**UPDATE: As of August 2012 we now know that Rascal has an allergy to ALL nuts and nut products (not just peanuts). You can read a post about that here. **
Rascal is not allowed near peanuts or anything with peanuts in it. If he happens to eat (even using the same serving utensils that have touched peanuts without being washed will cause a reaction) or have peanuts touch him (we can't eat it and kiss him due to possibility of the peanut protein transferring to his skin and causing a reaction) then he must immediately take Benedryl. So far this has been all we have needed to do, however we ave had two allergists tell us we have been lucky. The next reaction could be the one that lands him in the hospital.
Bless his heart he has learned to live with the "rules" of what to eat and what not to eat and he has even gotten a whole lot better not having as much anxiety about it. We have ordered these cool allergy alert bracelets (found on eBay) for him to wear in hopes that it will be a reminder to his teachers and everyone he comes in contact with.
Oh how I wish it was different for us. How I wish I could go back to not worrying about leaving him anywhere and everywhere, how I could go back to being clueless about peanut allergies and how I wish Rascal didn't have to be so aware of everything he eats.
It's now become a way of life to us and even though keeping our house free of peanuts and tree nuts has become easier some things seem to surface quite often. Take for instance the start of the school year. I feel every teacher is fearful that they will get "the highly allergic to peanuts child" in their class each year. This pains me! Then after informing the teacher about reactions, precautions, plans of action and so on, I then have to attend the back to school class meetings and inform the parents. Just think about it..... Your at your child's school and some parent tells everyone about their child's severe peanut allergy. So now even though your child has no allergies, you still have to pack lunches, snacks and special treats for the class that are as if they were allergic. Hard to swallow for some! I can feel the eyes glaring at me as I sit there in the classroom, people probably thinking to themselves what's the big deal, so your kid is allergic but mine isn't or is this mom blowing things out of proportion?
Maybe they aren't all thinking these things but I know from experience... .before we found out about Rascal's allergy, I would have thought the same things.
God bless the sweet parents who don't roll their eyes and take every precaution necessary for my child's health.
Then there are play dates, slumber parties, birthday parties and/ or field trips when others close by have brought the ever popular PBJ sandwich or items with peanut butter or nuts are being served. We like to say we have a special radar (when really it is just God watching out for us) and can spot it very quickly and we move away from it. Sounds simple but poor Rascal knows it's because of him that others have to follow such rules or that he has to move away or wear a special bracelet. No one wants that for their child. I wish I could change it for him. I don't want Rascal to be singled out or not included so I try to make things as easy as possible for others. It's hard when I drop him off at a friend's house or a party and I have to know what they are eating and then inform the parents of what steps to take (QUICKLY) if he has a reaction. I know they are most likely scared out of their mind. Thankfully God has sent some pretty amazing friends in Rascal's life and they have gone out of their way to make sure their house or party is safe for Rascal. That to me, is better than the best gift I could possibly imagine getting.
Saying that your child has a severe allergy to something kind of just sugar coats it. Truth be told.... Rascal is so allergic to peanuts (and possibly tree nuts too) that within minutes his tongue starts to swell and itch and then it only progress to respiratory problems! If not treated right away his allergy to peanuts becomes life threatening!! Just let that sink in real good! It's frightening!!
My God is so good and last year He sent an sweet sweet friend to be Rascal's teacher. She was my answer to prayer. I was almost at the point of homeschooling him so I could keep a better eye on him but I'm not sure that would have been the best thing. He needed to be with friends and he learned to always have his eye out for what others were eating around him. That alone was a very important thing for him to learn besides reading, writing and all the other academic skills.
This year we start all over with another teacher. We have already gone through all the details with her and the next step is telling the parents. Thankfully the same God that brought us a great teacher last year, is still in control of the situation and I have complete trust that he will take control of everything this year. It's the ONLY way I have any peace about letting him out from under my wings.
Peanut allergies scare me so bad. Although my kids don't have it, Xander only eats peanut butter and honey sandwiches. And when we go to church or now his enrichment class, or anywhere there are kids that might be allergic, he's not allowed to eat it until we get home. And never before going out, just to be safe. It's not annoying to me at all, I just feel that just a simple thing could prevent something major.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter's best friend (they are 6) has a severe peanut alleryg. We make sure that our house is a safe enviroment for her when she comes over to play and spend the night. We even made sure my daughter's birthday party was totally peanut free so the mom and friend didn't have to worry about anything. It is a small sacrifice to keep another child safe! I love her like my own. Praying for all of the peanut allegy children that they have a safe and happy school year. Take care!!
ReplyDeletePeanut allergies are so scary to me! My boys have high functioning Autism and the youngest has complex heart defects, so I kinda know what it feels like to deal with 'invisible' issues.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great and peanut-free school year!
Lisa @All That and a Box of Rocks
I am a teacher and have had lots of kids with peanut allergies. One family when I taught kindergarten said they'd like to bring a "treat box" for their son. This turned out to be a wonderful idea. When parents bring in cupcakes, treats for birthdays, etc, I as a teacher can read the labels but up here in Canada they all say "may contain traces of . ." or "was processed in a factory that has nuts". I will not take the chance as I too treat the child like my own. To be able to go to the "treat box" and let that child pick out their own treat puts everybody mind at ease. Yes, it singles the child out a bit but at least they get something rather than watching all their classmates eat. I just can't trust other parents. That sounds terrible but when I have two epi-pens for two different children in my desk drawer as well as duplicates in the medical room, I'm not taking any chances. This year I am no longer allowed to post my own computer made "peanut-free zone" sign as legally I can't guarantee that. One of our special education assistants is on a provincial organization that is going to supply us with new signs. I hope Rascal continues to get understand and caring teachers.
