There is one significant problem in my wife's life related to two facts. Fact one - she loves cats. Fact two - she's allergic to cats. So we have a house like Noah's Ark, starting with two dogs - but my wife's allergies made it impossible for any kitties to stay with us.
The user u/Aware-Lifeguard3500, the author of our today's story, was less fortunate - they're allergic to wheat. They were also unlucky enough to quarrel with their husband over his long-time friend, who has food allergies to many products, which precisely make up a significant part of the author’s diet. Interested? Then let's read on!
More info: Reddit
The author of the post and their husband recently moved to a city where the husband's bosom friend lives
Image credits: Mehran B (not the actual photo)
Turns out this guy is allergic to nuts, soy and legumes so the husband demanded to avoid these foods in their house from now on
Image credits: Aware-Lifeguard3500
However, the author is allergic to wheat themselves so these products are a significant part of their own diet
Image credits: Timur Weber (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Aware-Lifeguard3500
So family drama ensued as the spouses disagreed on whether they should throw all these foods out or not
So, the Original Poster (OP), as I have already told, is allergic to wheat, so they have to replace these products with others. For example, soybeans, legumes and various nuts. However, there are also products containing wheat in the house - after all, their husband eats them with pleasure.
And so, one fine day the couple moved to the city where “Steve”, a childhood friend of the OP’s spouse, lives. Now try to guess the three product categories in one attempt that Steve is allergic to! Soy? Exactly! Nuts? Bingo! Legumes! Bravo! Three out of three!
I don’t know exactly what happened to Steve as a child - perhaps he experienced anaphylactic shock, and the author’s future husband witnessed this. But a fact is a fact - the husband suggested to introduce a new rule - no allergens in the house in case Steve comes over.
The OP was rightfully indignant. At a minimum, because no one thought to remove all the wheat from the house, in spite of their allergy. At a maximum, because if they followed the new rule, they would have to significantly change their diet. Well, besides, as the author claims, Steve’s allergies are not that special.
At least the man works in food service and frequently handles nuts. And he never even carries an EpiPen. The original poster suggested a kind of compromise - putting all allergens in an airtight containers when Steve comes over, but the husband didn't agree with this either.
Then the OP stated that after all, this is their house, not Steve's. But the husband was so frightened by the possibility that his friend might have an allergic reaction that he adamantly insisted on his “rule.” As a result, the couple quarreled, and the original poster decided to seek support online.
Image credits: Polina Zimmerman (not the actual photo)
“Here we need some clarification - what type of allergy this person actually has,” says Iryna Stasiuk, an expert in syndromic therapy from Odesa, Ukraine, whom Bored Panda asked for a comment here. “If his allergy goes from the contact of allergens with the mucous membranes (for example, like it happens with allergy to pollen) - this is one thing, but if only through food, when the allergen enters the blood, this is completely different.”
“In the first case, accidental contact with allergens is, of course, more likely and more dangerous. However, if you remove hazardous products in sealed containers in advance, then no problems should arise.”
“By the way, if the author says that their husband’s friend at work deals with nuts and it doesn't cause any allergic reaction, then most likely the type of allergy is purely food. Then everything is even simpler. I think the spouses should just talk about this topic with an expert and clarify everything," Iryna presumes.
Commenters also believe that since Steve doesn't feel the need to take excessive precautions regarding his allergies, both in everyday life and at work, then the couple shouldn't be 'more Catholic than the Pope.' "He's working around the things he's allergic to and doesn't carry an EpiPen for emergencies, so there's no need to do anything other than exclude the allergens from any dishes you share with Steve," one of the commenters wrote.
Also, according to people in the comments, this is the original poster's home, and they should have some say in decisions about allergens in the house. "Beginning and end of this, as far as I'm concerned," another person concluded. And what do you, our dear readers, think about this? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
People in the comments, however, claimed that the author shouldn't give up their own diet in their own house, and praised them for standing their ground
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Image credits: shattha pilabut (not the actual photo)
