Thank you for recommending allergy testing!!

[CAMom]

Several weeks ago I asked some advice on allergy testing due to my 4yo's reaction when he's tasted peanuts in the past. You all told me to make sure to have him tested to be safe.

 

Well, he had his testing this morning and he's very allergic to peanuts. He's also quite allergic to almonds and mildly allergic to cashews, pecans and walnuts.

 

I was sent home with a starter kit and prescription for epi pens. I was also told to go nut free at home.

 

I'd love some advice and support as we begin this new phase of our lives.

[Dana]

:grouphug:

 

It'll take some time to get to a new normal, but it's doable.

 

We keep ds's medications in a fanny pack that goes wherever he goes.

When you get the Epi-pen, practice with the trainer.

We were comfortable using the Epi trainer, but when I had to use the Epi, I had been practicing on my leg, so the angle was strange to inject my son. I now suggest practicing on someone else (or a chair) so you get the hang of injecting your child. (And under duress, you can do it!)

 

I've just found sunflower butter that works well instead of peanut butter.

Nuts are pretty easy to avoid (we have to avoid nuts and dairy so blech).

Enjoy Life is a brand that is free of major allergens. They have chocolate bars and chocolate chips that are safe (although expensive).

[sandalwood]

Several weeks ago I asked some advice on allergy testing due to my 4yo's reaction when he's tasted peanuts in the past. You all told me to make sure to have him tested to be safe.

 

Well, he had his testing this morning and he's very allergic to peanuts. He's also quite allergic to almonds and mildly allergic to cashews, pecans and walnuts.

 

I was sent home with a starter kit and prescription for epi pens. I was also told to go nut free at home.

 

I'd love some advice and support as we begin this new phase of our lives.

 

Read the labels of everything you buy and look for cross contamination chances. For example, "this product made on the same line as tree nuts, etc." Carry benadryl everywhere, it helps quickly. Learn & show relatives how to use the epipen!

[ahousefullofjs]

Ds was found to be severely allergic to peanuts, walnuts, cashews and hazelnuts.

Here's a good website http://www.foodallergy.org/

Read labels!!! Every label, everytime. If in doubt, avoid it. When eating out, always ask. We never eat at Asian restaurants, Ice Cream Parlors are out, store bought birthday cakes are a no-no, and almost all chocolate is cross-contaminated.

We also keep Epi-Pens, along with his other meds in a fanny pack that goes where DS goes. And even though he's almost always with us, he does have religious ed. class one day a week, he has a medical bracelet that he wears with the info, and his teachers are aware.

We have found a yummy Sunbutter (sunflower seed) that we use for the other kids (it's funny, the one that is allergic has NO interest in eating anything even remotely similar to peanut butter.) We do not allow any nut products into the house at all. All the children have been taught that if one cannot enjoy say.....a chocolate bar due to an allergy, we can all make the same sacrifice. (Not all families do this, some allow other children to eat the offending item right in front of the afflicted child. We chose not to do that.) Halloween Trick-or-Treating is ........interesting. We do go trick-or-treating with the kids but when we get home almost all of it goes in the trash. I then pull out my own bags of approved/safe goodies to exchange. After several years of dealing with this issue, he was diagnosed at 2, he's now almost 8, we still have problems with family members not understanding the severity of his allergy. I wish it was not called an "allergy" rather anaphalxis. Most people think of an allergy as a minor discomfort such as a rash or itchiness, anaphalaxis is deadly, it's not just an inconvenience. We once had to leave a birthday party because the mom was serving pb&j's for lunch. (All it takes is for 1 kid to play in the jumpy, or with any toy, with peanut butter residue on his hands.) You also must be careful when flying if the airline still seves peanuts. (For our son, just the powder in the air can cause anaphalaxis. His first reaction was from going to a baseball game, even though he never ate a peanut while there, nor did any other family member, somehow he came in contact with peanut dust or residue.....a railing???? in the air???? We'll never know but, at ballparks, peanuts are everywhere, he simply cannot go watch a game.

