Peanut Allergy: Need some help? It's HERE!

Hi Guys!

I wanted to tell you about a new chapter I'm starting in my life.  I'm adding a new feature to this site - coaching!  I've already gotten my PAC/ELL training certification and I'm working towards my Life Coach certification this year.

Am I quitting my day job?  Nope.  So why the coaching?  Well, more and more, I have been getting emails from parents who need my help.  Creating an action plan for parents new to food allergy was the logical next step in my mission to help those struggling as much as I did when B was first diagnosed.

My goal is to help families new to food allergies cope with the avalanche of information, questions, and anxieties that inevitably go along with being 'food allergy' parent.  I'll help you navigate the changes that need to take place in your lives and how to deal with things like school, babysitters, special events, and those 'well meaning' family members who offer lots of advice.   At the end of this program you'll feel more empowered to manage those food allergies (and not let them manage you)!

Sessions will be in-person and/or over the phone/Skype and will include informational packets to guide you each step of the way to becoming a strong food allergy mama/papa.

Does that sound like something YOU need?

This program is in the beginning stages and I'd love to have a few 'beta' testers.  If you are interested in complimentary coaching sessions, please email me at gabrielle@peanutfreemama.com.


UPDATE:  All my beta testing slots are filled, but I'd still love to help you with (reasonably priced) coaching sessions.  Email me at gabrielle@peanutfreemama.com for more information.

February 2012 Living with Food Allergies Carnival!

Welcome to the February 23, 2012 edition of living with food allergies carnival.  I'm so honored to be hosting this month - wait until you see all of the great content submitted this month!

Thanks to everyone who submitted - what an incredible resource for the food allergy community!

• Eric AiXeLsyD recommended quite a few articles this month (both his own and other sites - thanks Eric!):
• ERiC AiXeLsyD presents The AllergyEats Blog » Blog Archive » Zero8 Resto-Bar, free of ALL “Big 8″ allergens… and then some! posted at The AllergyEats Blog - Best of the Blogosphere, saying, "Article about a visit to Zero8 resto-bar from Paul at Allergy Eats. I may plan a road trip to Montreal just to check this place out! They have a menu free of the top 8 allergens!"
  
• ERiC AiXeLsyD presents My Food Allergy Responses Graph posted at World (and Lunar) Domination, saying, "This is what happens when you tell people you have a food allergy..."
  
• ERiC AiXeLsyD presents The Science of Anaphylaxis: An Allergic Storm posted at The Allergist Mom, saying, "Great article by The Allergist Mom. Knowledge is power & all that. Might be scary for some. It’s very informative!"
  
• ERiC AiXeLsyD presents School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act posted at Please Don't Pass The Nuts™, saying, "Get on this. FAAN has more information on how to contact your local representative about these two bills that could save a child’s life. Act now."
  
• ERiC AiXeLsyD presents Blah Blah Food Allergy Blah Blah - Cartoon posted at Food Allergy Fun, saying, "Sad, but true."
  
• ERiC AiXeLsyD presents No More Dead Children posted at The Allergic Kid, saying, "Couldn’t agree more."
  
• ERiC AiXeLsyD presents We Have Come Too Far To Forget, Separate Is Not Equalposted at Advocate by Fate, saying, "It’s got a great message. Obviously the first thing it brings to mind is racism, but it can now be applied to any group facing discrimination."
  
• ERiC AiXeLsyD presents Top 10 Misconceptions About Food Allergies | It's an Itchy Little World posted at It's an Itchy Little World, saying, ""The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.The truth is that so many kids have food allergies now, that almost every school is bound to have this issue come up. Children with food allergies already have so many limitations on their lives, it would be so great if we could increase awareness and perhaps some schools, restaurants, airlines, hotels, etc… would start putting in policies that would help include us. Most of all, I would really like to tell the word about the below, which I believe to be the top 10 myths about food allergies.""
•  ERiC AiXeLsyD presents Sheetz “gets it” with my aversion to deathfish. ☺ | World (and Lunar) Domination posted at World (and Lunar) Domination, saying, "I hate Lent. So, did you see my email to Sheetz about having Deathfish now? I hate Lent. They wrote back. I still hate Lent. I do still like Sheetz though. Lent sucks."

