I don't want to inconvenience others over Lydia's allergies. But to not do so would be unthinkable.
Comment: Barrow the book from the library " Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You To Know About." It might cure yout daughter.
Comment: It's not the inconvenience of avoiding foods that will cause an allergic reaction that bothers me, it's the self-important whining of parents - like you - who make much more of this than there is. I grew up with a brother and sister who were each deathly allergic to common foods - peanuts, eggs, fish, and a less severe allergy to milk. I grew up making accommodations for these allergies, as did their friends and friends' families. There were no "announcements" at back-to-school night ("you could KILL my child!!!!) - my mother (allergic herself) instead sent notes home to parents of their friends and made discreet phone calls. Most importantly, my brother and sister were schooled to never - ever - eat anything that had not been provided to them by my mother or another designated adult (like a teacher, or parent at a sleepover). My brother and sister are fine and we continue to accommodate their allergies - no one makes a big deal out of it because it's not a big deal.
Comment: Essexamy-
I think you are doing the most important thing of all: equipping your son to deal with his allergies. The older he gets, the more he's going to have to be responsible for himself in all areas, including this one. It's really encouraging to me that he is able to eat school lunch, as I know that is something my daughter will want to do. We can never be sure of everything, but as you say, the best we can do is try to educate the people who work with our kids, and give our kids the tools they need to manage their allergies.
Comment: I too have a child with severe food allergies. He is allergic to all nuts, fish, seafood, melons, and the strangest of all, poultry. This obviously limits what he can eat a great deal. As soon as I found out about all his allergies I got a prescription for 6 epi-pens. I went to his school and had a meeting with his teacher, the secretary, the principal and the lunch lady. I printed copies of a list of foods he must avoid and taught them how to use the epi-pen. I also showed my immediate family members, anyone who'd be caring for him, how to use it and what to look for. But, most importantly I have frequent talks with my son who is 9 yrs. old on what to avoid and how to reacte if something were to happen. It is the best I can do. I have fears also, but my son has had it drilled in to him not to ever eat something he is not sure of. And I have to say the school has been great about looking out for him. There are days when the lunch entree is chicken nuggets and the alternate choice is a peanut butter & jelly sandwich so he couldn't eat lunch. We always try to plan ahead, but there have times we have forgotten to pack him a lunch and the secretary of the school has always stepped up to make sure he gets something to eat. The bottom line is you have to educate your child often and consistently about what they can and can not eat. Luckily most kids are bright and picky when it comes to food. If they understand the consequences they are less likely to eat something that could cause them harm. I have been lucky not to run in to any resentment from anyone. I feel I have gotten sympathy and understanding from everyone. But of course I don't trust anyone 100% so I still have to be careful.
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Comment: I want to thank you for your precise article. It seemed to sum up everything that I feel every day. I am a parent of a child with a sever peanut allergy and almost everything you said in your article is right on. I have had to deal with so much anger and resentment over something that can very possibly kill my child. The last time he ate a bite of a cereal bar he had to go to the emergency room 3 times for the same nut, the last time almost killed him. But what is so scary about food allergies, peanuts in my experience, is that it doesn't matter how close you came the last time, you never know what lies ahead. And you are right when you say we can't be afraid to fight for our children. I have been dealing with the school system in Palo Alto, CA. for two years, with some success but I know so many parents who are just beaten down. I could not understand it at first but I can see how it happens. The anger and resentment, that could come from any direction, even a best friend is shocking. I am thankful for articles just like this one that not only bring out the educational side but the feelings of fear and confusion we have as parents. And your right, you can't do it all by yourself. It takes the parent, the child and the school to make sure that every step is taken to the best of their ability to keep your student and every student safe while at school, and that is a constitutional right. We might not have a name for it yet but it's out there and it's only a matter of time. Thanks.
Comment: I also used to think that the rampant increase in food allergies was just another way that people whine and complain about everything around them. WIth 2 healthy daughters, I did not understand how so many children could be affected. My 3rd daughter was born with SEVERE food allergies to egg, all dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, mustard and red dye #40. We found out the hard way just how life threatening this condition can be. We have had 2 anaphalactic episodes where we had to administer the epipen and rush to the hospital. Add this to the several times where she has vomittted, broken out in hives, red bleeding eczema patches all over her face. Her immune system seems to be comprimised and I did all the same things during my pregnancy with her as the other 2. Everyday life is a constant challenge. I fear for the day when she has to go off to school. I am trying to get rid of all the toxins in my house to help strengthen her immune system, I swithced to all non-toxic cleaning products and detergents (http://www.shaklee.net/lunace) and have been giving her probiotic supplements to do the same. I hope that people will be compasionate as we try to help our daughter and get to the root of this growing problem.
Comment: Isn't the real problem not dealing with the nut allergies, but finding out what is the cause of the increase? Why have the number of children gone up in the past 20 years? Why have the number of adults being effected not increased like the cases with children? Why is this increase being mainly in "Western" nations, not in third world nations? Is it in our in environment? OR is it some thing that we are doing to our children? What could it be-what are we doing to our children that we were not doing 20 years ago?? I have no fear, I'm sure the pharmaceutical giants can come up with yet ANOTHER vaccine to take care of this!
Comment: The cause: ANTIBIOTICS
Gary Huffnagle, PhD research immunologist and professor at UMich Med School has written new book "The Probiotic Revolution" detailing peer reviewed research and animal studies showing antibiotics damage the gut flora, the foundation of our immune system. For infants, c sections, formula and antibiotics damage the initial laying down of the gut flora at birth and shift it from a normal bifidobacterium dominent flora, designed to jumpstart the maturation of the immune systems: GALT, BALT and MALT. Also I believe vaccines as giving the Hep B at birth has coincided with the massive increase in nut allergies. I think there has to be much more research as to the type and amount of probiotics to give... Huffnagle calls our gut flora another organ equal to the heart and kidneys in the importance of its function. It weighs 3lbs in an adult and numbers 10x more than the cells that make up our entire body. And modern medicine ignores it.
Comment: I first read this article on my local parents-of-allergic-kids group website and I can identify with every word. Fortunately, our child was diagnosed with food allergies as an infant and we've always been cautious and kept testing over the years. Now nine, he has managed it well, though we still worry. The great thing is that his friends and classmates are extremely aware and sympathetic--it's the kids who usually remind their parents before birthday treats are brought in to class that they have a classmate who has allergies. Parents have called or emailed to check ingredients with me, and that means a lot (even if it turns out that we supply our own treats). I suggest that Ms. King and her family find a local support group like I have, or start one if no such thing exists. And don't worry about the rolling eyes--you won't end up hanging around with them anyway!