Sorry, I do not mean to scare you. It is serious though. Please do your research, read as much as you can about it and make your family and friends aware. That will help in protecting your little guy.

:grouphug:You can do this!! Things will just be a little different. Good luck.

[CAMom]

Thank you so much for the help!:)

[JillZ]

The other posters have some great advice. I just wanted to encourage you again that it gets much easier as time goes on. Once you get in the habit of always checking labels, finding your safe foods, etc. it just becomes a new routine. I would add that bringing safe snacks wherever you go helps with any unexpected food issues. You may not need them often, but it's great to have them when you do. Good luck with everything!

[sbgrace]

It does get easier (nut anaphylaxis here). We have a no nuts policy in this house.

I wanted to add that you need to call companies when you can. They don't have to list if the product is produced on equipment with nuts, only if it contains nuts directly. Oils had a lot of contamination and so did a lot of my grains (but we're gluten free and that was a large part of it).

Edited April 14, 2010 by sbgrace

[wapiti]

When my ds was first diagnosed with his peanut allergy, I found helpful The Peanut Allergy Answer Book. http://www.amazon.com/Peanut-Allergy-Answer-Book-2nd/dp/1592332331/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271217407&sr=1-1

 

Ds was found to be severely allergic to peanuts, walnuts, cashews and hazelnuts.

Here's a good website http://www.foodallergy.org/

Read labels!!! Every label, everytime. If in doubt, avoid it. When eating out, always ask. We never eat at Asian restaurants, Ice Cream Parlors are out, store bought birthday cakes are a no-no, and almost all chocolate is cross-contaminated.

We also keep Epi-Pens, along with his other meds in a fanny pack that goes where DS goes. And even though he's almost always with us, he does have religious ed. class one day a week, he has a medical bracelet that he wears with the info, and his teachers are aware.

We have found a yummy Sunbutter (sunflower seed) that we use for the other kids (it's funny, the one that is allergic has NO interest in eating anything even remotely similar to peanut butter.) We do not allow any nut products into the house at all. All the children have been taught that if one cannot enjoy say.....a chocolate bar due to an allergy, we can all make the same sacrifice. (Not all families do this, some allow other children to eat the offending item right in front of the afflicted child. We chose not to do that.) Halloween Trick-or-Treating is ........interesting. We do go trick-or-treating with the kids but when we get home almost all of it goes in the trash. I then pull out my own bags of approved/safe goodies to exchange. After several years of dealing with this issue, he was diagnosed at 2, he's now almost 8, we still have problems with family members not understanding the severity of his allergy. I wish it was not called an "allergy" rather anaphalxis. Most people think of an allergy as a minor discomfort such as a rash or itchiness, anaphalaxis is deadly, it's not just an inconvenience. We once had to leave a birthday party because the mom was serving pb&j's for lunch. (All it takes is for 1 kid to play in the jumpy, or with any toy, with peanut butter residue on his hands.) You also must be careful when flying if the airline still seves peanuts. (For our son, just the powder in the air can cause anaphalaxis. His first reaction was from going to a baseball game, even though he never ate a peanut while there, nor did any other family member, somehow he came in contact with peanut dust or residue.....a railing???? in the air???? We'll never know but, at ballparks, peanuts are everywhere, he simply cannot go watch a game.

Sorry, I do not mean to scare you. It is serious though. Please do your research, read as much as you can about it and make your family and friends aware. That will help in protecting your little guy.

:grouphug:You can do this!! Things will just be a little different. Good luck.

:iagree: Same here, right down to the ds who won't eat the Sunbutter (he is a very picky eater, which comes in handy sometimes re: the allergy).

 

Thanks for pointing out the ball park issue - interesting. Ds7 is now very into baseball, and I was thinking DH should take him to a game. He passed an inhalation challenge with peanut butter last summer, but I don't want him touching peanut residue. He'd probably freak out if he saw peanut shells on the ground.

[myfunnybunch]

My advice....

 

Read all labels. If it's something you've never given before, read each ingredient out loud to make sure you don't skim over an allergen.