• Colette Martin presents Fun with Chia Seeds – Making Chia Seed Gel posted at Learning to Eat Allergy Free - Multiple Food Allergies, saying, "Chia seeds make a great alternative to flax seeds as an egg replacer. Learn how to make chia seed gel here."
  
• Michelle F presents Tomato-Free Ketchup (No Tomato, Low-Amine, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan) « Low Amine Recipes posted at Low Amine Recipes.
• Dorothy presents Food Allergies Still Stink. posted at Life With Boys.
• Lisa @ Allergy Free Vintage Cookery presents Tips For Managing The Stress That Comes With Food Allergies posted at Allergy-Free Vintage Cookery, saying, "Ten ways to keep food allergies from taking over your life and robbing you of your sanity."
• Tina Marconi presents 10 Ways to Keep Your Baby Away from Sickies | Babysitters posted at Babysitters, saying, "With all the new strains of germs and viruses going around, no mother wants to subject her child to exposure. Although it’s pretty near impossible to completely avoid illness or the bugs that cause it, there are some things you can do."
• DavidQ presents Save Money By Making Your Own Granola posted at Start Talking Cents.
• Tiffany Ferreira www.foodallergyfun.com (@iknowtiffany) sent links to a few of her cartoons:
• http://www.foodallergyfun.blogspot.com/2012/02/organic-food-allergy-cartoon.html
• http://foodallergyfun.blogspot.com/2012/01/blah-blah-food-allergy-blah-blah.html
• http://foodallergyfun.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-do-you-eat-food-allergy-cartoon.html
• Scott Gavura presents IgG Food Intolerance Tests: What does the science say? posted at Science-Based Medicine, saying, "Looks at evidence surrounding IgG allergy/food intolerance tests, cites medical opinion from around the world."
• Food Allergy Assistant presents Food Allergies and a Leap of Faith posted at Food Allergy Assistant, saying, "Comments about GM's introduction of peanut butter Cheerios has this blogger reflecting on a decade long journey."
• Stacy Molter presents Food Allergies: Managing Your Child's Nutrition and Growth posted at Stacy Molter.
  
• Lyndsay Hommé presents Banana, Sunbutter & Chocolate Cupcakes posted at Milk Free Mom.
  
• Tony Howarth presents Anaphylaxis, what is it and what to do about it posted at Safety un-Limited, saying, "An overview of the Basic First Aid re: Anaphylactic reactions - from a Red Cross Trainer"
  
• Food Allergy Buzz www.foodallergybuzz.com presents with the title What's the Deal with Oreos? (Peanut and nut allergies and Oreos, part 2) saying, "When I check Food Allergy Buzz's stats, I always see visitors coming in search of peanut and nut allergy information for Oreos. Hope this post helps!"

  
  

  Thanks again for all of the excellent submissions!  See you next month!

Peanut Allergy: This one's crunchy (and I ain't talking peanut butter).

i've been wanting to write this post for a while, but it's been difficult.

i'll just say it.

my husband and i have separated.  i moved out into my own place recently.  it's been difficult (or as I like to say, crunchy), mostly for little B, but we're settling in.

i thank my lucky stars that B's dad and i are on the same page about keeping her safe.  knowing i don't have to worry about her when she's at his place comforts me to no end.

if you're my friend on facebook, don't get all blabby about it, cuz a bunch of family still don't know.

but you guys?  you trump family any day - the support i get from you is phenomenal!

now that i've got extra time on my hands i'm hoping to get more posts up.  i've got a few great books to review and some great new food products to talk about as well.

everything happens for a reason - i'm scared as heck about the future, but at the same time, more excited than i've been in a long time.

oh poor bloggie...

