Lauren Weyerich, junior, has a severe nut allergy, and any mishap causes her a to suffer from uneasy breathing as her throat begins to swell up, her eyes water and her skin becomes irritated. One time, Weyerich reached for a brownie her cousin baked for a family dinner at their grandma’s. However, those brownies contained nuts. The rest of the night Weyerich had to deal with a swollen throat. This is her lifestyle: living nut-free.
Ever since she was born, Weyerich has not been able to eat anything with any type of nut in it. This discovery was shocking for her since no one else in her family has this allergy.
Weyerich’s sensitivity to nuts is so severe that she cannot even touch them, though she can be in the same room with them. She said that being the only one in her family and friend group with this allergy is annoying.
Whenever Weyerich goes out to eat she must always ask about the ingredients in the food she wants to order. Because of the peanut oil frequently used for frying, Chinese restaurants are the hardest places for her to eat.
On one occasion, this allergy prevented Weyerich from participating in class when nuts were involved in the lesson.
“I remember in eighth grade we did this lab where we burned peanuts, and I couldn’t do it,” Weyerich said. “It is a nuisance.”
With Thanksgiving approaching, Weyerich said she usually can eat the same foods as her family. They try to avoid putting nuts in the food so she can enjoy eating without having to worry about her allergy.
A nut-free diet is all that Weyerich knows, but curiosity drives her to wonder what foods she cannot eat taste like.
“People tell me all the time, ‘You don’t know what you’re missing, especially peanut butter, it’s the best food ever,” Weyerich said. “It is annoying. It’s not like telling me is going to change the fact that I’m allergic to it.”
