Food allergies: There are several extra steps Paris needs to take when she travels

There are several extra steps Sydney woman Paris Lay-Yee needs to taken when she embarks on travel.

The 21-year-old suffers from anaphylaxis, the most serious form of food allergies, and her list of allergens is long.

“l’m anaphylactic to dairy, egg, seafood, nuts, legumes and pulses,” she tells 9honey.

“I also have a rare condition called exercise-induced anaphylaxis, which basically means I’m allergic to exercise.”

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Paris says she has “grown accustomed” to living with severe allergies and taking “those extra steps of preparation”.

“I still try and maintain a very much healthy social life,” she shares.

“I always like to go out and eat with my friends, go to parties … obviously, [they come with] those extra steps of planning ahead.”

Before heading out for dinner, Paris will check the menu at the restaurant and figure out safe foods to eat.

She also carries three EpiPens, which is injectable adrenaline used to treat serious allergic reactions.

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“On a day-to-day basis, it’s doesn’t have a huge impact on me because I put those precautions in place,” she says.

Like many Australians with severe food allergies, her go-to food outlets include fast-food chains such as McDonald’s, where the food is made with precision and in separate stations, with little risk of cross-contamination and a clear and unchanging list of ingredients.

Although, on a recent trip for her 21st birthday, she discovered McDonald’s in Hawaii uses peanut oil to make their fries, instead of the seed oils used here.

“Even with the safest place that you think you can’t go wrong, I still check because you can never be too certain,” she says.

Paris recalls being left out of social activities as a child due to her allergies.

“I had some cases where mums would come up to my mum and be like, ‘Well, we want to invite Paris, but she’s just a bit too difficult with food allergies’,” she recalls.

This is why Paris is determined to live as normal a life as possible, and why she mentors others with food allergies to do the same.

Dating is a “tricky one”, she says, in terms of both her food and exercise allergies.

Allergens can be transferred via kissing, while Paris’ exercise allergy could impact other activities.

“Whether you bring that up on a first date or not, that just sets the whole awkward tone. You’ve just met that person,” she says.

Paris’ allergic reactions begin with hives and welts on her face.

“Then it slowly creeps up into, basically, being able unable to breathe and I lose strength in my muscles and I physically cannot support myself and sit up,” she says.

She also points out that EpiPens aren’t a quick fix, despite their depiction in popular culture.

“I feel like the most trauma and impact on my body is actually when I have the EpiPen,” Paris continues.

“It’s that aftermath, that aftercare, after injecting yourself with the EpiPen … I shake a lot with the adrenaline, and so it’s quite traumatic for me.

“Without fail, I will always burst into tears, not because of the pain of the needle, but because of that rush of adrenaline, and then in the aftermath I’m super lethargic.

“I will be in bed for at least three days after and I have to take time off work and uni.”

For Food Allergy Week, Paris is sharing her travel advice for Australians with allergies, appearing in social media videos explaining the steps she takes to keep herself safe.

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This is part of Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia’s Food Allergy Travel Hub, launched to help 1.5 million Australians living with food allergy, and their families, overcome fears and travel safely.

In one of her videos, Paris takes travellers with allergies through her steps, which include packing an ASCIA Anaphylaxis Action Plan, antihistamines, chef card, emergency contact or service details, multiple EpiPens and plenty of safe snacks.

She learned how to travel safely during the many trips she has taken with her family, who love heading overseas.

Her mum made sure her daughter knew everything she needed to know ahead of taking solo trips.

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”Because we had that experience and because she equipped me with the knowledge of how to navigate my allergies in a foreign country, she did obviously let me go,” Paris says.

“Obviously, there’s still that underlying sense of anxiety. Like, I’m sure she was tracking me 24/7, and I would send her photos of the meals I ate.

“But yeah, it was just kind of assuring her that before I went, every precaution was put in place.”

For more information visit the Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia website.

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