Monday, September 29, 2008
You Are In The Right Place
No, don't go away. You are in the right place. I am just trying out a new look.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Reading for Pizza
There was an article last week in the Washington Post about local schools trying to limit the amount of food used as prizes. It was ironic because in the same the same week I found this in our Kindergarten handbook regarding encouraging reading.
"Every time your child has read 10 books he/she will be rewarded with a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut!"
Excuse my sarcasm but Oh joy! Just what the diary allergic child wants! A personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut!
I have emailed the teacher (in a honey not vinegar sort of way) to ask what alternative she might be offering Max or if I should come up with a prize myself.
"Every time your child has read 10 books he/she will be rewarded with a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut!"
Excuse my sarcasm but Oh joy! Just what the diary allergic child wants! A personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut!
I have emailed the teacher (in a honey not vinegar sort of way) to ask what alternative she might be offering Max or if I should come up with a prize myself.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Firsts
My friend over at Monkey Business was running a contest about writing about firsts. Entries were due yesterday but here is mine. Day late and dollar short.
The first time you give your infant ice cream is usually a joyous fun occasion. My mother had really looked forward to giving Max his first bite so we had taken him to a local ice cream shop. Upon putting the spoon of vanilla frozen yogurt in his mouth, he pushed it out and made a face. Then the strangest thing happened. The area around his mouth got red and these large white bumps pushed to the surface of his skin. They happened so fast it looked like his skin was bubbling. What scared me was what my Mom said, "I've never seen that happen before." I couldn't imagine what was happening that my own mother had never seen before. In the car he kept clearing his throat like something was caught. Once home he threw up. The pediatric nurse at our doctors office thought it was nothing, "A skin reaction, maybe." is what she said. So this first was followed by many repeats of the same until we figured out Max had food allergies.
The first time Max was skin tested and subsequently diagnosed was heartbreaking. The doctor explaining anaphylaxis. The nurse demonstrating the Epi-pen and saying, "You need to take it everywhere, even if you are just running to the grocery store." I left shaking my head, thinking "They have got to be wrong."
The first time one of my children needed epinephrine was also heartbreaking. It happened at the allergist office and for some reason marked for me the seriousness of my children's allergies. However, there are firsts we haven't experienced yet, the first time I will have to administer the epi-pen myself, the first time we visit the ER, the first time for accidental ingestion of one of our biggie allergens. I know these could be very real for us. They aren't firsts I look forward too.
There is an elusive first we haven't experienced which I hope and dream and pray for everyday. The first time one of my children outgrow one of their allergens. Please God let me have that first.
The first time you give your infant ice cream is usually a joyous fun occasion. My mother had really looked forward to giving Max his first bite so we had taken him to a local ice cream shop. Upon putting the spoon of vanilla frozen yogurt in his mouth, he pushed it out and made a face. Then the strangest thing happened. The area around his mouth got red and these large white bumps pushed to the surface of his skin. They happened so fast it looked like his skin was bubbling. What scared me was what my Mom said, "I've never seen that happen before." I couldn't imagine what was happening that my own mother had never seen before. In the car he kept clearing his throat like something was caught. Once home he threw up. The pediatric nurse at our doctors office thought it was nothing, "A skin reaction, maybe." is what she said. So this first was followed by many repeats of the same until we figured out Max had food allergies.
The first time Max was skin tested and subsequently diagnosed was heartbreaking. The doctor explaining anaphylaxis. The nurse demonstrating the Epi-pen and saying, "You need to take it everywhere, even if you are just running to the grocery store." I left shaking my head, thinking "They have got to be wrong."
The first time one of my children needed epinephrine was also heartbreaking. It happened at the allergist office and for some reason marked for me the seriousness of my children's allergies. However, there are firsts we haven't experienced yet, the first time I will have to administer the epi-pen myself, the first time we visit the ER, the first time for accidental ingestion of one of our biggie allergens. I know these could be very real for us. They aren't firsts I look forward too.
There is an elusive first we haven't experienced which I hope and dream and pray for everyday. The first time one of my children outgrow one of their allergens. Please God let me have that first.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunflower Oil
Oh, one other thing. Dr. B. doesn't think we need to avoid sunflower oil as it is highly refined. So watch out! I am going to buy any darn brand of tortilla chip I want!
