Mar 31

Mar 31 How, When, Where, Who, Why, WHAT ALLERGY?

This April things will be starting to open up in the UK after a very long lockdown (#3). It has been a time of reflection, fear, heartbreak, mourning, isolation, frustration and so much more. I know that my allergy anxiety has decreased over the year of the pandemic. I haven’t had to worry about socialising, work-place mishaps, restaurants but now we are expected to get back to “normal” (again) and move on. Well, that’s going to be hard for some of us in the allergy community. Whilst we weren’t worried about allergies, neither were others. Restaurants have blanket statements saying they weren’t catering for us, social distancing meant that people felt they could throw nuts in the park, and friends haven’t had to worry about cross-contamination in their home because you didn’t come over as often. But fear not, this blog post is coming from the allergy queen herself, giving you some advice and thoughts about how to get back to your normal after lockdown.

Ruth is an allergy reactor, author, blogger, freelancer, topical steroid withdrawal advocate and my mentor. She has two books out. One is called The Reluctant Allergy Expert: How to kill the fear that anaphylaxis could kill you (you can watch my review here) and The Shape of Skin (a poetry book for people with eczema and troubled skin). She has had anaphylaxis her whole life (diagnosed at a time when there weren’t any EpiPens available). She talks openly about her story and anxiety with her skin and allergies. I asked her to share her thoughts on life after lockdown and I hope it helps you.

A guide to getting back to normal after lockdown

How do you start planning? Where will you go? When is it safe? Who will you go with and what do you need to do to help you get back into that groove?

As the nation is slowly being vaccinated, we are all preparing for life as ‘normal’ again. But will this be seamless? Will we flip back overnight to how we were before the pandemic? I’m not sure it’s that simple and I’ve been giving it a lot of thought.

HOW?

How do you even start? Having been at home for over a year now, with full control over everything I eat, allergies haven’t really been on my mind much, if not at all. Has it been on yours?

It’s been a dream and it has been amazing for my mental health. However, as restrictions are lifting over the coming months, how will we prepare to go out into the world again?

If you live with life-threatening allergies you will know how crippling allergy fear can be. At times, certainly after serious allergic reactions, I’ve retreated into my home to become a recluse and avoided outside activities, especially those involving food.

Being a recluse sounds familiar to the whole world right now, but whilst everyone else is getting excited to leap back into action and relishing the thought of enjoying eating out with wild abandon, those of us with allergies (me included) may be feeling just a little nervous.

WHEN?

When are you going to start doing all this? When are you going to take the leap? On the first day things open? Or when things have had time to return to normal? I’m slightly worried that initially restaurants, pubs and cafes may be very busy. So I plan to return slowly. A bit like a staggered return to work after illness. Start small and build back up. I’ll start popping into my favourite places and ordering just a drink and asking to speak to the owner, manager and/chef. Just for a chat, to say Hi, to thank them for keeping going and ask how things have gone for them.

This will not only help to feel in control, and calmer about eating out again, but it will also help the food establishments. I’ve not been using takeaway options because I don’t trust that it will be safe with that added distance between staff and customer. There are too many chances for mistakes and you’re not as visible but standing there, face to face, eye to eye discussing this very real allergy that you have, will help everyone feel better.

WHERE?

Where should you start preparing for this massive change in your life?

Let’s start with where you were before the pandemic. You probably had a routine, found some trusted places to visit and had some friends and family who understand how to keep you safe. It’s worth checking in with all those things. Remind people you still have allergies and what they are – you may have new allergies now, it has been a while! If you plan to go to your favourite trusted restaurant, start afresh with communications. Imagine they’ve never catered for you before and start from the beginning. It’s been a long time and things could have changed, both with staffing and menu options. The checks they have to do now are different as well, as are their suppliers - don’t assume anything.

So be careful with the places you choose to visit. Where is safe now? Where are there restaurants and cafes located that have allergen menus? Many places have scaled back menus during the lockdown and the allergen-free options were often the ones that got dropped. The military planning needs to come back into play! Imagine you’re eating out somewhere for the first time and do your due diligence!

WHO?

Who are they? Your people? Your allergy allies. Your allergy family, your trusted friends and family. Gather the gang, get them up to speed and get them ready. They are your eyes and ears and they will also help keep you safe - they are very important. Choose a special friend who you really trust to come with you on your first adventure back out into the wild.

WHY?

Why is all this important? We’ve all been holed up in some strange parallel universe where allergies aren’t on the forefront of our minds, and didn’t need to be as vigilant and ready for an allergen detection at any moment. If you’re like me you’ve not even been shopping – I’ve been doing all my food shopping online - that way I can make sure it’s safe, and now it has become a habit. It means I don’t have to wear the dreaded face mask, not great if you also have eczema. They really irritate me so shopping, once something I enjoyed, it no longer fun at all. This is why it is important to think about life on the other side. Because we have all forgotten what it was really like before.

WHAT?

What are you waiting for? What’s stopping you? Start planning and dreaming BUT if you’re not ready yet, that is completely fine. Knowing how you’re feeling is so important. If you’re going to be happier staying indoors for a while longer, that’s what you should do. No one will judge you for that. Many of us are feeling very strange about things going back to how they were before.

The what is the most exciting part of it all. What will you do first? What have you missed most? What is on your list of things to do when we can DO things again?

If you feel nervous, that’s completely normal. When I was really scared of eating out I used to just walk past the place I wanted to visit, just walk right on by with no plan to actually go in. Just getting familiar with being near restaurants without any expectations. It normalised the place and let me slowly build the courage to go in and start communicating. I would stalk my favourite cafes and restaurants, like this, until one day they didn’t seem so scary. Then I start my research. Get ready for some stalking!

Try finding things that will make you feel good about going back to ‘normal’, that way it will seem fun and not daunting.

Start with a few simple things you can do to feel confident and in control:

Always carry two

Always carry two adrenaline auto-injectors and check the expiration date - you may not have even thought of that this year.

Lights-camera-action (plan)

Update your Action plan and make sure it’s as ready as you are!

Medication

Check that your medical pack is stocked with all your medication - from antihistamines and inhalers to tissues and pain killers.

Snack time

Stock up on the picnic essentials – always be prepared for a no food outcome!

Accessorise

Wear your medical bracelet again (or get one) - if you’ve felt it unnecessary whilst staying home. Make it a habit and start wearing it every day. You never know when it will be useful.

Reach out

Talk to friends and family and tell them if you are feeling anxious! Remind them what you’re allergic to and explain that you are feeling a little worried about trusting restaurants again.

Show and tell

Practice with your trainer injectors, and teach the people around you again. It is very important your friends/family know what to do in-case of an emergency.

New items

Take your mask, wipes and sanitiser! It’s now normal to clean an area, we have been doing this for years, but now it is standard. Thank goodness hygiene and cleanliness is part of our future.

Those are just a few of the things I will do. It basically means we need to put back into practice all those little things we did to ensure we are prepared.

You can do this, but if you’re struggling, we’re here! The allergy community are feeling it too, send people a message if you want a chat or to ask advice about anything you’re worried about.

And finally, tell us your answers. How will you start? When will you go? Where will you go? Who will you take? Why is it important to you, or why are you scared? What have you missed most? What are you waiting for? What is holding you back?

Remind yourself that we have to manage our life a bit different than most but our allergies shouldn’t hold us back or limit our lives - I say, WHAT ALLERGY?