 

Tell all of your friends and family. Insist that family members read labels before bringing food, and get to know who will follow your intructions faithfully and who won't. You will find most of them are very responsive and will always ask before giving him food. You may find that with one or two people you will have to keep an eagle eye on or schedule play times that don't involve food. (Like I did with the friend who always brought PB&J sandwiches, and once decided to grind peanut butter in her kitchen the day we visited. :glare: We left.)

 

Teach your child to ask ALWAYS before trying a new food, or any food that you haven't given him yourself, even if it's something that looks familiar. One brand of cookie may not have nuts, but another similar-looking cookie may. Read labels with him even if he can't read yet. Teach your other children too. My peanut-allergic child always asks, and his brothers are not the least bit shy about reminding others that he's got a peanut allergy or checking labels (though they still have to get the ok from me first).

 

Sunflower butter is delicious. You can use it exactly the way you'd use peanut butter. We also buy soy butter.

 

Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter can be pretty challenging if candy or chocolate is a usual part of your celebrations. Buy your candy early so that you've got some non-nut alternatives available. On Halloween, I stock up on extra so that I can trade the kids safe candy for non-safe candy.

 

I also agree with PP that it gets easier. It will take some time to adjust, and after a while you'll just know what you can't buy any more. It's just a way of life. :) (I will admit, though, that when I go away for a girls' weekend, I pig out on Reese's peanut butter cups and peanut butter ice cream. I miss peanut butter.)

 

:grouphug: I'm glad you got him tested. Now you know how to start keeping him safe.

 

Cat

[Beach Mom]

I am glad at least you know what allergies you are dealing with, and sorry for the changes in life it causes. But like the other posters said it gets easier and the avoidance is manageable. You will quickly get in the habit of carrying your epi pen everywhere. We have a little pack that has 2 Epis, benadryl and emergency contact info in it. It goes to church, to practice and everywhere else DS goes.

 

Teach the child not to accept food from just anyone. I remember once when my DS was about 4 and someone offered him a bottle of water at a soccer game. He said "My Mom will have to read the label before I can have it." They learn early!

 

At first you will notice that your grocery shopping takes longer. Gone is the carefree throwing things in your cart kind of shopping. Eventually you learn that certain brands all contain the "manufactured in..." warnings and you just avoid those parts of the aisle altogether. Nut extracts can be in all kinds of unexpected things like lotions and soaps.

 

Someone suggested to me a three read rule. Read the label when you put it in your cart, when you put it away and before you eat it. You can miss things.

 

Eating out is complicated, some restaurants are great at managing cross contamination, some aren't. You call, you ask and you go with your Mom instinct which carries you farther than most anything else. Your instincts will tell you which friends are really careful with what they have around your child and which don't take allergies seriously. Sadly, sometimes extended family members don't even get it. We showed up at Christmas dinner to find a bowl full of peanuts on Grandma's table.

 

You will, unfortunately, put up with stupid comments like "if you just gave him a little bit once in a while he won't be allergic anymore" or "it will probably just cause some sniffles".:glare: Ignore the ignorance and protect your child like a mama bear.

 

The allergy will change some of your habits, but it become a way of life pretty quickly.

 

A great resource for Sunbutter and special treats is peanutfreeplanet.com. There are some story books that help explain the allergy to the child that are decent. A couple I know of are "The Peanut Pickle" and "Allie the Allergic Elephant". There are a bunch more available on Amazon. DS liked having a story of someone with allergies just like him.

 

Welcome to the allergy Mom club. There is some exciting new research going on with nut allergies, maybe someday this will be a club with no members!

[Supertechmom]

YEs, teach your child to question every food given to him from everyone including Grandma!! Mine have gluten problems so it's a little easier but they still have to question.