Comment: Although she did not for accommodations she is entitled to ask for them if she wishes. Children with food Allergies are covered under the American with Disabilities Act and are also allowed to ask for accommodations in the school. The key is they have to be reasonable, like a nut free classroom. I am angry that some people think a small child should be responsible for themselves. Speaking from a parent whose child has had an anaphylactic reaction and a biphasic reaction following the initial reaction when another person an adult didn't wash her hands to remove all the nut reside from them and touched my son and almost killed him, talk about not taking responsibility. It situations like this that make parents of allergic children scared, the other people. Someone also tried to give my child a nut saying it was a skittle and I had another child ask me if I would be mad if they gave my child a nut. Enough said.
Comment: You state,"Children with food Allergies are covered under the American with Disabilities Act." Although I agree they should be, there has not been a hearing to establish this precedent. If I am wrong, I would love to see your sources. Wow!! It's amazing to see the reactions here. Obviously there are very strong feelings about this issue! I too have a child who is severely allergic to peanuts, milk and eggs (we've been warned to avoid all tree nuts due to the similar proteins and, for lack of a better term, copy-cat protein reactions). I have two other children with no food allergies. One of the hardest things for us is trying to explain to people what could happen, but not knowing when or how much exposure at which time will be the big one. They want answers and quite frankly, we don't have them. Allergies, the causes and types and degree of reaction are very unscientific. There is no chart or formula that tells you who can do what and by how much. So what's a family to do? Play it safe or play Russian roulette? Of course, you don't gamble with your child's life. And I loved this article. I kept thinking,"That's us, that's us!" However, not like Lydia's mother, I have been approached by neighbors and family members telling me to get over it and stop hovering. I'm sorry, but a one-year-old doesn't have the skills to manage on her own yet. I hope as she grows older, she can be as independent as other posters and take care of herself successfully. It's sad that in doing my duty as a parent and protecting my child has caused schisms in neighborhood and family relationships.
Comment: I first read this article on my local parents-of-allergic-kids group website and I can identify with every word. Fortunately, our child was diagnosed with food allergies as an infant and we've always been cautious and kept testing over the years. Now nine, he has managed it well, though we still worry. The great thing is that his friends and classmates are extremely aware and sympathetic--it's the kids who usually remind their parents before birthday treats are brought in to class that they have a classmate who has allergies. Parents have called or emailed to check ingredients with me, and that means a lot (even if it turns out that we supply our own treats). I suggest that Ms. King and her family find a local support group like I have, or start one if no such thing exists. And don't worry about the rolling eyes--you won't end up hanging around with them anyway!
Comment: Dear Christi Anderson, if you cared about other people then perhaps they would care about you too. Personally, I understand what King's family is going through and I would be willing to change my habits if there was a food allergic child in my son's school. It will not be a big inconvinience for me to send a peanut-free snack to school, but would reduce the risk of another child having an allergic reaction. I think the problem is that most people don't even know what anaphylactic shock is and are not aware that an allergic reaction might result in death. So, the best solution is to promote the food allergy awareness among other parents and hope for their undetstanding.
Comment: Dear Christi Anderson, if you cared about other people then perhaps they would care about you too. Personally, I understand what King's family is going through and I would be willing to change my habits if there was a food allergic child in my son's school. It will not be a big inconvinience for me to send a peanut-free snack to school, but would reduce the risk of another child having an allergic reaction. I think the problem is that most people don't even know what anaphylactic shock is and are not aware that an allergic reaction might result in death. So, the best solution is to promote the food allergy awareness among other parents and hope for their undetstanding.
Comment: Many people made thoughtful comments, the essence of which was, "Don't freak out over this and don't make your child a nervous wreck." I do appreciate those comments, because that is our family's philosophy and our doctor's. We want Lyd to have as normal a life as possible with this allergy, and making her neurotic won't advance that cause. Mostly what I want from the other parents at school is awareness of the realities of this allergy, and to take it seriously. We are not even seeking a peanut free table, as our allergist doesn't think it necessary. I am not a "scared fanatic victim," nor, happily, is my child. But I must balance her need for a normal school experience and social life with the very real need to keep her safe.
Comment: Although I am sympathetic to this woman's plight that of her daughter, she needs to take another calm rational look at what she wrote. I am one of those severely allergic folks who has had my fair share of scrapes and a few medical interventions to fix this. Many of the previous comments have hit the nail on the head: education and responsibility. My mother taught me to be careful, ask questions, and not eat something when there was doubt. I have followed this for many years and it has only been in my late 20's that I have had more incidents from being too cavalier. The air of victimhood permeates many of the comments and even the mother is ready to cast in her lot with these types and turn her daughter into a scared fanatic victim. Teach your daugher, talk to her parents, have them wash off the ice cream scoop before getting ice cream, dont eat nuts in the house, do your edibilitity tests and you'll be good to go.
Comment: I have a daughter that is 11 years old with severe allergies to coconut, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, peanuts, and pecans. We have not asked for anything special at her school until this last year. We had a 504 plan put in place to protect her rights to a free education. She is the only nut allergy at her school. This year they put a nut free table in the cafeteria, which would be great, but they clean it with the same cloth as the rest of the tables. My daughter has a special cover for the computer keyboard in the computer lab, her own mouse as well. When her class rotates to another teacher for a different subject, my daughter has to put on rubber gloves and scrub the desk she will be sitting at. Minor inconveniences. My problem is when you get parents making insensitive comments about her allergy and their children take it upon themselves to harass my daughter! Twice now children have chased my daughter around the playground saying they have peanut butter on their hands. Now, nothing was ever done to these children, but imagine if one of them was chasing another child with a knife. It's the same thing to my child, both deadly. It only takes 1/3000 of a peanut to kill her! This is the sort of callousness that furiates me! It's deadly! Not a sniffly nose, watery eyes allergy. That means someones kid that eats a peanut butter sandwich and then opens a door, swings on a swing or reads a book from the media center can kill my child. Its a scary thing! II'm not asking that others not feed their kids peanut butter sandwiches at school. All I'm asking is that everyone be a little more considerate. These are still children and they should be able to have a fun childhood without worrying about everywhere they go being dangerous. I'm saying that we should all be considerate enough that when your child has a classmate with a severe allergy, don't bring peanut butter cups for the class party. Enough said, I will get down off the soapbox!
Comment: It is sad to see that so many people are so judgemental, unkind and uncaring. I don't think that Rebecca Fadel King is asking anyone to bend over backwards for her or her child, I don't think that she is asking anyone to make drastic changes in their eating habits. I think she is asking people to be aware of this increasingly growing condition, I think she is asking people to be considerate of what she is going through everyday. I don't think it is too much to ask someone to buy one snack versus another. Christi Anderson, I would assume you are an adult that is capable of taking care of yourself, reading labels and giving yourself an epi shot. You are not a 6 year old child, living in a world of self centered parents who don't know what it is truely like to monitor everything you touch or eat and you are not a 6 year old child surrounding yourself with children who have no clue what this allergy is about.