ReplyDeleteFound your blog through Lucy's. The school that my son goes to is a peanut free school! I think this makes it easy on everyone. Maybe more schools will be doing this in the future.
ReplyDeleteI have an 18 year old son that is severely allergic to peanuts, nut products, etc. He was diagnosed with the allergy at 18 months old. Like you, we could not eat peanuts then kiss him b/c he would get hives immediately. I stopped buying all nut products during his younger years. It was very difficult in the beginning reading labels of everything, visiting people, bakery products, etc. But I can tell you from experience over the past 18 years that things will get easier the older your son gets. When my son was younger, his elementary classes had activities using peanut butter (for example covering pine cones with peanut butter to hang outdoors for the animals to eat). My son sat at a separate table and did the same activity using cream cheese. I didn't have a problem with him being separated as it was for his own protection and I felt it wouldn't be fair that the entire class should be prevented from doing something due to his allergy. He was still able to participate in the project by substituting cream cheese and he was not being exposed to the peanut butter. The school nurse always kept one in her office and it went on field trips with my son as well. Now that my son is 18 we do keep peanuts and peanut butter in the house, as my younger son (who is not allergic) loves peanut butter. My son knows how to self-administer the epi-pen and it goes with us on vacations, it is just one more thing to pack along with the toothpaste. As your son grows up he won't have to "think" about it so much - he will just "know" what products he can and cannot have. It will become second nature to him and you, as his mom, will be able to breathe a little easier as he is out there on his own. There is light at the end of the tunnel, I promise you.
ReplyDeleteI meant to type that the school nurse kept an epi-pen in her office during the school year.
ReplyDeleteI am an adult with a peanut allergy, not anaphlactic but bad enough that I need to avoid them and not touch them. I am also a teacher so I often have to label my room peanut free, for my safety! We use soynut butter at our house and the daycare we use is nut and sunflower free.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest has an oat allergy, she is growing out of it but at 6 months it caused head to toe rash and projectile vomiting. Not cool.... I had to scare our daycare over that allergy and although they would not eliminate the precious toddler cheerios from the room, she was well protected when anyone ate them. Now thatwe know she is not allergic to the oat fiber, we are going to reintroduced the whole oat very slowly.
It gets so much easier as adult and my allergy decreased once I reached 30.
I wanted to write and share with you that this post convicted me. I've been one of those eye rolling parents who was slightly annoyed when someone shared about their child's allergies. I know, I know that's horrible, but it's true. BUT truly reading what you wrote and the comments, I realize that it's not more than just horrible. Having that kind of attitude is not loving and it's not caring and it's not looking out for other's interest and it's wrong.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I'd like to ask for some advice. I have 5 kiddos, and by God's grace they are all extremely healthy with no known allergies. My kiddos eat "healthy PB&J" sandwiches nearly every day for lunch whether we are at home or on the go. I say healthy, because I guess it makes me feel better about the fact that I let them have that (their favorite) everyday. We use healthy peanut butter, real fruit jelly spread, and 100% whole wheat bread. They love it. I feel good about it, because it is pretty healthy. And it's cheap and easy. I'm thinking that we should stop taking PB&J when we are going to be eating in a public place like a playground or park. Do you have any ideas or suggestions on what would be a lunch alternative that would be safe, health, and easy to take?
I feel like even though I don't know you I should say I'm sorry for my bad attitude in the past. So for what's it's worth, I AM truly sorry.
Blessings,
J
Hi! I found your blog through Lucy's:) I am junior girl and a private high school. I have severe allergies as well as your son. While I am allergic to dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, raw tomatoes, and avacados, peanut are the only allergen I cannot even breathe in as I will go into anaphylactic shock within minutes. I go to a private school which has about 100 students in the whole high school. While others have been asked to keep the high school peanut free, not everyone remembers.... It's not that they purposefully bring peanut products, it's just not something people take seriously! I have had my fair share of eye rolls and "are you serious" looks. Being the one who had to bring a special cupcake or had to order a special pizza has not always been the easiest. I have had some pretty scary reactions and always carry my Epi-Pen with me EVERYWHERE I go. I have decides that this will not e something in my life that prevents me from what I want to do but enables me to be a stronger person because of it. I know going to college and married life in the future won't always be easy, but I'm determined to stay safe and happy and I encourage you and your son in your peanut free walk! -Jordan Elizabeh
ReplyDeleteFound you from Kelly's link up. I have a son with a peanut allergy too. Have you heard about people using Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture to cure it? We just heard about these options and will look into it.
ReplyDeleteJust found your link through Kelly's Korner. My son also has a life-threatening peanut and tree nut allergy. It is so scary. He is anaphylactic and we just recently had a reaction that didn't occur until 4 hours after he had contact with the allergen. We didn't even give him anything with peanuts or tree nuts so it HAD to be cross contamination, meaning something touched a nut somehow. We always have two-four EpiPens with us at all times.
ReplyDelete