made me sick. Now I'm aware of the foods I have to avoid, but even with the knowledge I have, accidental exposure can make me very sick.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Oddly enough, the very things I'm allergic to, I CRAVE. Cinnamon, oranges and tobacco top my list of 'must haves'.
ReplyDeleteIn the story in your post it says it's almost like his body knew. I think our bodies do know most of the time if we take the time and have the awareness to pay attention..
ReplyDeleteLeslie
apparently I have the digestive system of a goat.No allergies that I am aware of. large amounts of bourbon do cause me to behave like a fool! your friend, the rat
ReplyDeleteLeslie,
ReplyDeleteI think our bodies give us lots of information that we don't process or recognize. About 20-yrs ago, I made the statement ot my friends that my baby self did not know anything but that the food was causing a problem. For instance, I cannot eat cooked spinach because it comes right up. Even when it is in pastry with cheese and tomato sauce and tasted deicious, it will not stay down. I forgot the name of that Italian item I bought a Sbarro's.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete