"They will have to deal with it"

I am not often appalled by people's comments or their behavior. Today was one of a few times. Perhaps I am just spoiled by the parents in H's class as they try to follow the rules regarding Peanuts in the classroom. Some have even approached me asking what they can bring so she can be safe and not feel left out. They do not want to do anything that could cause her harm. I like to think most parents are that way--no one wants to cause another child harm.

I was in the store earlier and spoke to a lady who was checking out a huge box of peanut butter crackers. She stated that they were for her son's classroom. Then she got this sneer(no other way to describe it honestly) and said "we aren't supposed to bring in peanut stuff but its his favorite snack. They will just have to deal with it"

When people say things like that, I always try to tell myself that they simply need more education on the subject. Before Hannah had her first reaction, I knew next to nothing about anaphylaxis. I am aware of that and I understand that most people do not understand the complex nature of food allergies. That being said, I would NOT go against the class rules and knowingly bring in something that would harm another child. That's blatant disregard of rules and safety.

I was at work during this conversation and was not able to say anything to her. Honestly, I am not even sure if I would have otherwise. It was obvious that she knew that there were children with allergies and she still choose to bring in something that could harm them, because it was what her son wanted. I don't think any words would get through to her, sadly.

All I can say is that I am SO thankful that H's teachers are allergy aware and SO extremely cautious about what foods come in the classroom for snack. I also hope that she changes her mind and brings in a snack that is safe for all the children in the classroom.

Deck the halls with peanuts, almonds, and other non safe foods

If there is one thing that I have learned since 2009, we( people in general) put WAY to much emphasis on food--and its not even the healthy kind! Think about it! If there is a morning meeting at work, there are usually doughnuts present.  If there is a celebration to honor a new life or journey, there is cake and goodies involved. If its a holiday with the family, there is food of ALL types galore.

It seriously never stops. It has came to the point, that kids can't even have a 2 hour play date without some sort of cookies/crackers/goldfish laying out to munch on.

But all of us food allergy parents know the holidays are the worst. Because of course there is food but now memories are involved with the food("well your great aunt Myrna has made her fruity nut cake every year and it just wouldn't be Christmas without it.") Now that's where the tact part comes in because I think at one point we have all wanted to say "Well Christmas won't be the same if sally has to be taken from your house via squad because she can't breath either"

In a perfect world, everyone would truly understand life threatening food allergies. We would explain to them the allergy itself and the deadly dangers of cross contamination, and that would be the end of any food issue. Of course it is not a perfect world and other parents of FA kids have the similar issues with some family members at holidays.

Some tips/suggestions that I have used over the last year and a half for our specific situation. Obviously each family is different and what works for us may not for every family.

Tips for Family holiday get-together with your FA child

--Talk with the host of the event. Do they understand the depths of the allergy including cross contamination? Do you trust them to check every single item and ingredient put into the dinner to make the whole dinner "safe" for your child? If so, that's great and you will need to talk with other people who may be bringing food in as well.

--Offer to make some food dishes so you can be 110% sure of its safety. Desserts are always a good place to start because its a common hiding place for peanuts, and a high possibility of cross contamination.

--Remind all family about the severity of your child's allergy. Ask them to never give your child ANY food without asking you first. Please do this away from the child. Not because the child doesn't already know about it but if there is resistance to not having nuts, the child does not need to hear that and feel guilty that their allergy is causing someone else to have an issue.

--If you have a young child, remind them to ask you before eating anything and what to do if they should feel "sick or different". Show them what "safe" goodies you brought for them so they can still partake in the dessert table.

--Do not let others lay a guilt trip on you. You are making these peanut free requests to your FAMILY for the safety of your child. They should want to keep the child safe as much as you do.

--Perhaps this one is on a personal level, but I have heard other parents say the same thing. Do not let people(family members or not) talk about "how horrible it is that sally can't eat this, or this, or even this" in front of the child.

--This one seems pretty obvious(but I have seen it before) but make sure the host does not have out candy trays full of nuts laying about the house.

--Always ALWAYS have the epi pen handy. There are still some areas without 911, so make sure you have the number for the local EMS with the epi or programmed in your phone(if you are traveling.) Accidents do happen and we must stay prepared.

--Last but not least, if you read all these suggestions and say "listen that's great but I still don't feel comfortable taking my FA child to my family's get together"...I totally understand.  You can always choose to have a safe get together at your house later on in the day or the next weekend. You can make a small brunch, prepare it all yourself, and know that your child is safe. If family wants to come, that's great. If not, that's fine too because its time to start your own safe traditions. For your child's sake and safety.  That's what we did for Thanksgiving.


I really hope that everyone has a safe and reaction free holiday!

Breakfast with Santa and other holiday joy

 Last weekend, Hannah and I put up the Christmas tree. I love putting up the tree and looking at all the ornaments and the memories. This year I was able to show Hannah the ornaments that were my favorites when I was a kid. or the ones I made for my mom when I was a kid. Then I showed her which ones were given to her the last few years from grandparents and aunts/uncles. We danced to Christmas music and sang the whole time!


