Excellent post!

Have you checked out Gnomes and Gnumbers? (It's free!) http://ebeth.typepad.com/serendipity/gnomes-and-gnumbers-a-mat.html

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56217364-78/allergy-tanner-henstra-allergies.html.csp?page=1 This was last April, and though he didn't die at school I think it shows how easily mistakes can happen. The child grabbed a snack the other kids were eating, without thinking, it was a mix up. He tasted it, spit it out, but it was too late. They used the epi, but were delayed in doing so. But it didn't work. He's gone. There aren't any do-overs. He can't exercise or do anything else to minimize his risk of future problems because of consuming this. He's just gone. His parents are bereft. I could link a lot more like this. Last school year was a bad one in the allergy world. There were deaths. There are healthy snack alternatives that don't include nuts. FWIW, I think if *any* child has an anaphylactic food allergy, his/her classroom should be free of that particular allergen (providing there is a doctor's note to address the need, just as food allergy parents already have to provide, along with an action plan in case of exposure). If that means that food is limited to the cafeteria, where lunch is consumed, then all will survive. If another child truly, medically, must consume nuts, or an additional snack during the day, then a doctor's note to that effect could enable that child to either switch classrooms, leave and snack (following some protocols) or some other accommodation could be made. There must be a way to accommodate these needs. I don't think anyone here is trying to say that one type of allergy is more important than another, or that one medical condition trumps another. I do, however, see that something that causes an immediate, life threatening medical event is essential to address. No one wants their non-allergic child to witness an allergic child go into anaphylaxis and potentially die in front of a classroom, right? As for manufactured snacks - we don't eat them. I personally don't trust Nabisco or the other companies a PP has listed as on the peanut-free safe list. I would not trust a non-allergic family that I don't know to prepare apple or carrot slices for my child though, if what is being discussed are shared snacks. Too much potential for cross contamination on surfaces or knives. I would have no problem with another child consuming those close to DS, though. He'd be eating the same thing, but from our kitchen. :)

That is a great book.

No, it's not simple. And you have a great understanding of how to feed a nut allergic kid. But you don't have nut allergic kids, right? That is awesome! (And if you do, sorry, I'm just getting things mixed up today!) DS is extremely allergic, airborne reactions and all. And we are hyper vigilant, because we have to be. It's not a lifestyle choice. If he is going to eat something, everything you said applies. So if we are talking about food that my DS will eat - yep, everything you wrote is in play. That would be for snacks that *must* be shared. (Not that I would ever, ever put another family in the position of needing to supply safe snacks for my kid. Nope. I would always send his own safe snacks.) For a nut-free classroom (totally hypothetical for me), I would expect that there are no overt nuts. No nut containing items. Any items to be shared by all children would not be "may contains." But school lunches that will be consumed by another child, in a cafeteria, can be may contains. I'd be okay with that. So the bread, baked items, everything else... wouldn't have to be safe enough for my kid to consume, just to be in the same room with him. That probably sounds odd, considering that my kiddo has had airborne reactions. But airborne reactions are usually from someone eating something like nuts in front of my guy, because the dust can be aerosolized, or cooking one of his allergens. Something like a may contain... Different story on the airborne issue. I wonder about the school policies here. Are they saying "no may contains" about shared snacks? Snacks that a teacher is going to pass out to the entire class? Or lunches that are not to be shared? My thought is that asking a non-allergic family to police their entire lunch, not just for nuts, but for may contains as well... That's a bit much. But for shared classroom snacks - I don't think that's unreasonable. (Though you don't want me to start on shared classroom snacks, really. I think there are way too many snack times in our culture, but apparently I'm in the minority there!)

:grouphug: Seriously, I want to hug you. That is how I'd like to think I'd feel, if the situation were reversed.

