Did anyone notice my last blog post disappeared? Well, I deleted it. Here’s why.

My last post talked about managing food allergies in college, based on a conversation we’d had with a tour guide on campus regarding our concerns with dorm life and allergies.

The information I put in that post was not incorrect. It was incomplete. Which I realized when my mom and I continued our research. It isn’t more complicated than I knew before, it’s just more difficult than I knew before.

DORM LIFE

You can get a roommate with similar allergies to yours and still face serious problems in the dorm. MAKE SURE if your roommate doesn’t have food allergies, they are fully aware of the seriousness of yours and are willing to advocate for you as much as you advocate for yourself.

DINING HALL

This I haven’t even solved for myself in planning for college. Gluten is in everything. Avoiding it by trusting there is no cross-contamination may not be possible. I’d like to direct you to this article for some advice. Dining halls/cafeterias are huge sources of contamination for most allergens. Don’t underestimate the importance of planning ahead.

IS IT WORTH IT?

Allergy-related anxiety is always made worse when you’re in a risky environment. In a high-risk environment, you could start to see other problems, physical and emotional, come up as a result of the stress.

With my sensitivity and symptoms, college will be a high-risk environment. However, I believe God has led me in this direction, and therefore, I can be confident in the fact that He will show me how to prepare – again, physically and emotionally. That doesn’t mean there won’t be complications, so I’m going to share that journey as much as possible in the hopes of making it easier for other teens as they transition from high school to college.

If you have specific questions – or any advice! – please comment or contact me directly.