 We went yesterday to the "Breakfast with Santa" at our Church. I knew that there would be tons of non safe home baked goodies there but I also knew that there would be games and of course Santa. I don't want her missing out on fun activities because there is unsafe food. She really did SO GOOD!! My big girl walked right past the huge tables of unsafe foods without a glance or a peep. Its like they didn't even exist!

Her attention was directed at the "reindeer games" they had all around the gym, the craft areas, and then eventually Santa. Although she wasn't too sure about the guy in red at first. We were there playing games and doing crafts for nearly 3 hours--it was a great morning!!! 

planning for a peanut free trick or treat

Geez it's been forever since I have been able to blog. My laptop doesn't work good anymore so have to blog from my phone. Not a simple task for me since this blogging thing is new to me.

It's nearly Halloween and trick or treat time. This will be Hannah's first year going. She wanted to go last year but ended up falling asleep in her costume. Lol.

After much debate--I decided that we would have "safe"(peanut free) candy here at the house. Once we got back to house, we would switch out the unsafe for the safe candy. We are only going to a few houses here by our house anyways. I was concerned that she might be upset because she couldn't have certain candy(realistically most of it) even though she does understand her allergy. If I tell her a food isn't safe, she normally accepts it and moves on. Although I have been getting a lot of "why does it have peanuts?" lately.

So we had a trial run at my work when they had a scavenger hunt for candy. I brought a bag of safe Candy to give her if needed. Needless to say, it was. There was only one station that she could partake in...and it was silly bands. She did not care that she couldn't have the candy there..she told me that she was super happy that I had safe candy. So I think Halloween will be just fine. She is so excited to go trick or treating this year, so I am determined to make it safe and fun for her.

This is last year--shortly before she fell asleep and missed trick or treat lol

This year--right before the Halloween Scavenger Hunt at work.

I am super paranoid about Halloween candy. Because most of the candy allergy info is printed on the big bag that it came in...not the individual bags inside. Many people don't understand that it just not peanuts she can't have. Its also candy made in the same facility with peanuts present. That really narrows down the choices A LOT. So if I am not 110% sure its safe...then we say its not safe. Its ridiculous to take a chance with Halloween candy of all things.

I did see a few options at the store this year for non food/peanut free trick or treat items. I bought a bag of mini play doughs,  bag of mini raisin boxes, and 2 bags of peanut free candy to give out as well. 

Our trick or treat is this Thursday so we will see how it goes. I hope all of you have a safe and fun Halloween! Remember your epi pen on trick or treat night even if you are just going around the neighborhood!

how making calzones gave me a great idea!

It all started out innocently thanks to my friend Jess (zookeeperjess) who gave me a yummy homemade calzone recipe. I let Hannah do a majority of the prepwork. She had a ball smearing the pizza sauce all over the dough, putting the cheese on(one shred at a time lol) and covering it all in pepperoni. After it baked, we ate them like they were going out of style. Then she told me "These are my new favorite AND the neat thing was I made them" That got me thinking....

Usually when someone has an allergic reaction, it happens in a restaurant or at someone's house(who doesnt quite understand the allergy)..what if I try to instill a love of cooking in Hannah. She might be less likely to go out and eat because she will prefer to do it herself. Now I realize that she will still go out to eat, but enjoying/loving to create her own "safe" dishes will certainly be helpful in her lifetime. Especially if we learn to make recipes "safe" that she might not be able to eat otherwise. 

If you know me at all, you might be giggling a bit. While I can cook, I am still fairly new at the game. But I am willing to learn more and if the calzones are any indication, it could be fun :)

We prepared corn on the cob and pasta salad this evening and she thought shucking corn was the best time ever :) At this point, there are limits on how she can help but its a great start for sure!

Have a Happy Easter!

Its really hard to believe Easter is nearly here! I finally have stuff for Hannah's basket--just need to put it all together.

Also, I rechecked all the expiration dates on her Epi Pens this week. We keep 2 pens with Hannah at all times. One reason is in case the first one misfires/doesn't work for some reason and another reason is that one single dose of epinephrine may not be enough for her anapylaxis.

I also added some benadryl to her "emergency pack". The cool kind(read:easy) of benadryl that comes in a pre filled spoon! Its called Children's Benadryl Perfect Measure. See their website below for specifics.

http://tinyurl.com/y9o4thj

Obviously since its prefilled, you will need to check with your allergist or physician about the dosing before adding it to your kit.  IF you are able to use it--it makes things a lot simpler AND less messy. Much easier than carrying around a full bottle plus syringe for administering.

Holidays that seem to revolve around candy/chocolate(it seems like they ALL do now) are always stressful to me. I just tell myself to take a deep breath and try to enjoy the holiday. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Easter!

Hannah's First Easter--she was totally done with the picture taking at that point :)


This pic still cracks me up--that "mom you better be done taking pictures" look on her face!

Wordless Wednesday

I went back a few months to find this picture--but its perfect. No words needed at all :)