Coming home from Florida

Today we are flew home from Florida, this time our trip was a little different. The airport security was much tighter, they made me open our bags so they could look at them and they wanted to scan the nebulizer over with a special machine to be sure it wasn't a bomb.

Then when we got on to our seats on the plane a flight attendent came and asked if there was someone in these seats who had a peanut allergy. We told her "yes", it was Nathan. She then asked questions about the smell again, we told he we didn't know for sure. She said well if we know of a peanut allergy we don't allow peanuts in the three rows before or after us. I said we mostly need to make sure that it isn't in the food. Then she said she would bring Nathan some pretzels, I said no, he was allergic to those too. Then she asked the same question I get all the time....."What can he eat?" I told her we had snacks for him and she said "ok, what about a banana or apple," I said "sure that would be fine too."

This flight didn't go as well as the flight to Florida, Nathan was tired and wanted to get home so he was a little cranky and very restless, he didn't want to sit in his seat or wear his seat belt. We ended walking to the bathroom twice to waste time.

We had to switch planes so that tired him out since we had a short lay over and pretty much ran from one plane to the next.

We got home and made him a late dinner, it is New Years Eve so we were not worried about bedtime.

Leaving on a airplane

Today we are leaving on a plane for Florida for a few days to visit family. I called Delta airlines a week ago to tell them that my son will be flying and he has a peanut allergy. They asked me questions about how severe his allergy was and if the "smell" would bother him? I told him I that his allergy is more that he can't eat the food, but then again I don't know. He has never been in a closed airplanes with dozens of people eating peanuts.

I thought for sure that security would stop and check my purse and bags because I had the Epi-pen on me but they never even looked. It was liquid and had a needle, also we had Nathan's luggage as a carry on and we put the nebulizer in the carry-on and that is a heavy machine, again they never looked or questioned it.

The plane ride was good, he was excited. He liked to look out the window and was pretty good. He played and ate his snacks. He ate a lot of snacks. I think because of his tubes in his ears, he never had a problem with his ears bothering him at all.

By the time we landed and had our luggage it was late and Nathan was hungry. We were able to find a Wendy's open and he ate a plain burger with pickles and ketchup and fries, he ate a lot.

Santa and Starbucks

Every year we usually go see Santa at my work but this year Nathan was sick so I took him to the mall Santa. He did really well, in fact he was so talkative that I told Nathan he had to say good-bye to Santa and that we were leaving.

While we were at the mall I stopped at Starbucks to get a coffee. Nathan wanted something. I thought about getting him a hot chocolate because I know they have soy milk, now I just need to know what was in the chocolate.

When I ordered, I asked the lady about the milk in the chocolate she said she "didn't think so" so she asked another employee and they said they "didn't think so". I told her that Nathan was allergic and I needed to know for sure so she went and got one of the bags that the chocolate syrup came in and she read the ingredients over with me. No milk. I was so happy, Nathan could have a drink from Starbucks. He liked it and sipped it. He would say "momma this is yummy". Then after drinking it for a little bit he spilled the entire cup on the carpet of the Hallmark store. I guess I didn't need to worry about him drinking too much. No reactions either.

Chocolate spread

I was looking for Nathan's soy nut butter yesterday at the grocery store and instead I found a soy chocolate spread. It is like Nutella but is free of nuts, gluten and dairy. It has a lot of protein too. I bought it and let Nathan try it and he loved it. I put some on a plate with apples and pretzels, he loves to dip!!

Could a 3yr old fake a reaction?

As I picked up my child from preschool today the teacher informs me that my child faked an allergic reaction to chicken in his lunch because he didn't like it. She said that he coughed and gagged when he would take a bite. They she asked him what was wrong and he said he didn't like chicken. She told him that he didn't need to eat them and he was fine.

I thought about it and the other day when Nathan was eating baked beans he was coughing and gagging too and then he told me he didn't like them. I told him not to eat them and then he was fine.

Could he really be faking this or are these foods suddenly making him cough and gag? Is a 3yr old smart enough to fake a reaction to not eat something?

Egg Allergy and the H1N1 vaccine

I was at work and Nathan's pediatrician's office called me and told me that they would have an allergist at their office to give the vaccine to 2 other allergy kids and Nathan could get it too but I had to be there at 4:00pm today. I said yes we would be there.

Nathan has been coughing....a lot. He was still sick with a cold or flu and I told the doctors that and they said as long as he didn't have a fever they could still do it. The nurse took his temperature and he didn't have a fever.

Nathan's current allergist over seeing the injections, I was surprised to see him. He knew Nathan so that was good. The allergist did a skin prick test on Nathan's back for egg and the vaccine. Nathan broke out in 4 big hives where they pricked him. I thought there is no way they will give him the vaccine. After about 20 minutes the nurse (who is our pediatric nurse) gave Nathan the first injection of H1N1 vaccine and then they set the timer for 20 minutes to make sure there are no reactions. Nathan continued to cough and he had a runny nose. I don't know if it was from the cold or the vaccine. Then the nurse continued to give Nathan the rest of the injections about 20 minutes apart. Nathan did not like all that needle pricking.

Nathan's pediatrician came in to check on Nathan too, so I was really relaxed and thought if anything happens we have a lot of doctors here. She said that Nathan still has that cold/flu and he should be better in a few days. She looked into his ears and said they are getting better. She also looked at his red eye again and said it was not pink eye or contagious.

We were there a couple of hours but they were all so nice, Nathan got juice box, fruit snacks, a bouncy ball and a nightlight.

A trip to the doctor office

Nathan has been sick on and off for a while with cough, fever, tummy issues and not eating very much. So I decided he needs to be seen even though I dread the pediatricians office with all the H1N1 going around and all the sick people there but now I am wondering if Nathan has the flu.

We got a Saturday morning urgent care appointment because I didn't want to wait until Monday. They told me on the phone that he needs to wear a mask because they have a H1N1 vaccine clinic going on the waiting room and is full of healthy people. Very embarrassing - Nathan wouldn't wear it.

The pediatrician looked him over and said that one of his tubes is falling out and he has an ear infection and a sinus infection. She wrote us a RX for an antibiotic. She said he probably had the flu and now it has turned into this. I was delighted that one of his tubes is finally falling out (read previous post) and may not need surgery if the other falls out, but also with no tubes is he going to start getting ear infections again.

On our way out, I questioned the doctor about the flu clinic they were having and asked if it was injectable vaccine that they were giving out and she said "yes". I felt a bit angered, how was the pediatrician office getting the vaccine before the Asthma and Allergy clinic at Children's Hospital. I told her that I have been waiting for that vaccine to be available for Nathan to get it with his asthma. She agreed that Nathan needed to have the vaccine and offered to give us the vaccine to take to the allergy clinic for them to administer. The pediatricians office won't do it, they don't want to be responsible for any reactions to the egg. I just need to get the appointment first at the allergy clinic and then I can pick it up, she said to bring a cooler and ice pack.