I have allergies to most plants and animals (foods by extension) around me, but for years this went undiagnosed because my mother was so certain I was faking it.

I would feel a great deal of pain after eating a normal meal at school and be sent to the nurse because I was in too much pain to concentrate. For a long time, the nurse also thought I was faking it, but she must have picked up on it at some point because she began taking me seriously.

This pattern persisted with my mother accusing me of faking it and blaming my internal body heat (I regularly wear sweaters regardless of temperature) on my "sick" stomach.

Just after starting high school, the constant trauma to my digestive tract began to take its toll. I would occasionally have to spit up blood (I have blisters in my esophagus due to the allergic reactions which was discovered years earlier when I was projectile vomiting blood one day, but that's another story). I would constantly feel week, be extremely pale, and constantly need to sleep for long periods while my body recovered.

Went to a gastroenterologist, and I am indescribably greatful to that man. After a lot of tests and scopings, he came to the conclusion that my digestive tract was just covered in blisters constantly bleeding, making me sick, and costing a lot of energy to keep up repairs on the daily basis because I wasn't digesting most compounds in my food and instead just damaging the lining on various organs.

Mom was very supportive after that. I have so much gratitude for that man. He saved my life and make special trips to his clinic on his days off whenever I was having severe problems. He gave me his personal supply of diet replacement shake/powder because my insurance wouldnt pay for it. The man did everything in his power to keep me alive. I have never met a more selfless person in my life.

Racism. My step dad said he would kick me out if i were to ever date a “brown man”. Well i’m now happily living with my Mexican boyfriend and haven’t spoken to him in 10 years.