My nephew has a severe peanut and nut allergy. It too can be fatal if he has contact with peanuts, he has been to the ER for this before. This article brought tears to my eyes and fear to my heart to see that other people are experiencing the same life that my sister and her family feel so alone in at times. I see what my sister has to live through every day she sends her son to school, nervous that she will get a call from the school or ER. She encounters many people who roll their eyes and refuse to even consider what life would be life for my nephew or what life would be like for our family to lose him to someone's inconsiderate behavior or a sheer mistake. She has to prepare brochures for the beginning of school, make safe food lists and give presentations to teachers and staff on how to use an epi pen, she does not do this to inconvience people, she does not do this to impose her lifestyle on other them, she does this to protect her child's life. BOTTOM LINE!
For all those people who say "who cares", or "suck it up, there are worse things", I have to say that that is it sad that you are incapable of opening up your hearts or minds to conditions of others. All allergies are not alike, what may cause a rash or your throat to close could kill someone else within minutes. I hope that you find the ability to empathize with others for your sake and theirs.
For Rebecca Fadel King, I found your article touching, to know that my sister is not alone and that more people like the two of you can really open people's eyes, there is no harm in awareness. Keep doing what you are doing, know that if people you encounter along the way don't understand there are plenty who do and you will find great support through FAAN. I wish your family and Lydia support and understanding from others and to encourage you to continue to do what you must to keep your family healthy.
Comment: I am the mother of a 4 year old boy allergic to tree nuts. This is not the same as allergic to cats or dogs, or hay fever, or being allergic to a certain fragrance. We are talking about anaphylactic shock. If ANY of you had ever witnessed your child having an anaphylactic reaction I don't think you would remain so blithe and callous. Even before my own child was diagnosed with a tree nut allergy, I did whatever I could to comply when asked to not send in peanut treats or snacks to my older daughter's school. Now that I understand WHY I was being asked to do that, I know I would feel awful if I knew something I did contributed to the hospitalization or possible death of an allergic child.
That's right I said death. My son can die if he is exposed to tree nuts. Your child will not die if he or she cannot eat penaut butter or almonds at school. You will not die if you can't eat your peanuts on an airplane.
The risk of death from exposure is quite high. Someone used the ratioanle that my child is more likely to be injured by falling off some playground equipment. While statistically this may be true due to frequent exposure to playground equipment, ONE exposure to a nut can cause death for my son.
On another forum someone stated that statistically a child is more likely to die from drowning so are we "paranoid" parent going to demand that all swimming pools be removed? The flaw in this thinking is that nobody tosses a swimming pool unexpectedly in front of my son. Whereas nuts can be in foods prepared by other people without our knowledge and even moreso wothout the knowledge of the preparer! It's a tricky life we lead trying to ensure our children do not die from accidental exposure while also allowing them to have normal lives.
My son started pre-school last year and I was given the chance to explain to the other mothers about his allergy. I stressed that *I* will do my best to keep him safe, but not that I need them to take responsibility, but simply their *help* in doing this.
All in all most parents were extremely helpful and I only had to refuse a snack for him a handful of times.
But hearing some of the people who make these comments on here makes me so very frightened for his attendance at all day school where I cannot check everything sent to school and I have to rely on the kindness of others to help me so many of you think that not only should you not have to be "inconvenienced" but that I am overreacting to my son's allergy.
I suggest each and every one of you that think a parent of a food allergic child be forced to watch and anaphylactic reaction and THEN decide if we are overreacting.
Comment: I am surprised by the number of people that have responded with insensitive, angry, defensive and disturbing comments. This woman has a valid concern. Her 6 year-old daughter has an anaphylactic nut allergy which will last her lifetime. She is not overreacting, whining, or criticizing anyone. It just goes to show how many people aren't educated about the increasing number of life-threatening food allergies in our society today, and it is sad that so many people don't have empathy for others. My best to you Rebecca, and to your daughter Lydia. Take care.
Comment: excuse me, rebecca fadel king. but don't you think that you're overeacting. i myself suffer from tree-nut allergies and carry around an EpiPen everywhere I go. I can also die from eating even the tiniest of nuts. and you know what? there are thousands of other kids suffering from far more perilous conditions. and you're saying that you don't want to inconvience others over your daughter's allergies? then don't! do you think that anyone cares for me? no, they don't. i just take care of myself and live through life the best that i can without putting anyone in an inconvenient position. i'm glad that you care about your daughter's safety, but other people are worried about their own lives. my purpose of writing this comment: there are other people who are in far worse conditions who don't make such a fuss out of it. and you seem pretty selfish to me -- the fact that you started caring about this issue after your daughter was diagnosed with it. i know that this comment will most likely infuriate you,. but just know that you infuriated others as well
Comment: excuse me, rebecca fadel king. but don't you think that you're overeacting. i myself suffer from tree-nut allergies and carry around an EpiPen everywhere I go. I can also die from eating even the tiniest of nuts. and you know what? there are thousands of other kids suffering from far more perilous conditions. and you're saying that you don't want to inconvience others over your daughter's allergies? then don't! do you think that anyone cares for me? no, they don't. i just take care of myself and live through life the best that i can without putting anyone in an inconvenient position. i'm glad that you care about your daughter's safety, but other people are worried about their own lives. my purpose of writing this comment: there are other people who are in far worse conditions who don't make such a fuss out of it. and you seem pretty selfish to me -- the fact that you started caring about this issue after your daughter was diagnosed with it. i know that this comment will most likely infuriate you,. but just know that you infuriated others as well
Comment: I understand your fears for your daughter, but you can't ask everyone to change for you. My daughters all 3 are type 1 diabetics. It sucks to say it nicely, but I never ask the other studenst to change there eating habits because of my girls. I bring in food they can eat at parties and they and the rest of the class knows that food is not shared with them.
Your daughter's life is not that bad if you think of all the other things some children have to deal with. She just has to be careful, know what she can eat, know how to treat herself if she does get a nut and move on. Deal with the lif that is given to you and don't demand that others change because of you. She and you need to live in the real world.
Comment: Diabetes and food allergies are two different things, your comparing apples and oranges. Your child won't die being in the same room with some candy, mine could die being the same room with someone with peanuts or peanut butter as he reacts to trace amounts of residue. I love this article, it expresses exactly how I feel about sending my child to school, I don't want to inconvenience anyone but sadly I must do so, to insure my child stays alive. Luckily we have a school that works with us, there is a nut free table for the kids with nut allergies, the cafeteria is completely nut free, parents are asked not to send nuts for snacks and for school events (parties, bake sales, etc). Of course there is always that one parent that doesn't comply and the school simply donates those items. There are 9 kids in my child school with nut allergies, mine being one of them. The principal said in her 30 years of teaching she has never had this many kids allergic to nuts and will do everything in her power to keep them safe, gosh I love this women.