Our local schools do not allow epipens in classrooms. Epipens are locked in the nurse's office, and it's a traveling nurse so she may it may not be there. If not, there is a wait while the secretary opens the nurse's office and finds the key to the epipen cabinet. When a child is not breathing, all those wait times add up. We homeschool in part because of this. I am we'll aware that we are fortunate that we can do so, not every parent can afford to do so. DS is anaphylactic to peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame. It's not a food intolerance. He doesn't get a tummy ache, or eczema. This isnt like his allergies to dairy and wheat - that increase his asthma. or his OAS to most raw foods. This is an almost instant medical emergency. We have almost lost him. Any parent who has watched their child struggle to survive anaphylaxis understands. This isn't an inconvenience, or arriving home from school hungry. This is a life a death allergy. Dead. Not alive. There won't be worries about whether he's underweight or stressed about bring in K or 1st grade. He could just be gone, and our family would never be same. He has had 3 airborne reactions. We no longer fly. It is not easy, not fun, and we are always, always on high alert. Sometimes DH and I just want to be normal. Of course we do! We host almost everything at our house. We don't attend co-ops or any group gatherings that involve food (aside from family) because I've heard so many people complain about watching out for nut products. I don't want to put anyone out. And this thread ... This thread reinforces that. I am always stunned and grateful when someone understands. DH works with someone I would have pegged as a "my kid has a right to eat peanut butter" person, and this man and his family have stepped up in a way only our family has. They are amazing. His kids are in a nut free classroom this year and all I can think is that the food allergic child in that class could not ask for better advocates. I hope that if my child ever must go to PS, he'll have someone like that in his class. I'm sorry that this is an inconvenience for many. But I am so grateful for the people who graciously step up and help to keep my child breathing, by kerping his environment safe. You are heroes. Thank you. ETA: Wow! I just re-read this and, whoa, that's a lot of typos. Typed it from a phone, but still... Maybe it's a testament to the emotional response here? ...Just laughing at myself a bit. :)

I have an old paperwhite. I love it. Triple love it. What's different about the new one???

I am confused about this also.

College roommate did this. She used a tray that sat in the toilet, and then took it away. I didn't care for it at all. Our only bathroom never felt clean again. If you do it, make sure you use the most unpopular (with people) bathroom in the house.

Chaco Canyon, 1150 or so.

Hysterectomy. :) No oops babies here!

So, so happy to hear this!

I like the above suggestions. Our cleaners now are great - and they deep clean a different room each week. They put the sheets and linens in the wash after they change our sheets, though I finish up with drying and folding later.

I like this idea. If you do opt to try lentils, please do it while another adult is home with you, one who knows what to do in case of reaction. Crossing fingers for you that you're not allergic, and that you can add another food to your life!

Be careful. I tried cooking lentil soup for DS, thinking we'd try it. I knew we'd be cautious and go slow, but it didn't even make it that far. He had an airborne reaction to cooking lentils! Allergist said it was not surprising, but wow was it scary.

Wonder? What do you mean? That's a serious question, I'm trying to understand what you mean. If a person tests positive, you think it is a false positive? FWIW, I was diagnosed by PCR and by Western Blot. I had actual DNA material of the spirochete in my bloodstream. And a number of borellia specific bands on the WB. Plus a number of other tick borne diseases which made it clear I had tick borne illnesses. I'm pretty secure in my diagnosis. And since treatment helped, that adds more confidence. I'm just curious about what makes you wonder about the diagnosis? If you're thinking of people who are diagnosed on symptoms alone, or ... ?

I don't remember the specific tick, though I've been bitten in the past - just don't recall a bite in conjunction with getting sick. No rash that I recall either. It's not uncommon, according to my LLMD.

We have a built in kitchen desk area. I store a lot of our science and chemistry equipment in the cabinet above it. We also have a large bin in the garage with extra science kits and materials that are used less frequently. Ideally, we'd have a separate building to use as a lab in the backyard!

:grouphug: Mumps, and chicken pox. What a mix. I hope the chicken pox turns out to be just a scare, like the Mumps. Thinking of you often, and hoping every day for good news.

Ouch. What a bummer. Sorry. :grouphug:

This. Getting back to a schedule has been hard here, too. Getting through our days has been an accomplishment. Oh, and I successfully said, "no," to a neighborhood situation that was turning into an unwelcome babysitting gig. Re-training the neighbors took some cojones on my part. :D

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: I'm so sorry. That is horrible. There is something very wrong with our system. One minor thought, which might help a tiny, tiny bit, when you're ready for it - if your DD's chronic condition requires meds made by Glaxo Smith Kline, they have a program called (I think) Bridges to Access. Lots of their meds are on it, and it just requires a scrip from her doc for a year of free meds. It's for uninsured people. They also have a program for people who are "underinsured" - with high copays for meds. I have several friends who have used it for a med that usually runs $1200 per month, and it covered it completely. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

:grouphug: Is there anything we can do, here, to help?

Your kids are a great age for the Happy Scientist! We started at that age, and still get a yearly subscription. Love him. Sometimes I coordinate his videos with our lessons - fairly easy to do - and other times DS just hangs out watching a bunch of videos at once. Worth every penny.