I've been pretty absent around these parts, and for that, I'm sorry.  I have lots to tell you.  Instead of a long winded post, I will give you bullet points:

• I'm not eating meat any more.  It's working out great!  It's been an excellent excuse to eat more protein in the form of crunchy Barney Butter.
• B's skin test came back worse than last year. Worse, in fact, than almost any other year.  Bigger and wider and even more itchier than ever.  My heart broke into a million pieces in the allergist's office.  Even though he is still optimistic about her outgrowing her allergy, I am resigning myself to the fact that she's probably not.  
• I devoured Sloane's new book over the course of an evening.  I didn't want it to end.  This is a book that belongs in every girls' hope chest.  It gave me an incredible amount of hope for my daughter and her journey through life with her allergy. Look for a review here soon (I promise, Sloane!)
• I'm going to the FAAN Conference in June in Anaheim.  Will you be there?
• I created a Facebook page for Peanut Free Mama - come and like me wontcha'?

I promise that I will have more content soon. I've wanted to hide under the covers when it comes to peanut allergy and all that comes along with it since B's last allergist visit. 

But now I'm ready to come out.

I hope you'll still have me.

Peanut Allergy: Accindental Exposure, Part 1.

So I promised you an accidental exposure story - woo hoo!

I was chatting with the mom of B's pal, C.  She was telling me about a super scary incident at a local pizza place.  It was one of those places where there's a place to eat and then a place to play video and arcade games (not like Chuck-e-Cheese - much smaller).

Anyhoo, there were tons of kids in the place this night and her two kids were there.  Her daughter C asked for a couple of quarters to get some candy out of the machines.  So she gets a few different kinds and has them in her hands.  Another little girl that she doesn't know comes up and asks for some of the candy.  And of course - C GIVES IT TO HER.

You see where this is going, right?

Yup.

The little girl is peanut allergic.  And she reacts.  Badly.

The little girl's mom is trying to assess what happened, and is asking little C what exactly she gave her daughter.  And C, poor little sweet C who wouldn't hurt a fly, is shell shocked.  She can't remember (can you blame her?) and thinks she's killed this girl.

Fortunately the mom had epinephrine and was able to halt the reaction.

My heart hurt for the little girl, and C, but especially the mom of the little girl.  She probably thought "We've eaten, we're home free, she's safe to run around and play".  And boy, was she wrong.

And this scenario could have happened to any of us. 

The moral of the story:  Hammer into your kid's brain that they are NEVER to take food from anyone unless you approve it, ESPECIALLY from strangers!

Peanut Allergy: Outgrowing It

A funny thing happened at B's annual checkup yesterday.

Her pediatrician was going through her health history and mentioned "Oh and you have the peanut allergy.  B, you know you're probably not going to outgrow that?"

So I said, "It's not out of the realm of possibility.  She has a negative RAST and her allergist has offered a food challenge."

She looked shocked.

Now, I've read all sorts of stories about kids outgrowing their allergies, or passing a challenge only to redevelop the allergy, or kids with stats like B's failing the office challenge.  That's life with a peanut allergy.

And I know the likelihood of B outgrowing her allergy is slim.  But the likelihood of a treatment to ease accidental exposure isn't.

But why dash her hopes like that?

Hope is something that keeps me going (selfish, I know) - hope helps ease the fears of what she might face down this long road.

But I want to know how you feel about it - are you resigned that your child will never outgrow this?

Or are you hopeful, like me?

The Allergy March: Click Through to this...

My friend Janeen wrote a really interesting post on her site Our Story: The Good, The Bad, and The Food Allergies.  If you don't read her site already, you should.  She's smart, funny and just an all-around good person who's got a son with multiple food allergies.  She handles it all with so much grace - I really wish she lived close to me so we could hang out together!

Her post, "Allergy March:  Is Your Body Trying to Tell You Something?" hit home for me on MANY levels.

 I'm thinking it will hit home for a few of you out there too.

