New year, new hurdles.

Happy 2015!

I think I probably qualify as worst blogger ever since my time here is few and far between, but I thought I would pop in today for a few updates.

• B is a middle schooler now!  How did that happen?  She goes to Outdoor Ed for 5 days next month and I am freaking out.  The camp has all sorts of things in place to ensure her safety but I'm an allergy mom so I guess there's no getting around the 'what if...?' scenarios.  I would love to hear how any of you out there have handled this.  I haven't sent her off to camp or anything so I am completely out of my comfort zone. No parents allowed - this is a first for me!!
• Last month we had a blood draw for a RAST and Component Testing.  Saw our allergist a few weeks ago.  More on that in a second.
• B finally feels ready to take part in the SAFAR trials, so I added us to the waiting list. Hopefully we'll get a chance to participate soon.  With the latest, incredible $24 million donation, the trials are very popular. It's definitely not an easy road, so it had to be her decision.  I'm glad she's brave enough to want to attempt it now. 
• Speaking of being brave, B's anxiety levels are really tapering off.  She panics way less now about food related activities and we find ourselves going out a bit more to dinner and she eats at friend's houses without much issue.  Sure, there are some times that we go places and she doesn't eat anything (and is no doubt starving) because it doesn't feel safe to her, but I'm proud of her for learning how to navigate the world within her comfort zone.  I know it sounds weird, but I was really proud of her when she told me that now she'll eat something before she goes out, just in case she can't find anything safe to eat at her destination.  It just shows her thinking about this now - planning for the unexpected and still going somewhere that might not offer a safe choice - does that make sense to you guys?
• I've been avoiding Facebook lately - does anyone else find it a HUGE time suck and anxiety causing, inferiority complex building, site from hell? All joking aside, I feel way less stressed now that I only go on occasionally (as in 3 times since the beginning of the year).  I am, however, on Instagram.  Follow me there if you'd like!
• This latest discovery isn't helping my mood.  

So, here's our news for the RAST, Component and Skin Testing.

B is still allergic so we wont be changing the way we do anything around here.  So there's that.

BUT...

Her negative RAST has now turned into a positive one (in the 'high' level) and her Component Testing showed her in the reactive range for ara h1 and ara h2 (see the chart on this page to see what that means).  Rats.  Throw in a nice big positive skin test and we stay in the land of the allergic.  So, when we saw the allergist, he strongly recommended the clinical trials at Stanford.

And I think that's about it.  I've been working, crafting (proof is on Instagram), decorating my new place, and still seeing the caddy.  Life's good.  Hope it's the same for you.

Stay safe out there.

xo G

More News from the AAAAI

Kids’ Food Allergies Damper Dining Out

Study Shows Children With Peanut Allergies Often Don’t Get Lifesaving Medication

March 17, 2008 (Philadelphia) -- Even though most parents alert restaurant staff if their children have food allergies, a sizable number of the kids still suffer allergic reactions when dining out, a new survey shows.

Adding insult to injury, a second study suggests that children who suffer peanut allergies often don't get lifesaving medication.

Both studies were presented here at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

Read More on the WebMD Site

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Eating out has definitely become more of a challenge for us, but we still do it. We just find places that we are comfortable with - many of them don't have peanuts on the menu at all, but some do.

Do you guys eat out a lot? What's your favorite place? How do you determine if a restaurant is safe for you?

We usually check out the restaurant ourselves before we take Bella or give the place a call (or email) and ask about the prevalence of nuts, frying oil, etc. And most places are more than happy to talk to you about it (if they aren't, DON'T GO!).

We have a great hamburger place nearby that is peanut free, and we go to places like Chili's. We go lots of places. Really the only places we avoid are Vietnamese and Thai places. We've been able to find safe places near us for all other nationalities of foods (yes, even Chinese Food!).

And I always keep my eyes open. For example, I just found a new restaurant to try: Phil's Fish Market in Moss Landing, CA via a parenting blog. It sounded great so I emailed the owner and asked him all about their menu and practices. He sent me a great response - so great that I feel comfortable trying it out with Bella.

Bottom line: It's not impossible.

And as for kids not having their Epi-Pens with them when they have an attack (the second part of the article) - I am baffled. I must have 12 of these floating around the house, a diaper bag, family members' homes. How can we get it into parents' heads that they need to keep these nearby at all times and NOT be afraid to use them? I'm sure it isn't fun to give your child an epi, but it's less fun to bury them.

What if we created a poster that we could post in every doctor's office around the country to remind parents to fill, keep nearby, and use an epi pen? This is so important!