Someone at Kids with food allergies said this one time (I'm paraphrasing) " When you send your kids to school, you kiss them and hug them and tell them have a good day. When I send mine to school, I kiss them, hug them and tell them have a good day as I force a smile. Inside I'm praying that they make it home alive ."
Yes we are teaching our son to advocate and take care of himself. He's a normal child (he dances, plays sports, goes to parties, goes to ball games, goes on vacation, goes out to eat, etc). But at 6, he needs the adults around him to help him stay safe because after all, he's still a kid.
Comment: I am 15 years old and am allergic to tree nuts, milk, shellfish, and kiwi. I have been dealing with these allergies since I was born. I understand that my allergies are not the most severe, I can be in the same room as these foods, but still, every time I ingest one of them I have taken a trip to the ER.
However, nothing makes me more upset than when people complain that allergies have made their lives horrible. Allergies do not make your lives horrible; they are a part of life. Everyone has problems, ours just happen to deal with food. I have not eaten out in years, other than ordering a glass of iced tea when I go out with my friends, yet I still think that my life is great.
You just need to learn to cope. It???s not hard. Instead of worrying about eating at other kid???s birthday parties, I always come over early and have an amazing time baking a cake with my friend that I can eat. Instead of stressing out when I go to restaurants, I invite my friends over to make dinner with me. Or I just bring my food with me. It???s not a big deal.
Kids aren't stupid. Since I could talk, I knew not to eat anything unless I had checked the ingredients, or personally seen it made. I am a teenager, and personally, I think that I am ???too cool??? to go to the ER.
All my friends know that I have allergies. Its not some horrible disease that alienates me from normal life, it is a part of normal life. I don???t strictly train them all of what to do in case of an emergency, I just say, ???Hey, in my purse in such-and-such place is my meds, so if I start having an asthma attack, or a food allergy, know where to get it.??? It works out just fine.
I have not had a severe reaction since I was 6. I know that my allergies still exist, I just am very careful. I don???t find it necessary to proclaim to the world ???I HAVE ALLERGIES. WALK LIKE ON BROKEN GLASS AROUND ME, OTHERWISE I???LL DIE!!!!??? But I do make sure that people are aware. I don???t want them to think of my allergies as a hindrance, because I don???t think of them as a hindrance. I still lead a perfectly normal, happy, life and I just want everyone to know that that is possible.
Comment: Wait a second.... how do we know this is really Lydia? And what the heck does any of this have to do with bees or homework? I think you people have somehow gotten way off track. But since we seem to believe that anyone in here is who they claim to be, then I am Howard R. Newsweek, the owner of this website. I don't appreciate all the tomfoolery and shenanigans in here. Straighten up people. Now get back to your bee sting seminar, or whatever it is you kids are talking about these days.
I love you all,
Howard
132 years old and going like crazy
P.S. Remember that gal that wrote about her mom's dog? Now THAT was some fun stuff. How come nobody ever pretended to be her?
Comment: Rfk1967 Please do not let the words, that people feel free to write anonymously, color your judgement of how your child will be treated. People tend to be harsh and, frankly, a lot of people with little else on their minds live on the message boards. Your concerns were logical and I hope you will find reassurance in the school and parent group once Lydia starts school. She will learn to handle the hazards of her allergy and I think you will find that many many people will be supportive of you and of your child
Comment: I must clarify a few things for which I have taken much abuse in these comments:
1) Lydia was tested by not one, but two, allergists, using both skin prick and blood (RAST) tests. The antibody levels shown on the RAST tests confirmed the peanut and tree nut allergies and classified Lydia as a Class 6 peanut allergy, which is the most severe classification.
2) Lydia has had reactions to nuts. If you read the article, you will see that she had had no VISIBLE reaction. She had complained multiple times of an itchy mouth after eating food containing nuts. Her dad and I assumed she just didn't want to eat whatever food she had been given. Only in hindsight did we recognize these as allergic reactions, which are likely to worsen over time. Her allergist, who specializes in food allergies, was unwilling to test her further with oral challenges, based on these reports and the skin prick and blood tests.
I do not have Munchausen by proxy, as someone helpfully suggested (at least I think so; it was misspelled in the comment). I am not making unreasonable demands of the school or parents (we're not even requesting a nut-free table in the cafeteria). I simply want other parents to be aware that this allergy is real and that cross-contamination and contact reactions are real dangers to my child, and to protect her with simple measures. Ironically, those people who took the time to mock my concern have shown me that it is, indeed, valid.
Comment: Thank you for this article written from the heart. Anyone looking for support for life threatening food allergies is free to join us at allergy.hyperboards.com -- a FREE online support community. "What it's really like to LIVE with food allergies."
Comment: I agree with the guy that is worried about bees scaring his kid. Even though that guy is really me, I can see his point. My deal is even scarier. My kid is afraid of homework. My lawsuit will change everything. EVERYTHING!
Comment: Grow up.
Comment: Grow up? Easy for you to say. You don't have 200 pairs of short pants hanging in your closet.
Arthur
Comment: I don't know if this even deserves a reply . . .Nowhere is this person asking the school to make huge accomodation for her child. I'm afraid your response (and the pervious one regarding bees) smack of ignorance of what Nut allergies actually are and how deadly they can be. If your children are allergy free consider yourself lucky and don't belittle the fears of another parent
Comment: My kid is allergic to bee stings. Well, I don't know if she is really allergic but she hates bees. She's scared to death of them. I am working on getting the school to build a giant dome over the P.E. courts for when she goes outside. Next, I will demand a tunnel or some kind of a enclosed walkway from my house to the school. I don't care how many overpasses this will require the DOT to build, my child's life and well being comes first.
I agree with this peanut thing. Stick it to the man, honey. Power to the people. I believe the children are our future. Just say no. The winds they are a changing. Inagodadavida, baby.
Comment: Wow.
Comment: My son is just nearing the end of his year in first grade where three of his classmates had severe nut allergies. From the perspective of a parent who had to accomodate (no peanut items in my son's lunch box, planning parties with care, etc) I have to say that it never occured to me to be disgruntled or angry at the 'inconvenience". The cafeteria had a nut-free table for the kids and that simplified things immensely.
I did not hear anyone, parent or child, complain about the issue for the entire year and if I could send a message to the author it would be this : We are all parents too. We can only imagine the pain and fear of rasing a child with severe allergies in an environment of possible exposure to the allergen. I think you will find that most parents will want to support you in any way that they can. They will want to help and they will want to keep your child safe.
