College/Career and food allergy considerations?

[CMdeux]

Thought I'd start off our new board here with a poll question for parents and teens (oh, and anyone who WAS a teen with food allergies).

Also curious about whether or not people answering think that this was a good thing for themselves personally, and if not, why not?

[GoingNuts]

DS and I would answer that question differently.  I'd say, "yes, but not as important as other things".  He'd say, "not really".  His attitude was that it would all work out somehow, mine was that you need the basics to be in order for that to happen.

_{OK, truth be told, if it were up to me completely it would be top of the list.}

[chase]

DS starts college in the Fall.  When we were looking at colleges we always had a meeting with the food service executive.  Every college we toured (all in CA) were on top of food allergies.   He did not want to attend a college that he would have to be the *trail blazer*. 

[booandbrimom]

DS and I would answer that question differently.  I'd say, "yes, but not as important as other things".  He'd say, "not really".  His attitude was that it would all work out somehow, mine was that you need the basics to be in order for that to happen.

_{OK, truth be told, if it were up to me completely it would be top of the list.}

I agree with this, but as my son has actually started making his final decision, it's been interesting to see how much food *is* factoring in. He's a growing young man and much of his life revolves around food, so he really is starting to weigh the food options more heavily.

(BTW...he got the long-awaited call yesterday for his most-selective college choice. He got in...so now the fun begins. May is coming fast!)

[CMdeux]

Boo, this has been surprising to us, as well-- I mean, we sort of assumed that it WOULDN'T be all that important in our DD's mind, and for a while, it seemed as though it wasn't (other things were, and she's on the 'special exceptions' end of things in several ways, so....).


Then as it's gotten more "real" these things seem to become more real to her, too.  It's hard to watch them get more pragmatic, but I guess that is comforting in a lot of ways, too. 

My DD is a junior this year, so she's still got time.  I can't believe we've got a whole bunch of parents who are about to have kids old enough to go to... college.   

[GoingNuts]

Congrats to him Boo!

Of DS's 3 top choices, it seems like they all had it together food-wise, though one was heads and shoulders above the others in that department (Northeastern, for anyone who is interested).  Two of the three were also near top-notch medical care.  So where did he end up?  At the one that is 25 minutes away from any hospital, 30 away from a major medical center. 

I really, really try hard not to dwell on this, because if I did, I'd never sleep.  Or eat.  Or do much of anything else except worry and fret.

[nameless]

Well of course I have the position of being that young adult in college with FAs   It honestly wasn't ever part of my equation. Part of it is that I'm pa/tna and really...I find that leaps and bounds easier to handle than a milk, egg, wheat, etc. allergy. I've always been able to find something safe to eat, get kitchens to cook new food in foil if needed, sneak hot pots and toaster ovens into my dorm, even a hot plate at one point! I've always been able to make a deal about any "required" food plan that isn't working for me or getting into a different dorm.

Soooo...maybe my attitude is different than most, but I was also in college in the early-mid 90's and the whole food allergy "thing" wasn't big yet...and folks always wanted to help and not roll their eyes at me.

Adrienne

[rebekahc]

Well of course I have the position of being that young adult in college with FAs   It honestly wasn't ever part of my equation. Part of it is that I'm pa/tna and really...I find that leaps and bounds easier to handle than a milk, egg, wheat, etc. allergy. I've always been able to find something safe to eat, get kitchens to cook new food in foil if needed, sneak hot pots and toaster ovens into my dorm, even a hot plate at one point! I've always been able to make a deal about any "required" food plan that isn't working for me or getting into a different dorm.

Soooo...maybe my attitude is different than most, but I was also in college in the early-mid 90's and the whole food allergy "thing" wasn't big yet...and folks always wanted to help and not roll their eyes at me.

Adrienne

Ditto this almost word for word though my time-frame was a couple of years earlier.  I do have other food allergies, but with thresholds that make them a mostly non-issue WRT contamination.

[PurpleCat]

DD is already talking about this with me.  She is 13, will go to High School next year.  In her heart of hearts (Today) she wants to be a vet or do some kind of work with animals.

Great!  She's allergic to a bunch of animals, their food and bedding could be problematic.....etc.....We have been focusing on how she can do this safely and what kind of jobs in the animal field are realistic for her to achieve.

I think somehow it has to matter but it can matter in a positive way instead of her just outright not following her passion.

[Janelle205]

Is she allergic to cats and dogs?  Perhaps a job with an exotics vet or at a nature center - when I did outdoor ed, very few of our education animals were furry.  Or maybe as a park district naturalist?  Lots of those types of places do rehab with animals that aren't as common allergy wise.

[Macabre]

DS is a freshman and not thinking a whole lot about the food allergy angle of this yet. Though one reason we did start SLIT was to decrease sensitivity so that by the time he goes to college we hopefully won't have to worry as much.  And he's just peanut.  Well, we found out last week that he's shrimp to, though he has been vegetarian for seven years and not of the pesco variety, so he's never reacted. 

Last fall he went with me to a meeting at the University of Chicago, where he's actually been interested in going, and he explored several food places there.  A couple of them I know to be pretty good.  And he's just peanut. 

We'll be thinking about this more in the coming years.