What are you waiting for?  Go!

Peanut Allergy Fear #2,986: Drop Off Birthday Parties

In the last 24 hours, B has gotten not one, but TWO birthday party invitations.

Great, huh?

The only bummer is that they are both drop off optional. One of them is in San Francisco at the Exploratorium - there's no way she's going to that alone for a variety of reasons.

Not sure about the other one that's local. It's at an arcade.

My gut is telling me to insist that I come or she can't attend. But I also know that eventually I need to let go.

But B is only 5! A baby I tell you!

Do I drive her there and sit outside the venue, just in case? Will I have 'crazy' written all over me??

What should I do??? What do you guys do???

Happy New Year, Peanut Allergy Peeps!

Another year has passed and we've gotten more and more used to living the peanut free life. It's just, dare I say, the norm for us.

As I mentioned before, B goes back to the allergist next month for another skin test (and possibly a food challenge - not holding my breath though). B is adamant that she doesn't want one. She's ok the way things are.

I keep pushing - 'but don't you WANT to try peanut butter??'. 'Nope,' says she.

I want her to. I need to keep reminding myself that it's not about ME though. Gah.

Oh, and the biggie? B is eating almonds now (safe ones with no cross contamination issues). She LOVES them. That's why her not wanting to eat peanuts just drives me - dare I say it? - nuts! Next up: pecans from a farm in Georgia who assures me that their equipment "has never, ever seen a peanut!". I'll keep you posted.

By the way, the prime rib we had on Christmas Eve? Fabulous! I'll be making that again for another Christmas definitely. And all of the Christmas scurrying around was worth it - sort of. I still wish we could get away with escaping to Maui, just the three of us one Christmas. Sometimes family and all the associated obligations of the holidays are just way too much for me!

All in all, it's been a strange year. Good at times, bad at times. Sad at times.

I turned 40 - and it really sucked. I'm nowhere near where I thought I would be at this age (but still pretty close I guess) and it's becoming more and more apparent that unless a miracle happens, B will be an only child. I know, I know, it's not the end of the world, but there's a HUGE difference between not WANTING another child and not being able to have another child. I guess it wasn't in the cards for us, which sucks! And it really doesn't help when people keep reminding me that she's an only child.

So 2010, bring it. Whatever you want to throw at me, I can take it.

And I hope you ALL have a safe and happy new year and that you reach out to me whenever you feel the need in 2010. I love hearing from you all - it makes me realize that we're all in this together. The support I get from you guys is powerful and I appreciate it!!! Remember I'm on twitter and on facebook, so follow and friend away :)

Big love and kisses (MWAH!) to you all!

p.s. B and I were at the animal shelter this afternoon and we fell in love with this little boy. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to convince Mark that he needs to come home to live with us, but no doubt I'll have to bring out the big guns.
Wish us luck.

New Epi Pen Shape/Size/Features - Peanut Allergy Sufferers Take Notice!

I thought most people had heard about this, but just in case you haven't...

Dey Pharmaceuticals (makers of the EpiPen) have changed the design of the Epi-Pens!

Here's a link to a PDF that explains everything that's new about the pens.

But what you might not realize? The new size might just make your carrier obsolete (i.e. they wont fit!).

My good bloggy friend Denine (she's so great - I love knowing her!!) was kind enough to take a photo of both the old and new Epi on her Facebook account (hope you don't mind D!). See for yourself the difference in size.

We're not due to refill our Rx for a while. But I know that with the new pen will come another training for anyone who is around B.

Have you gotten the new Epi-pen yet?

Labels: How Far Do You Go?

I try not to single out B with too much peanut free paraphernalia.

She has a medic alert bracelet (or if she isn't wearing that, she's got a shoe tag and a dog tag necklace), a button on her backpack, and that's about it.

I have a few cute shirts that say things like "Some Bunny Doesn't Eat Peanuts", but not much else.

I don't label her jacket. I don't have a bright colored lunch box for her that says "NO Peanuts!".

