Tips and Tricks
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Safety first!
When you get to the reintroduction phase, if you're anything like me anyway, you will be super excited and maybe even a little anxious to just get it over with already but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be safe and plan ahead in case there is an issue.
My recommendations are:
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Make sure there is someone else there. As with anything, having someone there to support you is key with all aspects of life and this is no different. At the minimum, they will be there to congratulate you for a success. Alternately, if there is a mild reaction, they will be a "shoulder to cry on".. either literally or figuratively. Worst case, if it's more severe, you may have to go to the hospital or urgent care and you will have someone to take you.
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Do NOT introduce a new category late at night or on a holiday as there is typically short staff at hospital or urgent care during these times and wait times would likely be longer, delaying relief.
Mindset : Focus on the adds instead of the subtractions
When first setting out on this journey, I started getting a bit depressed. I kept focusing​ on all my favorite things that I was not going to be able to have. Then one day it clicked that I should look at it as an opportunity to try things I have not had before. I then looked into different fruits, vegetables, grains, recipes, etc I hadn't tried before and that is when it started to feel like a new experience instead of a dread.
Planning is your friend
As you have probably noticed, this elimination diet takes a bit of planning ahead. You have to find recipes, and read all the labels for any hidden ingredients. This is especially tricky when eating when others do any of the cooking/prep.
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I'd recommend prepping ingredients, especially snacks in advance to make things less overwhelming when it comes time to cook. If you're starving you can reach for a snack to tide you over until you can make a full meal. Maybe take an hour on the weekend or whenever your free time is and chop veggies, cook up rice or chicken, or even prep a full meal in a baking dish to just have to throw in the oven day of.
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When eating out at someone else's place or a party, I would either eat ahead of time or bring snacks to tide you over. That way you can ensure there is no cross contamination.
UPDATE: Caution with wine
Thought the below is true, with further research I found that it is a sugar from the shell of crustacea. As allergies are only in play with proteins, this SHOULD NOT be a trigger for EoE. I both confirmed with my allergist as well as tested a known Chitosan containing wine on myself and despite a shrimp allergy, was able to drink it without issue.
If you are a wine drinker, like I am, you may be surprised to learn that SOME wines contain a crustacean bi-product called chitosan. I only found out about this a few months ago when I, myself, was making a wine kit and as I was pouring the stabilizing agent in I noticed the package said "Contains: Crustacean and sulfites". According to my research, it is becoming more popular as it's sustainable and environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, it is not disclosed on the bottles and you would have to literally call the wine making company and confirm with them to know if they use it or not. You can read more about it HERE.