Since beginning this humble little blog about four years ago as a bit of a hobby and somewhere to store all the research, thoughts and stuff I glean over the years of living with allergies, eczema and asthma, things have gone a lot faster than I thought.
The blog now gets over 60k unique hits a month and I regularly get half a dozen emails a week asking for advice, from lost souls struggling to cope with their food allergies, intolerances and the challenges these bring.
Finding support can be hard, despite the rise in allergies, people often feel lost, alone and confused about how to remain healthy whilst avoiding one or more major food groups.
It’s life changing but it can often be for the better.
What I am finding is that I can’t offer enough time to everyone, I work freelance as a writer and marketing communications specialist too so I find my valuable resources are getting stretched, but I do have an idea.
Allergy counselling
Where do you go if you need help? Who do you talk to when your doctor is unsympathetic and visiting the dietician is not a regular occurence with months and even year long waiting lists. Even if your doctor is supportive you can’t visit them every week with every question you might have.
So who can you speak to when all you want to do is chat, reassure yourself you are not going mad, you are not being pathetic, you are just trying to find the right way to cope. Who do you go to for advice on the next step in getting back your confidence in food?
I am not a doctor or allergy specialist but I do know from first hand experience what living with allergies is like. It can be tough, but with some simple rules and lots of planning and organisation, it doesn’t need to change your life in a bad way.
I have multiple allergies to all nuts, all dairy (cow, goat and sheep), soya, latex, nickel, dust. Delayed severe allergic reactions to tomato, celery and fresh coriander. Intolerance to wheat
So right there are some pretty major food types that I avoid on a daily basis.
Would you find it useful to have one-2-one conversations, weekly, monthly, or however often you need; it might only be one conversation? If you think you might be interested I would really love to help, but I find I can’t reply in just a 5 minute email. There is just so much I have learnt and would love to share.
What I’m offering is Allergy Counselling.
Kind of like your allergy aunt. Someone you can talk to, moan and whinge and have a good old complain, someone who understands exactly what you’re going through.
Or if you prefer, correspond via email or written letter, that way yet get to keep a record of everything and refer back to it.
Allergy Counselling will help you learn to live with your allergy diagnosis, get the help and support you need, advice about how to get the resources you require and day to day tips on how to make it work, easily, cheaply and most of all, to remember, life is for living and having fun.
Life doesn’t end with allergies even though you don’t get a holiday from them. Don’t despair, there is hope.
My aim is to give you confidence to live the best life you can and also the knowledge to get the best advice and help you need for you or your child.
To find out more and book your first session email ruth@whatallergy.com