 

And being a life long epipen user, please teach your son how to use it and when to use. As you encounter this, it will get easier for him to identify he's having a problem but please teach him that tightness in the chest even when he can breathe is still a reaction, it's just the start of one. Feeling "funny" in the mouth/throat area is a reaction! Runny nose, scratchy eyes, sudden need to scratch everywhere are others. Stuffy nose feeling. Sudden swelling and red streaks are BAD!! Funny feeling in the head, spots before the eyes, room spinning feeling, not able to talk or having a hard time talking, and feeling "loopy" or strung out. The reaction can be different each time, can happen over a longer period of time or shorter period of time than the last time. OR sometimes is so quick that there is not time. :001_huh: I'm ancient and highly allergic to stinging insects and I still have a hard time recognizing that I can no longer breathe and that I need to stab myself with the stupid pen. Please keep your head about you, remember not to panic and even when he is having a reaction, question him on the above things to help him figure out what makes this urgent so he can recognize the signs and take action quickly!!Best thing my mom ever did was question me how I was feeling until I passed out or was at the dr every single time and made me use the pen even if she had to take my hand, wrap my fingers around it, and do the jab. When the day came that I was alone, I was able to use it without wasting any time due to her commitment to make sure i could and did jab myself every single time ( and some of that time was with the old needles that you still had to push yourself!!).

 

Please make sure he can work the pen and can tell you the symptoms he is feeling. That alone can help so much at the er. None of my kids need one but they know how to work mine just in case I can't. The less time you are able to waste with the medicine the better things are.:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[CAMom]

Thank you so much for the help!

 

In looking through our snacks at home, almost everything has nuts in it! He's never eaten any of those snacks because he's always made it clear that he has a strong aversion to nuts but now I'm supposed to get rid of them.

 

Does anyone have a few foods they already know are safe for nut allergy families so at least I have someplace to start?

 

Also, how do you know if your kid is anaphylactic to nuts? He's never had trouble breathing but each time he's actually consumed peanuts (which has only been a handful of times in his life), he screams in pain and says his throat hurts. Would that be considered anaphylactic?

 

It's a new world for me...

[Dana]

Does anyone have a few foods they already know are safe for nut allergy families so at least I have someplace to start?

 

Also, how do you know if your kid is anaphylactic to nuts? He's never had trouble breathing but each time he's actually consumed peanuts (which has only been a handful of times in his life), he screams in pain and says his throat hurts. Would that be considered anaphylactic?

 

It's a new world for me...

 

Food Allergies for Dummies is one of the better books I've read on food allergies. It gives good information without terrifying :)

 

The Enjoy Life foods will be safe. It gives "quick" snacks. They're much more expensive though! More grocery stores here are carrying their brands.

 

We've also got a dairy allergy, so we have to be really careful.

 

This cookbook and this cookbook are the ones I use most often. The desserts are pretty good.

 

You'll get used to it. Get the food allergies book and read it. It'll help answer some of your questions. And write out a list of questions for your child's allergist. Do get an allergist who's good with food allergies and children. We got bad information at first :glare:

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Thank you so much for the help!

 

In looking through our snacks at home, almost everything has nuts in it! He's never eaten any of those snacks because he's always made it clear that he has a strong aversion to nuts but now I'm supposed to get rid of them.

 

Does anyone have a few foods they already know are safe for nut allergy families so at least I have someplace to start?

 

Also, how do you know if your kid is anaphylactic to nuts? He's never had trouble breathing but each time he's actually consumed peanuts (which has only been a handful of times in his life), he screams in pain and says his throat hurts. Would that be considered anaphylactic?

 

It's a new world for me...

 

My son tested as severely allergic to peanuts/tree nuts and he only had a very mild reaction. I asked the doctor if you can tell if it will always be mild or anaphylactic and he said you cannot predict at all whether a reaction will be mild or anaphylactic:( He said it could always be mild or it could be fatal or somewhere in between :(

 

Thank goodness fatal reactions are very rare, but anaphylaxis is very serious and could lead to death if not treated soon enough or properly. The fact that his throat hurts tells me his respiratory tract gets affected which is more than a skin reaction. Any reaction beyond hives is serious. I was instructed to give benadryl for skin reactions only and have epi-pen in your hand in case symptoms progress beyond a skin reaction. My doctor said that the most common mistake is not giving the epi-pen soon enough when I expressed concern that the epi-pen may be given when it is not needed. He also said that the epi-pen is not going to kill you but that not giving the epi-pen ASAP with anaphylaxis can potentially kill someone. Also, call 911 whenever epi-pen has been given and ask for advanced cardiac life support or paramedics. Give the paramedics your extra epi-pens to take with them as well.

