Sloane Miller - Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well with Food Allergies

Contents

Copyright 2011 by Allergic Girl Resources, Inc. All rights reserved

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Allergic Girl is a registered trademark of Allergic Girl Resources, Inc.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Miller, Sloane.

Allergic girl : adventures in living well with food allergies/Sloane Miller.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-470-63000-6 (cloth); ISBN 978-0-470-93084-7 (ebk.);

ISBN 978-0-470-93085-4 (ebk.); ISBN 978-0-470-93098-4 (ebk.)

1. Food allergyPopular works. I. Title.

RC596.M55 2011

616.97'5dc22

2010046366

foreword

by Julia E. Bradsher, PhD, MBA

Over the past ten years, as I have worked in the world of food allergies and anaphylaxis, I have encountered thousands of people who are living with and managing their own or their childs food allergies. Some of those I have met are truly living life to the fullest both in spite of and because of their food allergies. Sloane Miller, aka Allergic Girl, is one of those people. Sloane brings to this book expertise as an adult living with potentially life-threatening food allergies; as a social worker who works with adults, children, and families trying to manage their food allergies; as a true connoisseur of eating out in Manhattan; and, finally, as a gifted communicator. Wrapped around these areas of expertise, Sloane infuses this book with her joie de vivre.

As the CEO of FAAN, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, I have the opportunity to speak to a large number of groups and audiences about food allergies and the importance of properly managing them in a number of settings. One of my favorite types of groups to speak to about food allergies are restaurant owners. I had the chance to be on a panel with Sloane about food allergies and eating out, at the International Restaurant and Foodservice Show of New York. During the panel, I was able to experience, firsthand, Sloanes zeal for making eating out not only accessible but truly a pleasurable experience for people with potentially life-threatening food allergies. In addition, Sloane also provides important insight and guidance on empowering and supporting yourself; navigating relationships with family, friends, and lovers; and being a part of the world in which you live. Whether you are an adult with a food allergy or a parent of an emerging adult, this book is a fantastic resource.

In addition, the book is fun and engaging to read. Sloane intersperses her insightful personal stories and the stories from others to illustrate the points she makes about managing and living with food allergies. She provides practical information in a style that makes you feel like you are sitting right there with her in a conversation.

There is an increase in the number of people with food allergies, and there is also a growing awareness of food allergies and their seriousness. For some, you are learning for the first time that your child has a potentially life-threatening food allergy. For others, you are an adult who has been living with food allergies your entire life, or you are an adult who has just learned that you have an adult onset food allergy. Regardless of your situation, Sloane Miller has written a book that is both practical and personal in providing you with insight, knowledge, and firsthand recommendations for how to navigate the world of food allergies. I hope you will use this book as a resource as you, too, live your life to the fullest.

Julia E. Bradsher, PhD, MBA, is the chief executive officer of FAAN, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network in Fairfax, VA.

a note to the reader

Many passages in this book are based on my memory. To the best of my ability, I confirmed these memories with outside sources. When there has been a consolidation of conversations, time or events, places or peoples names, it was to protect the privacy of family, friends, and coaching clients. As for medical details, to the best of my knowledge they are accurate at the time of this writing. Consult with your personal physician and/or allergist as to the best course of action for you.

acknowledgments

My agent, Stphanie Abou, has been the dearest friend, confidant, champion, hand holder, fashion consultant, and literary agent supreme since our first lunch back in 2004. Words cannot express my gratitude for her dedication to me and this project and my deep appreciation for her friendship. Editor and fellow allergic girl Christel Winkler saw the need for a book about the food-allergic community and snapped this up from the start. She is my inspiration to travel more and be an even better allergic girl. Thank you to the production, design, marketing, publicity, and sales teams at John Wiley & Sons for their hard work and endless enthusiasm in making this book a beautiful reality. Thank you to Lisa Burstiner, production editor extraordinaire, for shepherdessing me through the thorny copy-editing brambles.