I'm not criticizing other parents for doing this. I'm actually wondering if I'm doing her a disservice by being quiet about it. But I also don't want to single her out to bullying by going overboard.

How are you all finding a balance with this? What's working for you?

How much is too much? Too little?

Thanksgiving Oops #1 to watch out for....

Imagine this greeting you at the table when you're allergic to tree nuts?

It's a super crafty idea from the folks at Pottery Barn, don't get me wrong (although I wonder what you're supposed to do with the nuts and place cards when you want a glass of wine?), but what a big oops! It greeted me this week when my PB catalog came in the mail. It's funny what you notice first when you are sensitive to these things, huh?

I don't mean to harp on PB, but it just goes to show that during the holidays you need to be prepared for anything.

Including leaves in your glass (I sure hope they cleaned those first).

Can you go vegetarian when you've got peanut/nut allergies?

I'm what you might call a vegan voyeur (boy am I asking for trouble from Google searches with that phrase). What I mean is that my Google Reader is filled with the feeds of countless vegan and vegetarian bloggers. I love reading about tasty vegan and vegetarian meals (and I even like reading the rants of hardcore vegan, non breeders - they are so in your face!).

But with a peanut allergy in our house, I never really thought that going vegetarian was an option for us. B isn't allergic to soy, so we can definitely have that, which is great, but a suggested protein in vegetarian diets is often nuts (like peanut or almond butter) or a main ingredient in dishes (like this delicious looking dairy free pasta - cashews make up a part of the sauce). At this point I would say that 60% of our meals are vegetarian. After reading the recent article about ground beef contamination in the New York Times, I can't even bring myself to eat red meat, much less feed it to my daughter. So we are leaning more and more towards eliminating meat from our diet. Could we eliminate it completely from our diets? Possibly. But honestly, I thought it would be too difficult and that a chicken wing would have to make an appearance now and then.

But then Kathy from Healthy.Happy.Life waltzed in to my reader today with this:

Ask Kathy: Can I go 'Veg' with my food allergies?

Kathy gives some great, realistic ideas for dishes you can make, and given that we only have the peanut/nut allergy to deal with, we can add her suggestions to all the soy/egg options as well.

Take a look and let me know what you think - it was great to see this issue addressed without having someone say "you can't eat peanut butter? eat almond butter instead!". I HATE seeing that - folks just don't realize that most peanut allergic folks are told to avoid all nuts due to cross contamination issues. Gah.

So thank you Kathy for the great advice!!!

Peanut Allergy: Is it Possible to Have a MILD Peanut Allergy?

Twice in the last week, someone I've come in contact at school with has brought up the concept of having a 'mild' peanut allergy. Is there such a thing?

Case 1:
We have this thing in B's class where parents bring in a snack that corresponds to a letter - so someone will bring blueberries for 'b' day, apples for 'a' day, you get the picture. So it's c day and I find out what the snack is (hoping for canteloupe). It's corn muffins - rats. So I ask if the parent has brought in a label or ingredient list. B's teacher says 'B should be able to have them - X's mom made them and he has a peanut allergy too. But his is mild, unlike B's'. I was about to give her a speech about how there are no mild nut allergies, but I shut my trap. (I've come to find out that this boy doesn't have an epi or any meds in class either - avoids peanuts, but still has mixed nuts, Planter's I suspect, in his lunch on a regular basis. yikes. That's fodder for a whole other post though.) Did I let her have the muffin? Nope. She got a treat from her treat bag.

Case 2:
B had another substitute teacher. Her first sub had a daughter with a peanut allergy (such a relief!). Today's sub was fine when I told her about B. She mentioned that her daughter is allergic to bees and is well versed in the epi (another relief!). She asked me the level of B's allergy. Was it mild? This time I did explain that there is no mild allergy, at least in my opinion. But I showed her where B's epi was in class and she was prepared. No snack today (kids bring their own most days) so I stressed to her that there shouldn't be an issue and just stressed the meds were there just in case (that's when I discovered the kid from case 1 didn't have meds in class).