 

I would ask your doctor for a specific action plan for ds that spells out what to do in great detail I would also scour the FAAN site:)

 

http://www.foodallergy.org/

 

I would also check out this thread again, my posts and the links in my posts:)

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155880

 

As for safe snacks I try to get organic when we can afford it:) I always, always check ingredients no matter what since manufacturer's sometimes change ingredients. I once found the peanut/tree nut disclaimer on a bag of plain, frozen peas:001_huh:

 

Here are some:

Organic poptarts

Cheetos

Corn chips pretzels

Hershey kisses

Raisons

Conventional fruit and veggies (I avoid exotic fruits/veggies since my ds had a reaction to mango fruit)

Crackers

Cheese

regular cheerios

 

Again, it is imperative that ingredients are checked each and every time and I teach my ds this:) I do not allow foods that were made in a facility with peanuts/tree nuts as well since a research study found that 13% of the time there was enough contamination to cause a reaction.

:grouphug:

Edited April 14, 2010 by priscilla

[sbgrace]

Thank you so much for the help!

 

In looking through our snacks at home, almost everything has nuts in it! He's never eaten any of those snacks because he's always made it clear that he has a strong aversion to nuts but now I'm supposed to get rid of them.

 

Does anyone have a few foods they already know are safe for nut allergy families so at least I have someplace to start?

 

Also, how do you know if your kid is anaphylactic to nuts? He's never had trouble breathing but each time he's actually consumed peanuts (which has only been a handful of times in his life), he screams in pain and says his throat hurts. Would that be considered anaphylactic?

 

It's a new world for me...

Nut and peanut allergies are always considered anaphylactic. A child can have a mild reaction and then the next (and first serious) one can be deadly. I never knew my son was even allergic until he had an anaphylactic (biphasic--very serious) reaction to cross contamination nut suddenly. I've never seen anything like it again and hope I never do.

 

My son told me he "never felt better in his life" (he's six) when we finally figured out and got rid of all the trace nuts in our foods.

 

Your home cooked meals (chicken, potato, green beans type stuff) are of course going to be safe. We're wheat free and my son has the cashew/pistachio/sesame/mango shared protein allergy combo so our stuff is more complicated. Quaker old fashioned oats are nut free. Some of their other products aren't (including I believe instant packs) but the regular oats are. I make "granola" by baking the oats with butter and brown sugar or other sweetener. It's yummy.

McCormick's spices clean for cross with nuts and sesame (sesame crosses with cashew in some nut allergic people). Lundenburg rice is nut free. Bionaturae olive oil is nut trace free. Tropical traditions coconut oil is too. It's the only safe coconut oil. Because of the sesame and gluten stuff "regular" foods aren't an option for us but I'm pretty sure some companies are careful with labeling. If you ask on Kidswithfoodallergies site someone will certainly give you ideas. All the Enjoy life stuff will be safe for your son but they are expensive. Cherrybrook kitchen has nut/peanut safe dessert mixes. All this hit around my son's birthday and it was a lifesaver to have something I knew was safe to use for his cake while I was figuring all of it out.

 

I encourage you to call companies. They are not required by law to label if an item shares equipment with tree nuts/peanuts. And, statistically, shared equipment is at some point going to have enough for a reaction. We got rid of all of it on the advice of our allergist.

Edited April 14, 2010 by sbgrace

[Tess in the Burbs]

Our son was just diagnosed last year to peanuts and this year to tree nuts, sunflowers, coconut and sesame.