Comment: My son is deathly allergic to peanut/treenuts and was diagnosed at the age of 1. I understand this woman's point of view, however you as the parent, and the child need to bear that responsibility of being aware of everything he/she is eating. My son has always asked an adult to "read the box" before eating something. This is a very common allergy now, including the severity of it, and people are becoming more and more aware of those who have it. Schools are incredibly cautious and though it is great to have other parents aware of the allergy, they do not carry the burdon of protecting your child. You do and your child does. Teach your child from an early age that it's not about being cool or not being cool (as the other mentioned with teenagers). After reading this article, I feel the only problem is the mother's approach to this. It is a matter of life and death, not a matter of coolness and your child should be taught that. It gives a false sense of security if you count on other parents to provide peanut-free lunches/snacks to their own children as a way to prevent yours from coming in contact with any nut product. However, if you lay down the law about NO sharing of lunches/food whether it be in the classroom, on the bus, at an activity or even in the lunchroom, that will greatly alleviate most of the stress. And make your child aware...give him/her a little credit, they can handle it with the right tools!
Comment: I have been deathly allergic to peanuts my entire life, and I will be thirty this fall. While I can totally understand this mother's viewpoint, I have to say that personally, both from the view as an allergenic child and an allergenic adult, that I do not agree with all of her reasoning. When I was growing up during the eighties, no one understood about my allergy and the school rules were just starting to be enforced. My parents did notify my teacher and the school, but did not make it everyone's problem. The bottom line is, I personally feel I am responsible for myself. I knew then and know now what to look out for and how to protect myself. School rules would not prevent other kids from sticking peanut butter on my sandwich when I wasn't looking or putting peanut butter in my hair. Telling other parents to ban peanuts is not realistic. I don't demand peanut free zones on planes and I don't demand special dietary attention from others. My kids can't have peanut butter because I am so allergic-but I don't make it other parent's problem. I do not agree it takes a village to keep one allergenic child safe in this regard-at 5, I also knew how to stick myself with an Epi-pen and I wore a medic alert in case I passed out. I think while the parent has some responsiblity, the child ultimately has the responsibility to protect themselves-peanut free zones don't occur in college dorms, at parties, or in the workplace. I don't expect anyone to bend over backwards because of my allergy, and I don't think teaching your children it is to be expected to be catered to is responsible.
Comment: Newsweek I applaud you for shedding light to this topic. My five year old is allergic to wheat,dairy,eggs,beef, peanuts, and tree nuts. It is a fine line between protecting our child and trying not to be too overprotecting. Being a former teacher and now looking back I didn't understand the seriousness until I myself lived it with my own child. It is a hard thing to understand luckily our families are supportive and go out of their way to try to keep our daughter safe.
Comment: I think this is a PERFECT article! I have been dealing with my son's life-threatening peanut allergy for 6 years now (he's 7). And Ms. King expressed perfectly how I've felt throughout this -- how you DON'T want to inconvenience other parents, but you HAVE to. And people can be so VERY hateful when THEY are asked to sacrifice! My priest (my kids go to a Catholic school) even told me to "take my son home" for lunch. People just don't want to be bothered with others' problems.
But, Ms. King, you're right in that you HAVE to assure her safety. One thing I can tell you with relative certainty (based on my experience): the children in your daughter's class will probably take her allergy to heart, and be VERY protective of her. It is, unfortunately, the PARENTS of those children who will bring you grief.
I wish you luck. You're not asking for too much, so don't feel like you are!
Comment: I have been allergic to nuts, coconut and most chocolate (must use a peanut or coconut oil or something in it) all of my life. When I complained that my mouth hurt my mom didn't understand, I figured it out on my own as I got older. Not that I recommend that. But just some background. My reactions increasing became worse with age.
My brother is also allergic to nuts - diagnosed and spent his whole life from K on trying to avoid them. He is much more carefult than I am.
Kids are smarter than you think. Mike knew what could happen. He knew not to take a peanut butter sandwhich. He knew not to eat something unless he was sure of what was in it. Even as a kindergartner he could manage that. Even today he is much more careful than I am. He had many problems with teachers or lunch ladies not believing or understanding. More than once my mother had to call school - with no result back then. They resorted to bringing lunch from home the rest of his school life. But she never requested everyone to not bring something. She expeceted Mike to take on that responsibility and for others to respect his request not to eat something.
Neither one of us are allergic to them through air. My sister loves nuts and when we bake christmas cookies we bake mine first - nut free - and then she bakes hers and I stay away.
My freinds and co-workers know about my allergy - It's hard to keep it a secret when I have to pass up their home made goodies. But they are also gracious enough to let me know if there are nuts or not or to warn me - even taste test for me if necessary. But I have never asked anyone to not bring nut products to work or a party. I either graciously beg off or bring my own item I know I can eat.
Teach your child what to look for, teach them to only eat what they bring, and to not be afraid to tell even an adult no when offered or threatened detention if they don't eat the lunch or whatever. Ask others to respect their childs food decisions. The chances that they fall off the slide are greater than a life threatening accidental ingestion of peanuts. Making a big deal about the allergy is more likely to put them at a social disadvantage than to cause a bad reaction to a food.
It's a way of life. Not unlike not eating sugar because your diabetic. Or staying away from the cat because you'll be totally miserable within an hour.
Comment: muncheusen much???????
Comment: Oh for crying out loud lady, your child doesnt have cancer, dont make it bigger than what it is, go to her school ,talk to the class and give the teacher all the info she needs, Im sure most teachers have already dealt with this sort of thing at one time or another, if the girl hasnt ever shown any signs of a reaction before but she knows how to use the epi pen, then I think making a "plea for your daughter" is just a little melodramatic!
Comment: Thank you for your insightful comment. It, along with the many similar posts, illustrates perfectly one the challenges families who are dealing with food allergies face. I will not attempt to explain the validity of the article, knowing that unless you are in her (or my) shoes, you really can't understand.
And, you are right. There are many other people who face larger or more looming challenges. My assumption here is that unless you are an insulin dependant, quadruple amputee, trying to coordinate dialysis and chemo appointments, while paying $12 for a gallon of gas and facing foreclosure, you wake up every day without a complaint in the world (well, except for that pesky mom who just wants her child to be safe).
Comment: Yes, Cancer can be treated and at times cured. There is no cure for a life threatening peanut/ tree nut allergy or any other food allergy, medication, latex or insect sting. The only way to stay safe is avoid the allergen 100%. I have 3 individuals with food allergies, insect stings, and latex. Most of these allergies are easy to avoid but some times the allergen can suprise you and be there with out warning. Either by cross contaimination, inproper food labels, past residue left on a table, toy, computer key board or just taking a breath of air that contains the allergen. Just think of it as seasonal allergies. How miserable you feel when your eyes are watery, itchy; your throat is itchy, and you sneeze all the time. Most people with seasonal allergeis complain all the time. but at least there are many medicines out there to help your symptoms, and not many people die from hay fever or had to inject them with a needle to slow down a reaction before being rushed to the hospital.