So my stance is that there are no Mild Peanut Allergies. That being said, REACTIONS can be classified as mild, but a peanut allergy itself? I wouldn't go there. You can have a mild seasonal allergy but with a nut allergy, all bets are off. I haven't done a tremendous amount of research on the subject, so I can't send you to the scientific literature on pubmed, but I can say without a doubt that you can have mild reactions for years and then experience anaphylaxis, and death due to peanut ingestion. I'm just a few degrees of separation from someone who learned it the hard way.

And that's not a chance I want to take (I know - I'm so boring). So to whom it may concern: B has a severe allergy. Until that skin test and food challenge comes back negative, let's keep it that way.

In my personal opinion, people who treat their nut allergy as mild are playing with fire. What do you guys think? Has your allergist described your (or your child's) allergy to nuts as mild? Ours errs on the side of severe, no matter what the numbers say.

Momversation: Have Food Allergies Gotten Out of Control?

Are you familiar with Momversation?

Basically a handful of bloggers get in front of their webcams and talk about a specific topic, hopefully giving a variety of points of view about a certain topic (can you see foreshadowing here?) usually things like whether or not you should circumcise, but in this case they tackle schools and food/peanut allergies.

Here's the video:


This video bothered me for a variety of reasons, but mainly because it was just a bunch of bloggers who know jack squat about food allergies going on and on about how "food allergies didn't exist when I was a kid!". Yawn. They didn't have a fair and balanced panel of people to discuss this topic which is affecting all schools today. It would have been a great opportunity to raise some awareness. Just as I would expect them to have a mom with a diabetic child if they were discussing juvenile diabetes.

You can see my response in the comments calling them on this (my name is missusp). What do you guys think?

p.s. I really do think it's terrible the way one of the blogger's daughters was treated because she accidentally brought peanut butter to school. what would have been a better way to handle that?

Cloudy with a Chance of Peanut Allergy

I was sold on this movie months ago when B and I saw the trailer together.

Then I read this and found out the main character has a peanut allergy, inspired no less by Bill Hader's real life allergy to nuts.

We're so there.

UPDATE: I contacted the review from the Seattle Times. He said that, indeed, there WAS a reaction scene in the movie. In his words: "Yes, there is one particularly scary scene depicting the character's reactions, but that threat helps to make the positive ending possible." Now I'm rethinking things a bit....

IMAGE COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES ANIMAT.

Staying Reaction Free in the Classroom with a Peanut Allergy: Questions to Ask

Here's a (partial) list of questions I asked B's teacher and principal when I met with them a few days before school started. I say partial because I know that I am prone to asking four billion questions when put in a situation like this. It's not necessarily in order, just the order on the chicken scratched paper sitting in front of me. Also, I wont go into their answers because, frankly, it will take too long. Suffice it to say I got positive answers to basically everything I asked and/or requested.

I'll try to add to the list as I remember more things that I asked.

Here goes:

1. Have you ever had an allergic child in your classroom? If so, how did you keep them reaction free (notice that I didn't say "safe" - I find people get defensive when you imply they might not be safe with them) in class?
2. Ideally I'd like an epi kit (my definition of kit is an epi pen, benadryl single dose, her photo, and doctor's note) in the office as well as any room/location B will be. These need to be in accesible, NOT LOCKED locations.
   
3. How many places will B be? Note: B has PE, recess, lunch, snacks, and art class outside of her official classroom. So we've got epikits in the office, her class, the room where art class is, a kit for the lunch/recess monitor and one for the PE teacher to carry (it's stored in the class and she picks it up when she picks up the kids).
4. Where are snacks eaten? Where is lunch eaten? Is there an allergy table? Or do you create a barrier around my child of kids who aren't eating peanut butter?
5. How often do the kids wash their hands?
6. Are faces wiped after snack/lunch if the child is dirty/has obvious residue?
7. Can I provide wipes for the above?
8. Who provides snacks?
   