 

My son LOVED the sunflower butter but if you didn't test for it...don't switch to that. His reaction to sunflower is 3 times worse than peanut! I no longer switch to alternatives without journaling when he ate it, how much he ate, and gastro or other reactions. We switch to sunflower butter after the peanut diagnosis and sure enough it was ok at first. but more he hate, the more reactions he had. And 6 months later he had a whole new list of tree nuts and other items much worse than the original peanut diagnosis.

 

The first thing to do is clear the pantry. Read all labels. Go shopping. A lot of grocery stores have a health food section that should have allergy free options. I buy more and more online these days. The gluten free sites often have nut free items too. Be willing to try things you wouldn't otherwise try. Cherrybrook Kitchen has some good box mixes for cookies and pancakes. Namaste is another nut free brand we like.

 

Learn your epi pen and teach close family members and friends.

 

Make a list of peanut free snacks to keep on hand. I searched for peanut free snack list and found several online that schools had put together. :-) Start looking for your favorite restaurants and print out their allergen list. Some places will not give the info. Stop going there. I keep these lists in the car so when we want to go out to eat without notice I have my info available.

 

Be honest with your child. My son had other food allergies as a kid and had outgrown them when we got the peanut diagnosis so telling him there was a food allergy wasn't new to us. But he is so good about asking for a product label to read when people offer him food. He knows which candy he can have from memory. I am not always with him, so teaching him to understand his food allergies helps keep him safe.

 

As family goes....you will either get support and they will want to learn or you will get nods and they will bring you peanuts for Christmas.

 

Seriously...even with all the allergies he had as a younger child....the new ones haven't helped any of the family understand how serious things are. They bring peanuts to our home. They buy things that clearly state the allergens he has. I hate visiting anymore b/c they don't want to buy the brands we can have. It will be frustrating and I can only hope they will truly listen to you.

 

It will be overwhelming some days. But it will be ok. Better to know before something serious happened!!!

[Colleen in NS]

Does anyone have a few foods they already know are safe for nut allergy families so at least I have someplace to start?

 

each time he's actually consumed peanuts (which has only been a handful of times in his life), he screams in pain and says his throat hurts. Would that be considered anaphylactic?

 

It's a new world for me...

 

:grouphug: and "welcome" to the club you didn't want to join!:lol: Yep, you will learn and things will get easier.

 

Throat hurting and screaming in pain would indicate to me that maybe his throat was starting to close up - yes, I would call this anaphylactic.

 

The biggest change for me was to learn to cook and bake almost everything from scratch. I moved to simpler, healthier ingredients, and simple recipes. Ended up saving time and money and being healthier in the long run. I don't have a huge variety of snacks - we use things like fruit, muffins, popcorn. I make lots of cookies, but usually only a couple of kinds. Meals are simple - soups, casseroles, stir frys, with rice, pasta, homemade bread, homemade biscuits, cornbread. Oatmeal, homemade granola, eggs, pancakes, and French toast are breakfasts - no more cold cereal. There is a learning curve, but eventually it all works out into new routines, new life. And it's fine, because I have to teach my kids how to do this stuff, anyway.

 

Make sure that Epi-Pen goes everywhere with him. And I agree with the poster who said protect him like a Mama Bear - we did have lots of trouble for a few years with a particular person who constantly undermined us in the allergy thing. VERY frustrating, but we stood our ground.

 

It is scary as anything at first, but it will get easier to deal with.

 

Check into a Medic Alert bracelet, too. We get ours funded through MA because of low income.

 

:grouphug::grouphug:

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I also think it is important to always bring a safe snack or food with you. I assume that there will be no safe foods for my ds where ever we go.

 

I always instruct my ds not to eat food unless I give it to him and I remind him of this whenever there is the possibility of others offering him food.

 

I also do not allow him to eat home-made food unless someone in our immediate family has made it.

 

 

I bring birthday cupcakes for him to eat when he is invited to birthday parties or other occasions that involve bakery goods which are usually unsafe.

 

 

I always have the dual pack of epi-pens, benadryl melt aways, and any other medicine ordered on our person when we go out and not in the car where the medicine can go bad.

