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?

Easing Back In...

Happy New Year Everyone!

I took a much needed blogging break, but I'm back and ready to go. As you might remember, posting every day in November really kicked my butt, so I am going to set an easier goal for myself: a post once a week. How does that sound?

A few things have gone on in the world of allergy since I last blogged. Here goes:

• Nicholas Christakis gave his 'opinion' on the hysteria surrounding food allergies
  
• Joel Stein tried to be funny (and failed miserably)
• Researchers may have found a link between medication for Heartburn during pregnancy and Asthma/Allergy Risk

I'm not going to bother responding to either of the first two bullet points, especially when so many other bloggers and writers out there have had at them. The only thing I will say is that both articles make the lives of the allergic (and their parents) that much more difficult - now that folks are declaring that allergies are all in our heads, a desperate bid for attention, it makes it that much harder for us dealing with genuine allergies. I don't need people doubting that B's allergies are real. And I don't doubt that either author, if they have a child, has one with food allergies. Anyone who has would never write such things.

And as for the last point, there isn't a direct link to food allergies in this study, but it's scary enough for me to wonder if all the Tums I took to alleviate the incredible heartburn I suffered while pregnant was a good idea.

So what have you guys been up to?

Rahul K. Parikh, You Suck.

I wonder if this guy is friends with Ms. Broussard?

Why would a doctor even put this out there? Yes, there are folks who over blow their kids food allergies (hello, I know I've talked about the 'milk allergic' kid in Bella's school who still eats cupcakes, right?) but there ARE families with real, life threatening allergies. Instead of brushing them off, maybe he could have kept his mouth shut. His article implies that we should lighten up and not protect our kids.

Maybe he wanted parents to stop stressing out about allergies, that they probably wouldn't happen. If so, he went about it the wrong way. He mentions research at the end of this piece, and then tells his patients to ignore it and actually introduce allergens to kids at one year. What a doctor! I'm glad he's not practicing near me.

Maybe he just wrote this to get attention. He knew it would hit a nerve and he wanted attention. Lots of writers do it. I think Ms. Broussard did that too. That's my opinion at least.

I guess he got it. Can't wait to read the letters to the editor in next week's Chronicle.

Everyone's Gone Nuts - A Rebuttal

Allergic Girl responds to the Harper's Article with an interview with a pediatric allergist (who also happens to have an allergic child).

Take a look.

A Broken Typewriter

Can I let you in on a little secret?

Mark and I are trying for baby #2. TMI? Well, we're not trying at this very second (that would be impressive, no?)!

I've told a few of my friends, and both, at different points in the conversation have asked if I was worried about having another child with a serious food allergy. It caught me a bit off guard. One even asked that if there was a test out there to have in utero to determine allergies, and it showed positive for PA, would you change your mind about keeping the baby? I stammered for a few seconds, and said "of course not, PA is manageable. everything else is fine with Bella. you just learn to deal with it. and we would do the same with another child if that was the diagnosis." All the while I am thinking "do I really want to call this person a friend? what a stupid question!"

To me, PA isn't a disability, so hearing that last remark was really off-putting. It's not like Bella wont be a functioning member of society. But I do think that other folks see it as a disability. Mainly because of the exceptions that are asked of food manufacturers, airlines, restaurants, schools, etc. I think us moms (or PA or other allergic folks) who are proactive about keeping safe get a bad rap, and it is perceived that because we are suffering each day, we in turn work at making things 'harder' for others by asking them not to bring peanut butter to school, have nutty products around, etc..like we're martyrs or something. We're learning to manage the allergy, not the other way around.

I don't know about you guys, but I feel stronger each day that Bella doesn't have a reaction (stronger, mind you, not invincible - I'm no idiot). Stronger that we can meet the challenge of PA and not bow down to it. So there is no disability - she is smart as a whip, is healthy, is full of energy (and some attitude)! Ok, I am rambling and feel like some sort of marching, patriotic music should be playing over this, so I'll stop.

But it is true that I do worry (actually I would downgrade that to being mildly concerned) that another baby may have allergies that adversely affect their life. But we would deal with it. I like to think that this journey has made us more sympathetic to others with allergies (or yes, other disabilities).

But I'm not pregnant. Yet. So I don't have much to worry about at this point. We'll just keep practicing and I'll keep you posted if that typewriter really is broken. Wink Wink.

What do you guys think? Would you have another child (or have you) after having one with a life threatening food allergy? Is it selfish to if there is a possibility of passing it on? Tell me!

Gab

p.s. get it? broken typewriter? missing a period? anyone? anyone? bueller?