Is there any particular recipe that your mom made once a month? Could it have been an allergy of some sort? Some people are allergic to certain spices. See
https://www.nyallergy.com/spice-allergy/#:~:text=Spice%20allergies%20occur%20in%20up,to%20cause%20an%20allergic%20reaction.
If a spice like tumeric caused your reaction, it may have just stopped in college because your college dining hall didn't use it.