It's NOT okay to joke about my death by my food allergies

WARNING: this topic may be sensitive to some readers

A few weeks ago someone explained to me how they would kill me by using my allergens against me. It was a more detailed plan than average, and for the first time in a long time I wasn't convinced that it was a complete joke.

My death by my food allergies comes up a lot as jokes from others and I tend to laugh it off with the people who make the jokes. Usually the person doesn't mean anything by it and is just trying to be "creative" or "funny" and just I rather not make a big deal out of it. Even when it's hurtful I try to let it go and move on.

Then again I can't think of anyone who finds a way to plan or explain in a joke about how they will kill someone else without food allergies. Or anyone that would make a joke about someone with a different disability. It's like those of us with food allergies have a mark that tells people it's okay to make jokes about our food allergies and our death.

Sometimes I wonder if it's because food allergies tend to be the easiest thing that can be used against a person with food allergies. Or if it's because others find food allergies to be annoying or if it's just a lack of understanding. Or if some of these people actually want me to get hurt or even die.

Death is something that as a person with food allergies I have had to come to terms with as eating the wrong thing could result in the end of my life. This is always a thought in the back of my mind as I double check labels and say no thank you when people offer me food I can't accept. I don't want to die by an allergic reaction.

It's the fact that other people have considered my death by my food allergies and decided it was okay to joke about it, is something that I don't think is okay. And yes I've laughed along before and just let it go, but this time around what this person said to me really stung. And maybe that's what they wanted.

And that's really sad.

As a person with food allergies I'm not trying to be annoying or rude or a hassle. I will not apologize for the fact that I need accommodations when eating in order to continue to live my life. And I will no longer let jokes about my death by my food allergies be okay.