An American in Paris- My Launching Point

While living in Paris I, inevitably, had an anaphylactic reaction. It was the beginning of the first semester and what better way to bond with new classmates then over dinner? We decided to try out a well-rated Indian restaurant. I had never tried or perhaps even seen Indian food before, but after a glance at the menu I noticed that cashews were a predominate ingredient; this was a slight problem: I am severely allergic to cashews. So considering I could be placed in the “aggressive” category for diners with food allergies, I decided it would be okay to order a dish and just simply ask for them to leave the nuts out. After all, that’s common practice in the US. In my best French possible, I clearly explained my food allergy to the waiter using phrases like Je mourrai... (I will die...). Our food arrived and no visible traces of nuts were present. Nonetheless, one bite later that ever frightening feeling of the burning, numbing, itching throat came on. Then came that thought of “damn.... what a great way to get to know these people”. After using the epi-pen in the bathroom and taking a few Pepcid AC, a daring and generous friend took me home-- making a few pit-stops along the way for me to use the metro’s garbage cans for my gastrointestinal distress. Semi-recovered the next morning, I came to find out that the remaining diners had explained the situation to the server, yet he made them still pay for my contaminated meal. Oh, the French. Then I realized I needed to get another epi-pen. This is where the extreme cultural differences regarding food allergies became apparent. Both the pharmacists working at the time had never seen an epi-pen before, nor did they have anything relatively similar to one. I even gave them my used one for reference, and a day later, still nothing. I ended up with a vile of epinephrine, which was to remain refrigerated, and a syringe; so if I were to need it, I would have to draw the epinephrine with the syringe and give myself the shot. Suffice it to say that I did not eat out until I had a new epi-pen sent to me from home.

So why is it then that the French have no equivalent to an epi-pen? And why do so many French hardly know about food allergies? How did the prevalence of food allergies in America versus other countries in the world come about? What are our different cultural attitudes regarding food allergies? This experience and these questions have led me to where I am today.