Comment: Just because the little girl didn't have a reaction in the past doesn't mean she won't have a deadly reaction in the future. One time a reaction to the allergen might be hives and the next time it might be heart failure/death. You shouldn't judge so harshly, when you haven't dealt with food allergies personally. I have a 5 year old child allergic to milk, peanuts, nuts, sesame and mustard and have to read every label of the food that she eats. You think I should throw caution to the wind and let me child eat these things and see what happens. You should think twice about judging others and try to put yourself in their shoes. I agree with many people that posted here that the responsibility should be on the parents and the allergic child, but making sure teachers, classmates and parents know about the allergy is a huge help.
Comment: Dear Cantaloupe,
As a parent of a peanut allergic child myself, my only question to you is- would you put your child at risk of possible death if it were you??? From reading your comment, I assume you have children yourself, just try (for one minute) to put yourself in the other parent's shoes. If a doctor told you- we don't know if, when, or why this could happen to your child, but it might- just because it DOES happen to some people when they eat or ingest nuts accidentally, would your risk it with your child? Just a question. My husband and I have asked the same question of ourselves- are we being crazy, obsessive??? Believe me, we hate the rolled eyes and inconvenience to others as much as anyone, but the simple fact is that we have not choice. As I write this with tears in my eyes, please try to understand, if it irritates you, imagine how the parents of these children really feel.
Thanks
Comment: Michelle, I think the opening words of my post were that I would certainly do what this woman is doing, given what she knows. Read past line one. My question is more theoretical about whether we know the relationship between anitbody titers and actual allergies..
A scondary point of mine is that it's possible to protect your child without acting like the Gestapo. My son happens to have a serious shellfish allergy. I don't ask my friends not to serve shellfish, instead I send his food with him. It is not up to my entire social network to change for me, it is up to ME to protect my kid. And I do. He knows what he can eat and not eat, the parents of his friends know, but I don't walk around demanding to inspect their refrigerators or kitchehsn, I don't demand to watch them wash their dishes-----all things that some of his friends' parenta have done to me because of food allergies. You can protect your kid without acting like a complete and total jerk. Most parents want to help, you have to just have some basic respect. We are not idiots. Don't treat us like we are.
The other issue, is, quite frankly, that nut allergies seem to be new and they seem to be increasing. Many of us don't quite understand why every other kid in the first grade has a "nut allergy" when a generation ago, you never heard anything at all about it. I know of at least one instance where I am positive that the long laundry list of what Little Johnny is allergic to has very little basis in reality, and serves more to draw attention to Mom than to protect Johnny. If we did everything Mom insisted Johnny needs for a playdate, the kids would have to play in an operating room. So, yes, some of us, even those of us who have children with allergies, roll our eyes a bit when the steamroller mama shows up and starts inspecting coat pockets, trash cans, and smelling our kids' breath for telltale signs of nut consumption.
My son has coped just fine with some basic guidelines. And yes, his allergy is serious. He was in the emergency room because someone cooked shrimp on a grill before they cooked his steak. So he just brings his own food, and it's fine.
Comment: I have a daughter that is severly allergic and even if it is airborne we end up in the ER. I am happy for you that your son's shellfish allergy is not this severe but please understand that each child's case is individual and some like my daughters can even be airborne. We know that we are not the norm but we have had two times where we almost lost our daughter because even though the school thought they were being safe it was airborn and enough to put her into anaphylactic shock. We let our daughter participate in birthday parties but do pull her now when there are food activities in the school. Our doctor agrees that in her case it is life and death and it is very hard for others to understand unless you live in it.
Comment: Don't misunderstand my comment. I would do exactly the same thing as this woman, if I had the information she has. But read the article. The child has never exhibited any symptoms, they only know she has this allergy because of testing for OTHER medical problems. So my question is: Is ths really an allergy? Are we getting so sophisticated with our ability to test for diseases that we are making problems where there aren't any? Is the presence of "allergic potential" the same thing as an allergy?
I do not intend to minimize this person's situation. I would do the same thing she is given the same set of informaiton. You can't take a risk of exposure when the outcome might be death. BUT, and this is a big one---to what extent are we willing to modify our own environment and require that others modify theirs to avoid POTENTIAL potential problems. How much PROACTIVE are we willing to be?
Just an interesting thought. I have adult acquaintances who are SOOOOOOO obsessive compulsive about what their kids eat, where they play, what kind of laundry detergent I use on my sheets, etc etc, that I've given up trying to support a relationship between my kids and theirs. It just isn't worth the effort. The obsessive need they have to control the environment may be birthed in some legitiimate concerns about the child's skin rashes, or whatever, , but it is so over the top that it has become impossible for the rest of us to deal with.
Again, not trying to dismiss this op/ed contributor, but it does spur some thinking.
Comment: My son was diagnosed with peanut and tree-nut allergies ant 18 months. We have been very careful, but not crazy. His classmates and their parents have been very willing to avoid nuts in class treats, and to label lunchboxes if they do have peanut butter so Spencer will know to stay far away from them during lunch. I hope this author will get some further advice from her pediatrician and allergist so that she can take a bit of a common sense approach to her child's condition. Otherwise, she just won't be able to live her life -- the same for her daughter. Living in constant fear like that will wear her down very quickly. Just be smart, go in and talk to your childs class (Or read them a book about her condition -- there are several child-friendly books on Amazon.com that explain this allergy and how dangerous it is). You'll find others become very protective of her and become little sirens if nuts are discovered! Try to relax and allow her to have as normal a life as possible.
Comment: People with kids who are truly allergic to nuts have something to worry about. However, the person who wrote this is going unnecessarily crazy. The kid has NEVER had a reaction to nut proteins, and yet this person now thinks that she has the right to make the world revolve around her. She really needs to get a second opinion about this from a trained allergist.
Comment: I can say with great certainty that she is not unncessarily crazy. She has had the child tested by 2 allergists and the child's blood tests showed her to be severely allergic. She doesn't make unreasonable demands of others. Both her and her child accept responsibility for taking care. At 5 year's old this child will ask if something has nuts and say I can't have nuts I 'm allergic. The title for this article was selected by the magazine NOT the author.
Comment: Read the article before you comment. The child was tested by ONE doctor. In the absence of any symptoms of the supposed allergy, and before going crazy restricting the poor kids life and the lives of everyone around, the mother has an obligation to get an unbiased second opinion.
This article does a disservice to all the unfortunate kids out there who have true documented life threatening allergies to things like peanuts. The public will read this article and assume that all of them are based on the same type of overreaction and refusal to get a second opinion that this mother exhibits, and will lead them to minimize the severity of the reactions that truly allergic kids get.
Comment: Well said!
Comment: Well said!