 

Always check labels and never deviate from this rule since it is surprising and shocking how many things are made in a facility with peanuts/tree or contain these things.

 

Do not eat it if there is no label to check or if there is a possibility of cross contamination by other kids with peanut butter fingers for example.

 

Jelly jars are often contaminated with peanut butter.

 

Again FAAN website is a godsend:)

Edited April 18, 2010 by priscilla
clarify

[AFwife Claire]

We do not allow any nut products into the house at all. All the children have been taught that if one cannot enjoy say.....a chocolate bar due to an allergy, we can all make the same sacrifice. (Not all families do this, some allow other children to eat the offending item right in front of the afflicted child. We chose not to do that.)

 

We are a family who does not restrict our other children. Our 3rd child is allergic to dairy, tree nuts, and peanuts. He was diagnosed very early, so he has never had, say, chocolate, and he is not remotely interested in it. We always have a supply of dum-dum pops or something like that on hand that he can have if the other kids are having something else. Our thought is that in the world around him, people will always be eating things he can't have. That's life. He needs to be flexible, and we will help him find something suitably special that he can enjoy. Now, no one in our family is allowed to ever gloat about something they are eating that he can't have. That would not be kind. But I don't think it is inherently unkind to eat things he can't eat, especially if there is a substitute for him that he really likes! We always tell him that God made him so special, and we are so glad he is a part of our family. He goes to co-op and parties where people eat stuff he can't have, and he will most likely have college roommates that will do the same. If he's used to everyone only eating exactly what he can have--well, he's going to have a hard row to hoe!

 

I just wanted to offer an opposing viewpoint on why we have chosen to let our other kids eat things to which Caleb is allergic. You made it seem like we were just thoughtlessly rubbing his face in it, which is not at all the case! We thought it out, and this was what we decided was best for our family. Others may have other good reasons for doing so as well. I can also tell you that Caleb really doesn't mind. He feels special and well-loved, and anyone who is around him very much can tell that!

[ahousefullofjs]

We are a family who does not restrict our other children. Our 3rd child is allergic to dairy, tree nuts, and peanuts. He was diagnosed very early, so he has never had, say, chocolate, and he is not remotely interested in it. We always have a supply of dum-dum pops or something like that on hand that he can have if the other kids are having something else. Our thought is that in the world around him, people will always be eating things he can't have. That's life. He needs to be flexible, and we will help him find something suitably special that he can enjoy. Now, no one in our family is allowed to ever gloat about something they are eating that he can't have. That would not be kind. But I don't think it is inherently unkind to eat things he can't eat, especially if there is a substitute for him that he really likes! We always tell him that God made him so special, and we are so glad he is a part of our family. He goes to co-op and parties where people eat stuff he can't have, and he will most likely have college roommates that will do the same. If he's used to everyone only eating exactly what he can have--well, he's going to have a hard row to hoe!

 

I just wanted to offer an opposing viewpoint on why we have chosen to let our other kids eat things to which Caleb is allergic. You made it seem like we were just thoughtlessly rubbing his face in it, which is not at all the case! We thought it out, and this was what we decided was best for our family. Others may have other good reasons for doing so as well. I can also tell you that Caleb really doesn't mind. He feels special and well-loved, and anyone who is around him very much can tell that!

 

Oh no, I certainly did not mean that other families 'thoughtlessly rub their face in it'. What I meant was, that the possibility of cross-contamination is huge!! So in the instance where we left a birthday party that had pb&j as the lunch item.......kids are messy, they were also very young, if a child ate a sandwich and my child sat next to him, he could easily touch peanut residue. The same goes for at home, if I were to serve pb&j's to my littlest ones and they get the residue on the table, plates, etc. it's very likely that my allergic guy would come into contact with it. My son is extremely allergic to it, i.e. the time he went to the ballpark, he did not eat anything, did not touch peanuts, no one around him had peanuts however, somehow he came into contact and thus was hospitalized for 3 days afterward. So, I can't imagine having my other kids eating peanuts, peanut butter, or candy with nuts in front of my son, just not a risk we can take considering our past experience. All kids are different though, some are more severely allergic than others, and what works for some simply could not work for others. :)

