For some reason food allergies seem to be a part of the Ashkenazi DNA. I was born with an allergy to all dairy products which means I will have an anaphylactic reaction to any dairy. Pills do not work and I carry my EpiPen. I was born with this allergy; I live a milkless life and always have.
Since many first dates involve food, the “dairy allergy” conversation has become a staple of my dating repertoire. On my first date with a potential last week, I gave the waitress the same shpeel I have been giving since I was able to talk ("I am allergic to all dairy, so please make sure this is not cooked in butter or has cream in it). Yes, I am difficult patron at restaurants but usually the chef is able to change some ingredients to accommodate my allergy. So the date with “Jake” is going well. He is smart, funny and interesting. After finishing our meal we go to a Jazz bar and I order a Key Lime Martini, never before an allergy hazard. Two sips into the drink, my throat and lips get very itchy. One look at the menu offers an immediate explanation: the Key Lime martini has Whip Cream in it! I tell Jake that I have to go to the bathroom to scratch my throat. Jake is quite amused and tells me he wants to hear my throat noise, which resembles a cat hocking up a fur ball, so in the middle of the nice Jazz bar, I start to scratch my throat. Jake laughs so I laugh about the situation. I drink a lot of water and eventually the itchiness decreases. Jake found this cute and decided to go home and try it out himself.
Maybe he is a keeper since he actually found my loud, hairball hacking throat scratch cute. Look, if I had my choice, I don’t think that I would expose my allergy or reveal my hocking fur ball noise on a first date. But if I’m stuck with it, maybe it’s better to have him know right off the bat that I’m different, and maybe it’s better for me to know that he’ll take me for it, for better or for worse.
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