Comment: As the mother of an adult daughter with tree nut/peanut allergy, I truly can understand your pain. My daughter now 27 was diagnosed with her food allergies when she was 2. She very nearly died 3 yrs. ago when she ate something at a company picnic that sent her into anaphylaxis. Cosmetics are a danger as well as many food items that don't obviously have nuts in them.. The smell of peanuts can set her off. There are airlines that still serve peanuts and refuse to remove them. We experienced this in Jan. on a flight from England. Terrifying for all!
Comment: Thank you for a well-written, thought-provoking and touching article. Allergies are a medical problem -- not an "inconvenience" problem -- and it's a shame that so many parents of food-allergic children are stigmatized when they ask for the things they need to keep their children healthy and alive. I wonder if people who first had to ask a city council for audible streetlights (for low-vision pedestrians) or their grade schools for wheelchair ramps (before the ADA) felt the same stigma. I can only hope that those who complain about no peanut butter in schools or different airline snacks will eventually realize that this is no different. We make accommodations all the time for people with health problems, and rightly so. Parents who have food-allergic kids (and anyone who cares about food-allergic kids, for that matter) can get excellent information and support at www.kidswithfoodallergies.com.
Comment: How embarrassing -- that should read, www.kidswithfoodallergies.org , not .com!
Comment: This hits home for so many of us who are dealing with the VERY REAL existence and danger of peanut-allergic children, and I could not have said it better myself. While I have been heartened at how supportive and understanding family and friends have been, I have been utterly dismayed to discover how many people don't care, don't get it, and worst, who want to "test" just how allergic our kids really are. Unfortunately, it's one of those things most people just don't care about - until it happens to them. Thank you for putting the issue out there, articulating beautifully what most of us in your situation feel, in words that hopefully, other people will begin to understand.
Comment: most parents will understand and work with you. our childrens friends usually end up bieng a part of our(the parents)lives too. of course it would be scary bieng responsible for some one elses child, but it's part of bieng a parent. i have 3 children which means bday parties,sleep overs,etc...several times a year! a child having severe allergies is just another obstacle we you adjust to. maybe the people on the airplane don't know that your peanuts could cause your child or someones death. if some one told me they were allergic to nuts my first thought wouldn't have been death, so........ maybe they should be more elaborate.
Comment: I had a friend die of his peanut allergy when a restaurant he had eaten at many times before changed their cooking oil without putting it on the menu. He's dead. Gone. He won't come back. Get it? Is it really that inconvenient to not have a packet of peanuts on a flight? Or to send your child to school without a peanut butter sandwich?
Comment: I fail to see the point of this article. I understand the problems this and other families face-but what are the rest of us suposed to do-swear off peanuts and milk as well? And yes I am one of those who grumble bout the lack of peanuts on airlines-why can't the allergy suferrers pack their own bag of pretzels so that the vast majority of fliers can continue to have their peanuts?
Comment: Do you need to eat peanuts on a flight? Maybe you should try to breath with a 75 pound weight on your chest while some one squeezes your throat? This is something that my three yr old little girl has to deal with when you feel you need peanuts or warm nuts on a flight.
Comment: I understand your frustration. Frankly, I was clueless about food allergies until I have a son who has it. First, you need to understand what food allergy is and will comprehend why there is no peanuts on airplane. With food allergies, it is the protein in the food that causes the person's immune system to respond and attack these proteins. When this happens, on severe cases, the allergic person can die. With the particular peanut allergy, the protein can get air born and the allergic person inhale the protein and that may causes anaphylactic reaction where the throat closes and the person cannot breath and dies. So... you would understand why you don't want a person to into anaphylactic shock on the plane. It is a small sacrifice not to have peanuts on the plane so that everyone can fly safely and efficiently.
Comment: Folks, the most important issue with food allergies is that some people are so allergic that simply breathing the dust from a nearby peanut can cause reactions including severe anaphylactic shock. It is a pain for everyone involved. It is frustrating to have to limit other people based on one or a few people's physical limitations. Unfortunatley, it's the facts. What it should make us, is all so frustrated that we force the government and any other willing researcher to find out why so many children are increasingly becoming allergic to foods, especially peanuts (all nuts really) and soy. Could it be the genetically allerted substitutes for these wonderful naturally occuring foods? The idea to increase pest and disease resistence is great, but when it introduces a food that is causing these kinds of reactions in our children, isn't that too high a price? Apparently not!
Comment: Folks, the most important issue with food allergies is that some people are so allergic that simply breathing the dust from a nearby peanut can cause reactions including severe anaphylactic shock. It is a pain for everyone involved, yes. It is frustrating to have to limit other people based on one or a few people's physical limitations, yes. Unfortunatley, it's the facts. What it should make us, is all so frustrated that we force the government and any other willing researcher to find out why so many children are increasingly becoming allergic to foods, especially peanuts (all nuts really) and soy. Could it be the genetically allerted substitutes for these wonderful naturally occuring foods? The idea to increase pest and disease resistence is great, but when it introduces a food that is causing these kinds of reactions in our children, isn't that too high a price? Apparently not!
Comment: Ok, so I might get harped on for my comment but here it goes.
I understand allergies having some of my own. I applaud people for being self aware, and for taking care of their children when faced with such a burden during their life. Being your own advocate is the best way to make sure that you are taken care of.
The problem I have is when it comes to freedom of choice for others being restricted, and the motives behind the restriction. When airlines don???t serve peanuts or schools ban peanut butter from the lunch room don???t think it is 100% focused on the safety of the people/kids with allergies. To believe that would be foolish. No, the main reason for these restrictions is fear of lawsuits. Lawsuits like that are usually brought about by people who are not self aware, and do not advocate for themselves, but prefer to have the government and business do it all for them.
I must admit, I do get a little irritated when I can???t get peanuts on a plane. I think part of the eye-rolling problem is that peanut/nut allergies are the focus of restrictions, while other food/environmental allergies are left out.
Comment: For more insight into the lives of those who must deal with food allergies, check out the Living with Food Allergies blog carnival. It comes out every other Thursday and includes articles written by food allergy sufferers or parents of kids with food allergies. You might learn something! Here is the link: http://blogcarnival.com/bc/cprof_2597.html
Comment: I am in tears because I can relate to Kings story. It is hard and maybe that is why I came down with shingles from stress last September at the age of 36. My son will be two on June 8th. We learned of his allergy early on when I was still breast feeding. We found out that he is severe allergic to diary, eggs, soy, all nuts, peanuts (legume), all seafood including shellfish. I had to cut off all these food from my diet and breast fed him until a little past an year old. It is difficult even now, even though it is getting easier because we've kind of figured out what to feed him. Restaurants are off limit . I think the biggest fear of eating out is trusting the chef to make sure to soap and wash all the pots, knives and cutting board to eliminate any cross contamination. I also dread taking him to the toddler music classes. I would have to make sure everyone will cooperate where they wash their hands and mouth before coming to class so that they don't accidentally pass on any food protein that my son is allergic to. I had to terminate my gym membership because the childcare facility could not ensure my son's safety. He did break out in hives from contact. I do hope one day that he will outgrew many of his allergies. Food allergies is a life changing event for the whole family. I do hope that a lot of people will understand the stress and difficulties we face and will be able to understand and cooperate in school or class room settings and make public places safer for food allergic kids.