9. Is the hot lunch option allergy aware? How can I contact them? Note: I have really no intention of letting her eat hot lunch, but I checked and was happy to see that no peanut products are sold in the hot lunch program.
   
10. How do you handle birthdays? Can you ask parents to just be aware that there's an allergy and to let us know if there will be nuts in the treat?
    
11. Can I provide you with a safe treat bag to keep in the classroom for cases where unannounced treats come in?
12. Do you reward with candy? If so, can you come up with a non candy alternative?
13. How will other teachers/staff that come in contact know who B is?
14. What happens when there is a substitute teacher? Can I provide you with a printout/photo to help the sub know that she should be aware of B's allergy?
15. Have you ever been trained on an epi trainer? If not, can I train you now? (note: I did it right there!)
16. Do you know the signs of anaphylaxis?
17. If an emergency happens, what is your plan of action? Specifically, is 911 called from the classroom, or is a call made to the office who then calls ambulance.
    
18. Will you follow an allergy plan written by her allergist (e.g. will they give benadryl or only epi pen)?
    
19. Are there other children with allergies in her grade?
20. Will parent volunteers be made aware of her allergy?
21. How are field trips handled? Can I be a permanent chaperone? (note: they said i could!). I mentioned that for instance, if we were going to a farm, many times the feed has nuts in it. I think they'd rather have me there than have to stress about it, and I don't mind that a bit.
    
22. Can you give me an idea of the types of projects you have that might involve food? Can you give me a heads up so I can provide safe ingredients or alternatives? I gave them an example that gummi worms many times have a peanut/nut warning and that I could find a safe brand to use that wouldn't affect the project at all. They were surprised to hear that and were happy that I offered a solution.
    
23. Do you have class pets? What kind of foods do you feed them? Turns out they have frogs that eat crickets. No chance of B ingesting those :)
    

I think that was the majority of the questions I asked. Each question started a really good, open dialog with her teacher and principal. I felt really happy about it. Of course, we'll see if everything is followed (so far so good), but they weren't at all defensive. Going in to the meeting with solutions instead of demands was my main objective and I think it worked out well. Catch more flies with honey, right?

One thing I didn't ask about was art supplies. If your child has a wheat allergy, you definitely want to ask about the types of supplies they use to ensure your child wont react to wheat in playdo for example.

Also, know that I DIDN'T ask for her class to be peanut free or for the school to be peanut free. Some of you wont agree with me, which is fine. But this is the road we're taking. B is not airborne reactive, so we are taking this road towards easing into a peanut filled world. Since there's really going to be very very little eating going on in her room, we're going this route.

Did I forget anything? What did YOU ask that I didn't?

Here we go again....

Look!

Another 'journalist' is suffering from writer's block.

The fall back topic when you don't know what to write about? Peanut Allergy and how we're all freaking out over nothing.

Yawn....

School is Starting Soon. Yikes.

In about a month, B will be an official Kindergartner.

I'm freaking out. School + Peanut Allergy = One Scared Mama.

Haven't spoken to her principal or her teacher about the measures we'll put in place to keep her safe during the day. There's no summer school where she goes (thank you California budget cuts!) so they are closed. I'm hoping they open in early August so I can get a quick meeting in.

Haven't spoken to her after school care either, although she's going to their summer program for a few days in the next few weeks to get her accustomed to the place. At least I know I can take care of that one well before the first day of school.

I'm falling down on the job. Why didn't I take care of this in May?!?

More soon.

ATT: Peanut Allergy Angle

Have any of you guys seen this?

The screen shot is terrible (click the image to see the actual page), but it says "Top Reasons Why a Home Phone is Important" and one of the bullets says: "For that time you discovered you were allergic to peanuts".

At first I was a little unsure about the ad (is it me or did you feel icky too?), but they make a good point. Calling 911 from a land line does ensure that emergency services can more efficiently pinpoint your location.