Food allergies are not a joke.
Like who knew peanuts can be a lethal weapon?
Some people are still not on the same page when it comes to acknowledging these issues.
And that can cause some serious concerns.
Case in point…
Redditor throwaway79293 wanted to discuss her story for some feedback. So naturally she came to visit the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit.
She asked:
“AITA for choosing not to eat my mom’s food?”
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
“I (20 f[emale]) have a prawn allergy.”
“When I eat prawns, even in the smallest quantities, my eyes swell so much to the point where I can’t open them.”
“I’ve gone to a doctor for this and they prescribed flu medicine.”
“It works but the swelling can still take at least an hour to go down after I’ve taken the meds.”
“Right now I live with my mom and sister, because apartment prices are really high where we live.”
“It’s common for folks to live with our parents.”
“My dad’s work is far so he doesn’t live with us.”
“The problem is that my mom cooks prawns regularly for family meals, even though she knows that I’m allergic.”
“Every time she uses prawns in her cooking I get an allergic reaction and her reaction is always to say that she won’t cook with prawns again.”
“I have no idea why she is doing this.”
“I asked her why, and she told me that it’s because I like prawns.”
“But I don’t (and have clarified on many occasions) and neither she nor my sister is a big fan of prawns.”
“To manage this situation I have to take the medicine every time I eat her cooking.”
“Recently, I had a busy schedule because of replacement classes, with a half an hour lunch break between my online classes.”
“My mom made lunch for us again, and one of the ingredients she used were prawns.”
“I didn’t want my eyes to just start swelling right before my class so I picked out the prawns and ate the rest.”
“But my mom got really mad, saying that I was ungrateful and disrespectful.”
“Right now she’s still mad and has excluded me from family meals, telling me to settle all my meals on my own because I didn’t appreciate her.”
“Should I have just done what I’ve always done, finishing the food and taking the medicine afterwards?”
“Am I the a**hole?”
Redditors shared their thoughts on this matter and weighed some options to the question AITA?:
- Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
Redditors declared our OP was NOT the A**hole.
It’s a tricky situation.
Let’s hear some thoughts…
“NTA. Honestly your mother sounds unstable.”
“The normal reaction to your child having an allergy is to never buy or cook the item in the house.”
“Is she toxic or abusive in other ways?” ~ CrystalQueen3000
“Exactly my thoughts.”
“You are having allergic reactions and she has stated multiple times that she won’t cook prawns anymore and then she says she cooks them because you like them?”
“Is she okay? No sarcasm.”
“Don’t put yourself through that, stop eating the prawns. Maybe she will finally understand.”
“Edit: forgot the verdict. NTA.” ~ Special_Koala_1093
“The mother seems to be trying to make OP sick on purpose.”
“It’s not only that she intentionally cooks with prawns, and doesn’t warn OP about when prawns are used.”
“She is upset when OP found a way to eat the food without the prawns.”
“OP is your mom afraid that you will move out when you graduate?”
“Does she take care of you when you are sick and likes to do so?”
“There is something very wrong here and maybe the timing when the mother cooks prawns will tell us what.” ~ lellyla
“Prawns/shrimps are used in a lot of food around the world, not just Asian cuisine.”
“Very common in Europe too. Lots of dishes, marinade and some fish sauces.”
“You have tiger prawns (the big ones), normal prawns and small ones.”
“Some are used as main ingredients others are used as part of sauce, rice… you name it.”
“The shell of prawns are also used in seafood flour and feed for fish.”
“As to allergy, seafood allergy can lead to anaphylactic shock and death.”
“You might have mild symptoms for a long time and then one day they are not anymore.”
“Allergies is usually treated with allergy tablets, nose spray, eye drops and also spray.”
“The tablets are best used preventive as in regular use every day, as they need time to work.”
“Today you have regular tablets and those that devolved in mouth.”
“The devolved ones work faster but in my experience don’t last as long.”
“Been allergic more or less my whole life and also have dangerous seafood allergy.”
“OP is NTA and mom is dangerous as hell.” ~ Key-Bumblebee183
“Food allergies aren’t always consistent OP.”
“Right now it’s just your eyes but one day it could be your throat.”
“Your mother could kill you by forcing/guilting you to eat food you’re allergic to.”
“You are 100% NTA.” ~ Samiautumn
“YES! This is how it was with me! I ate my allergens my whole life without knowing I was full-blown allergic.”
“I thought I was just intolerant.”
“Then one day I had a full reaction, went to the allergist and was told to ban all of them from my life.”
“That was 12 years ago.”
“Now if anyone in my house even cooks with them I go itchy and swollen eyes.”
“I only get throat closing if I actually ingest them but it’s still no fun to be itchy and have to take a ton of Benadryl!”
“NTA OP. “
“Your mother is, flat out, poisoning you and that is abuse.”
“I would take her up on her offer and make your own food.”
“I would also figure out a way to move out – like NOW.”
“Crash with friends, see if someone is looking for a roommate. Something.”
“You can’t continue to live in a house where someone doesn’t seem to care if they kill you or not… and that’s not hyperbole.” ~ bookworm1421
“That is emotional abuse and that is physical abuse, because she knows you have a severe allergic reaction to something she cooks, and then gaslights you to make you feel badly for not eating something that makes your eyes swell shut?”
“Like for real? This is not ok.”
“I would sit down and have a serious discussion with her and tell her from now on, you’ll be making your own food.”
“Good luck! NTA.” ~ Typical-Garlic-7308
Well Reddit gave OP A LOT to think about.
She and mom definitely need a heart to heart and fast.
Hopefully they can come to an understanding.
Before this story takes a darker turn.