[sbgrace]

We are a family who does not restrict our other children. Our 3rd child is allergic to dairy, tree nuts, and peanuts. He was diagnosed very early, so he has never had, say, chocolate, and he is not remotely interested in it. We always have a supply of dum-dum pops or something like that on hand that he can have if the other kids are having something else. Our thought is that in the world around him, people will always be eating things he can't have. That's life. He needs to be flexible, and we will help him find something suitably special that he can enjoy. Now, no one in our family is allowed to ever gloat about something they are eating that he can't have. That would not be kind. But I don't think it is inherently unkind to eat things he can't eat, especially if there is a substitute for him that he really likes! We always tell him that God made him so special, and we are so glad he is a part of our family. He goes to co-op and parties where people eat stuff he can't have, and he will most likely have college roommates that will do the same. If he's used to everyone only eating exactly what he can have--well, he's going to have a hard row to hoe!

 

I just wanted to offer an opposing viewpoint on why we have chosen to let our other kids eat things to which Caleb is allergic. You made it seem like we were just thoughtlessly rubbing his face in it, which is not at all the case! We thought it out, and this was what we decided was best for our family. Others may have other good reasons for doing so as well. I can also tell you that Caleb really doesn't mind. He feels special and well-loved, and anyone who is around him very much can tell that!

We eat lots of allergen foods my son can't have here. That is life. He doesn't notice/mind and he's used to it. The issue (for us) with nuts is that trace contamination could kill him. I personally just couldn't handle the stress of wondering if he might get a little bit of something on his hands and end up in anaphylaxis here. Like the pp, though, I think comfort levels w/risk on this topic vary.

[Desert Rat]

We, too, store some foods that my ds7 can't have. He's recently diagnosed with tree nut allergies (December). I understand the families have a allergy free zone for their kids and I considered this for our family. Most of the time our home is nut free. But, I don't stop some things from coming in the house. The offending items are labeled and stored on the top shelf of my pantry. My ds spends lots of time at my parents' home and I don't ask them go nut free either.

I think I feel more comfortable knowing that he checks EVERY SINGLE TIME if he can have an item. He will have to do this for the rest of his life, in all probability, so I want him in the habit.

I completely understand that this is a different approach than most and more people feel safer with allergy free houses. For us, we chose this route. We can always change our minds and choose to have a nut free house (well, we're all a little nuts here!) in the future. So far, we've had no problems.

[AFwife Claire]

Oh no, I certainly did not mean that other families 'thoughtlessly rub their face in it'. What I meant was, that the possibility of cross-contamination is huge!! So in the instance where we left a birthday party that had pb&j as the lunch item.......kids are messy, they were also very young, if a child ate a sandwich and my child sat next to him, he could easily touch peanut residue. The same goes for at home, if I were to serve pb&j's to my littlest ones and they get the residue on the table, plates, etc. it's very likely that my allergic guy would come into contact with it. My son is extremely allergic to it, i.e. the time he went to the ballpark, he did not eat anything, did not touch peanuts, no one around him had peanuts however, somehow he came into contact and thus was hospitalized for 3 days afterward. So, I can't imagine having my other kids eating peanuts, peanut butter, or candy with nuts in front of my son, just not a risk we can take considering our past experience. All kids are different though, some are more severely allergic than others, and what works for some simply could not work for others. :)

 

Ah, LOL, this makes a lot more sense! It's funny how when you just are reading something, you can put emphasis on a some part that gives the whole thing a different meaning then was intended! I'm sure if we had been talking, I would have right away recognized what you meant! : )

[ahousefullofjs]

Ah, LOL, this makes a lot more sense! It's funny how when you just are reading something, you can put emphasis on a some part that gives the whole thing a different meaning then was intended! I'm sure if we had been talking, I would have right away recognized what you meant! : )

Absolutely!:)