Sesame Allergy...Or Not
We just got back from the allergist where Owen had a skin test for milk, egg, peanut, soy, wheat, strawberry and, of course because of our recent experience, sesame. Interesting outcome. Sesame was completely negative. It barely even got red. We will still follow up with a RAST (time for our annual testing anyway) but for us skin tests have generally been a good indication of allergy.
Results of the others some happy surprises and some not happy non-surprises. Peanut was also negative. Yea! We have never tested peanut before so cross fingers that we have dodged the peanut bullet. Egg was a HUGE positive. Second in size only to Max's first peanut scratch test at age 1. No surprise really considering Owen's last experience with egg. Milk was positive but not much larger than the control and soy and strawberry weighed in with a little red bump for each. As he is consuming both regularly, Dr. B. thought these were still okay for us.
So again, sesame allergy or cross-contam with those darn Back to Nature crackers? (David just thinks 2 year old 25 pound boys should just not consume a half a box Ginger Sesame Crackers.)
Results of the others some happy surprises and some not happy non-surprises. Peanut was also negative. Yea! We have never tested peanut before so cross fingers that we have dodged the peanut bullet. Egg was a HUGE positive. Second in size only to Max's first peanut scratch test at age 1. No surprise really considering Owen's last experience with egg. Milk was positive but not much larger than the control and soy and strawberry weighed in with a little red bump for each. As he is consuming both regularly, Dr. B. thought these were still okay for us.
So again, sesame allergy or cross-contam with those darn Back to Nature crackers? (David just thinks 2 year old 25 pound boys should just not consume a half a box Ginger Sesame Crackers.)
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Adding an Allergen?
History: Owen is 2. Allergic to milk, egg and sunflower seed. Tested positive for sesame last year with a .44. The allergist asked if he had had sesame and yes he had, by accident (hummus), but liked it so much and had no reaction so I let him continue eating it. Allergist said this was okay. He has over the last year eaten lots of hummus and sesame crackers, etc. He is allergic to sunflower seed. Gets all over body hives from sunflower protein (namely sunbutter) touching his skin BUT RAST tested at .24 (what?). Has never consumed sunbutter but previously ate numerous things with sunflower oil.
Current issue: Two days ago I had bought a box of Owen and I's favorite crackers. Back to Nature's Ginger Sesame Crackers (contains sesame seeds and expeller pressed sesame oil). We have been known to polish off the whole box in one day. He ate quite a few in the morning. After nap I gave him a baggie of them as we picked up Max from school. When we got home he had a few hives on his stomach and then some on his face. Later he had a loose stool. All day yesterday he had diarrhea which has left his little bum red and raw. So I think it is a mild reaction to something and is similar to his milk reactions. We had started giving him whole milk yogurt and things containing milk after he turned one (pressure from pediatrician because he was underweight) and it always resulted in a few hives and diarrhea. (To which one of the pediatricians at the practice we go to did not think indicated an allergy and wanted me to start WHOLE MILK in a cup instead of eliminating milk all together, idiot).
So I am left wondering was his reaction to sesame (he ate A LOT of crackers) or cross contamination. I know that Back to Nature also makes a White Cheddar Rice Cracker and I read in Kids Food Allergy blog that Back to Nature does not do a good job with cross contam labeling.
What do you all think?
Current issue: Two days ago I had bought a box of Owen and I's favorite crackers. Back to Nature's Ginger Sesame Crackers (contains sesame seeds and expeller pressed sesame oil). We have been known to polish off the whole box in one day. He ate quite a few in the morning. After nap I gave him a baggie of them as we picked up Max from school. When we got home he had a few hives on his stomach and then some on his face. Later he had a loose stool. All day yesterday he had diarrhea which has left his little bum red and raw. So I think it is a mild reaction to something and is similar to his milk reactions. We had started giving him whole milk yogurt and things containing milk after he turned one (pressure from pediatrician because he was underweight) and it always resulted in a few hives and diarrhea. (To which one of the pediatricians at the practice we go to did not think indicated an allergy and wanted me to start WHOLE MILK in a cup instead of eliminating milk all together, idiot).
So I am left wondering was his reaction to sesame (he ate A LOT of crackers) or cross contamination. I know that Back to Nature also makes a White Cheddar Rice Cracker and I read in Kids Food Allergy blog that Back to Nature does not do a good job with cross contam labeling.
What do you all think?
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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