Comment: My son also has multiple severe food allergies: peanut, tree nut, milk, egg, soy , fish and shellfish and recently peas! He is 8 years old, and now knows how to give himself the Epi Pen. This is heartbreaking to watch, but I am proud is learning how to protect himself. I can tell you that I have dealt with the eye rolling and skepticism from others before, even family members. The most important thing is to try to educate the people that your child comes in contact with most frequently: the teachers, the room mothers, the parents of his closest friends. The rate of severe food allergies has doubled in the past 10 years. There will be even more kids like your son and mine in the future. The best we can do is network with other parents of kids with food allergies, work to educate others, and lobby our elected officials to keep our kids safe at school and increase funding for food allergy research.
Comment: Thank you, Ms. King, for summing up so eloquently my life since my daughter was diagnosed 6 years ago at 18 months old. Her allergy is severe, and biphasic, and we have become all too aware of issues such as cross-contamination, school parties, and Epi-pens. Fortunately, we have found a wonderful school which completely understands the severity of allergies, and works to make the school a safe place for her. You would be amazed at how her classmates look out for her safety, and will change seats in the lunchroom if one of them brings in peanut butter sandwiches. Since my daughter is not allergic to airborne peanut dust, this is an acceptable alternative for us. Clearly, this doesn't work for everone. Allergies can have varying levels of severity, and what is will cause a few irritating hives for one child is deadly for another. The stakes are too high for any one of us to presume to know what an allergic child "can" or "should" be able to do.
Comment: I am insanely proud of my cousin... Yes I said my cousin.
I too have rolled my eyes and complained about not being able to have a little bag of peanuts on an airplane.
Only now have I learned of Lydia's allergies and as an older cousin I would do the same. I would welcome the fact that I would have to " Nut proof " my house and I am in love with my cashews. I hope that everyone can understand the love that a parent has for their child "no matter how old" and how they would do the same thing .
PM
Comment: I am insanely proud of my cousin... Yes I said my cousin.
I too have rolled my eyes and complained about not being able to have a little bag of peanuts on an airplane.
Only now have I learned of Lydia's allergies and as an older cousin I would do the same. I would welcome the fact that I would have to " Nut proof " my house and I am in love with my cashews. I hope that everyone can understand the love that a parent has for their child "no matter how old" and how they would do the same thing .
PM
Comment: I am very glad that Newsweek has given food allergies more coverage. This problem is serious and is not going away. It was refreshing to read the authors description - 'peanut allergies are like mutual funds, past performance is no guarantee of future results'' because it perfectly describes the complexity of a food allergy reaction. Peanuts are not the only 'mutual funds' in the food allergy world, any food can be life threatening and show different results each time.
Taking care of a child with food allergies is a life altering adjustiment for everyone who is in contact with the child. A parent of a child or teen with food allergies is on alert every minute of every day just in case. It is stressful enough dealing with food manufactureres, restaurants, grocery stores, birthday parties, and the list goes on. Recently my son had a food allergic reaction to a supposed 'all beef' hot dog at a baseball game and it turned out the hot dog contained non fat dry milk. We spend the next 5 hours in the hospital monitoring him in case of a secondary reaction. Luckily he only vomited but last time (4 years ago) his throat began to close. Many people do not know that after ingesting a life threating food allergen there is a good possibility of a secondary reaction called a 'biphasic' reaction which is usually worse than the first and can be fatal. It takes approximately 6 hours to know whether the biphasic will occur.
The people who abuse, neglect, and deny the rights and needs of a food allergic child or adult are without question bullies with the intent to cause harm and possibly death. Those are the people who lack compassion and conscientiousness for their fellow man, woman, or child.
Comment: Rebecca - thank you so very much for this article! My daughter has a severe nut allergy, and we found out the scary way. She is only 3, and I can't tell you how nerve wracking it was to send her to preschool. The teachers in her classroom have been great about keeping a peanut nut free zone. However, this weekend, one of the parents had planned peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for our end of year picnic! A very thoughtful friend in the parent group quickly discussed with her how big a risk that was - imagine, 20 preschoolers and their toddler siblings running wild through the park with peanut butter all over their hands and faces - my worst nightmare. I consider myself a laid-back mom, and so I always have pangs when going to someone's house and quizzing them on the contents of their well-cooked meal. But it IS worth it . . . I'm not risking my daughter's health over anything. As for the comment below on "overmedicating" - there is no medication for a peanut allergy currenlty. The only prevention is abstinence, and the only medication is an EPI pen. I never, ever want to use our EPI pen. That said, we DO eat out, get ice cream, go to the bakery, etc . . . we evaluate the ingredients, and hope that by teaching our daughter how to ask the right questions, she will be better prepared when she's old enough for elementary school, overnites, etc. You need to do what makes you most comfortable. Good luck!
Comment: Before you tell your daughter that she can never go to a donut shop again, get a second opinion. If you say she's been fine all these years and has sat next to her brother playing in peanut butter, it might very well be a false diagnosis. I was tested for allergies a few years ago and was diagnosed with allergies to numerous items that have never bothered me over my 30 years. Our society tends to overmedicate children from their earliest years. Before you ruin your family's life, do yourself a favor and go see another doctor.
Comment: I am a preschool teacher who has been "inconvenienced " (as some people want to call it) by dealing with student food allergies. I hope those who complain about being "inconvenienced" never witness a child going into anaphylactic shock. I WOULD MUCH RATHER BE INCONVENIENCED/OVEPROTECTIVE THAN WITNESS A CHILD STRUGGLING TO STAY ALIVE!!! Thanks for the info about the online support group...I'll pass along the information.
Comment: comment: I have had an allergy to peanuts for over 50 years. I have been faced with meatloaf , at the school lunch room being augmented with peanut butter. I have been to birthday parties as a child and to adult cocktail parties all with peanuts. I have been to the hospital because of my mistakes. As a child I was able to intermingle with the populas without side affects. Yes I do believe this mother is a little over the top, and the athought that restraunts, ice cream parlors, and a host of public places are now off limits is an overreaction in at the highest degree. A little common since goes a long way, and I know her child has this and will dvelop even more, no matter what her mother does.
By the way the child must have multiple allergies, peanuts and tree nuts are not related, peanuts are a legume, closely related to peas. The species are no more related to tree uts then they are tomatoes. I feel badly that she has both. By the way the reaction to expose woresens many times as you age. I hope this is not her case.
