Aug. 19, 2007 - Food Allergies
I am always thinking about food allergies.
But this weekend has been especially significant, being it was our anniversary. Our anniversary last year, I spent about 10 hours in the hospital with our youngest - his first anaphylactic reaction to a food. Thankfully this year, we did not have a repeat performance!
But I got to thinking how his health challenges, specifically food allergies, have changed our lives. We’ve dealt with food allergies since my oldest - now 6 ½ years old - was about 18 months. I knew he had food allergies before he was that old. In fact, I suspected wheat allergy when he started eating Cheerios - America’s first food - at around 6 months but I gave in to everyone poo-pooing me as an overprotective mother. I continued to let him have wheat, soy, diary, etc until finally his eczema, constant diarrhea and his disposition brought me to a nutritionist who started guiding me through eliminating those highly allergenic foods. And his skin cleared and he became the happy boy we know and love today.
But even then, I didn’t take his allergies seriously enough. I didn’t know any better. Even our pediatrician gave me ‘the look’ when I mentioned his allergies. You know ‘the look’. The ‘you’re a little wacko, but you’re MOM so I won’t say it out loud, I’ll just look at you in a way that lets you know I don’t believe the whole food allergy scheme as much as you do’ Look. I gave in to pressure from family to allow snacks, candies, treats, fast food, etc much more often than I should have. Wondering now - now that I know the research and statistics I didn’t know then - if he’d have outgrown his allergies more substantially at this age if I had been more strict with his avoidance.
But our little N has taken that to a new level. Because his allergies don’t just cause eczema or diarrhea. They are life threatening. We can have everything turned upside down and be facing a life-and-death situation in a matter of seconds. My husband and I have seen that reality first hand. We keep the stuff (nuts, most diary, eggs, fish/shellfish, most wheat) out of the house. We never eat at restaurants anymore. We never even have take-out with the kids anymore. We load the diaper bag with Benadryl and his EpiPens EVERY TIME we leave the house. We live with a constant reminder of what could be. But others don’t. Others for the most part, still don’t get it. They don’t live with it, they don’t bother to inform themselves, and so we - mostly me - are left looking overprotective and over-reactive to their ignorance.
My dear, dear friend Nichole tells me how much Nolan has changed her life. That she’s so much more aware of allergies, especially foods. Always asking parents when she’s caring for other children (she volunteers at the YMCA), always thinking about cross-contamination, being careful not to bring things to our home that Nolan is allergic to. It is so refreshing. It’s hard enough to keep it out of the house ourselves, then to have to be police for everyone else that comes over...it’s not a fun position to be in. But it’s that or N’s life, so I put him before what everyone else thinks of me. LOL
Here is a YouTube video that I think is great. These kids are so cute, and they are old enough to know that their allergies are serious. Personally, I don’t think there will be a cure for food allergies, though I suppose there is always hope. It is going to boil down to better public awareness and getting the most common and severe allergens out of public areas (not necessarily restaurants, but libraries, schools, etc). Please watch this video, and make yourself more aware of allergic kids!
~Lindsay
Comments
Aug. 19, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by BChsMamaof3
Thanks for sharing that little bit about your sons allergies : ) It is hard to really understand what it must be like day in day out with a child with severe food allergies like you wrote unless you have experienced it first hand. I don't know anyone with a child that has allergies so I never think about cross contamination or what might be in the foods we serve. Hope you are enjoying a blessed Lord's day : )
BChsMamaof3
