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.

Got a hive Tick or Treating

Today was trick or treat, Nathan was excited, he was dressed as a bumble bee.

He went to a lot houses, had the most fun ringing doorbells. He got a lot of candy that he couldn't eat, which I expected and some that was safe.

At some of the houses people have dogs, very friendly dogs and they don't keep the dogs away from the trick or treaters - they are loose in the yard or are at the door. One of the friendly dogs licked Nathan's cheek before I could stop him or move Nathan out of the way so Nathan ended up with one big hive on his cheek. I didn't give Benadryl since it wasn't that bad.

Next year Nathan will be wearing a mask when he goes Tick or Treating.

H1N1 Vaccine

Today my husband and I went to our county vaccine clinic to get the H1N1 vaccine. It was the nasel vaccine - Nathan can't get it, so we had to leave him home even though he is the one that needs it the most. We decided if we got it then that is one less way for Nathan to get the H1N1 flu.

Nathan is high risk needs to get the H1N1 vaccine done at the allergist office with the injectable vaccine because of his egg allergy and asthma. The only problem is the injectable is not available yet. I call the allergist every week to see if they have it and they don't. We are on a list to call when they do get it.

It just makes me mad that that the general public can get this vaccine but what about the high risk children and adults that need it.

Halloween party at school

This is a picture of Nathan with his friends at the "Allergy" table at school (there is a sign on the tale). The two girls that sit with Nathan have the same allergies except they can have wheat and Nathan can't.

The parents signed up to bring something for the Halloween party, I signed up to bring Guacamole and chips something everyone can eat and a little healthier. I also sent candy safe for Nathan for the tick or treating they did at school and I packed his lunch.

All day at work I kept checking my phone to see if they called because Nathan was giving something he shouldn't have, but they didn't. When I picked Nathan up they told me it was a good day and even one of the other allergy moms made something safe for Nathan but Nathan wouldn't eat it, he just wanted the cookie that I sent and he knew was safe. He even told the teachers he couldn't eat the other treats because they were not his. Good Job Nathan!!

Today he got the seasonal flu shot

Nathan got the seasonal flu shot in 4 doses today. He was poked with a needle 4 times, 20 minutes apart. He had redness at the site and the 3rd injection had a small hive. No big deal. He no other problems. Just a big bill and waste of time.

They were really nice and he had a good time, he walked away with a bunch of toys (2 cars, a ball, coloring book and bubbles) and even a really nice Shrek night light.

I am not sure what we are going to do about the H1N1 vaccine yet, it is so new. Then again I also worry about his viral induced Asthma.

Lunch at preschool

Preschool called and said they were having chili and it didn't have nay noodles or cheese. Just meat, beans, tomatoes and seasoning. Everything Nathan can have but the seasoning has wheat.

She wanted to check with me because I had asked if they were having chili that morning and if I wanted Nathan to have some.

I think they know as I know Nathan's wheat allergy is not bad, so I think that is why they called. I don't think they would call and ask if Nathan could have eggs or milk.

I said sure, give it to him. I have been giving Nathan a little wheat here and there. It was just seasoning. No problems.

My husband gave Nathan wheat, by mistake

I ran to the store tonight and while I was there Steve gave Nathan some pretzels before bed.

I looked on the counter when I got home and noticed the pretzels left in Nathan's bowl were my pretzels. I asked Steve why Nathan was eating those pretzels? Those are not his wheat free pretzels. He said he thought those were Nathan's. Ooops.

There were no reactions.

Allergy/ENT Appoitment

Nathan had an appointment with the ENT and Allergist today.

First was the ENT, the doctor looked at his tubes and said they usually fall out by now and they didn't. They should not be in more then 3 years otherwise the holes will not close up. Spring of 2010 will be 3 years for Nathan and she suggests to have them surgically removed. She also wants to keep them in for the winter when most ear infections happen.

I can't believe this, just our luck. Now Nathan will need to be put under again to remove them. Another huge medical bill, just what we need.

Then the allergy appointment. They won't give Nathan the flu shot without testing him first by doing a skin test. Yes, the same flu shot that he has gotten every year with no problems (I swear they just want to bill us as much as they can). I really feel like Nathan needs the flu shot because he has viral induced Asthma and if he gets sick he could end up in the hospital.

So they told me they were doing a skin test of eggs, the flu shot, some other things. And wheat. Yes, wheat. I told her to do wheat while they were doing this test anyways.

And the results were......wheat barely showed up, he had a tiny dot where wheat was. Egg was huge, he got a huge hive where they put the egg and he had a little hive where the flu shot was.

I was so happy how the wheat barely showed up. This was good news to me.

They will do the flu shot but in 4 doses, 20 minutes apart. I scheduled it for Wednesday morning.

I gave my son noodles with wheat

I made spaghetti for dinner tonight and planned to use wheat free spaghetti noodles for Nathan and some regular spaghetti noodles for us. Nathan was so excited about spaghetti noodles because they are so fun to eat. Well while making his noodles I read the label and realized they were the wrong noodles that I bought, they had wheat. I went through my head, asked my husband what to do? Give him our noodles or make some wheat free macaroni noodles which are not fun for him to eat. I made the macaroni noodles and gave those to him but I also gave him a little of spaghetti noodles with wheat.

You know what happened after he ate them? Nothing. I looked over his skin, I watched his breathing, I asked him how his tummy felt. Nothing.

I know this is risky and I don't condone trying a food challenge, I would never try this with dairy or eggs because I know those allergens are very severe. I am not going to start giving him wheat on a regular basis. I feel like I broke the rules, I actually feel like a bad mom.

There.......I said it.

A lesson ot be learned...

We had a great time at the pumpkin farm today, the weather wasn't as cold but did have a few sprinkles of rain.

We went with some friends and Nathan and the little girl were playing and the next thing I knew Nathan was eating her caramel corn that she was eating. She shared hers with him. I know I always want to teach my child to share but when food allergies are involved it is not a good idea. I panicked because I had no idea what was in them so I grabbed the bag and started reading the label. Luckily, there was no milk or wheat. I was so relieved!! This was a lesson that I really have to teach Nathan to always ask me before he eats something. I ended up buying him his own bag to take home since he loved them so much and it was something he could eat.

The Flu Shot Debate

Even though Nathan is allergic to eggs he has gotten the flu shot in the past, once by the allergist office and once by his Pediatrician.

Well, I called at made an appointment for a flu shot this year at his pediatrician's office and they told me they can't do it, we need to go to the allergist to get it done. I told them they did it last year and Nathan didn't have any problems so why can't they do it this year. The nurse told me the pediatrician will call me.

Is the flu shot this year stronger and they worry he will have a reaction. Going to the Allergist will be a long 3 hour appointment because they just do a little bit at a time.

Part of me says forget the flu shot but we get it every year plus Nathan has Asthma that is mostly viral induced. He needs the flu shot.

Food allergies on tv/movies

I don't recall many shows where the story is about food allergies, I try to think back to ER episodes, Grays and more and I can't think of any that have food allergies as the story line.

I think having more shows and or movies about food allergies will help with awareness. There are many people that have no clue about food allergies.

When I read that Nick News will be about allergies on Sunday night, September 27th, at 8 o'clock Eastern time, I was thrilled - I set the DVR so I won't miss it. "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee; I'm Allergic to My World."

I also have heard (but have not seen) the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has a character in the movie who has a peanut allergy.

This is really great news to me - helping awareness.

What could it be??

We were at a relatives house for dinner tonight and Nathan suddenly started coughing and sneezing, my first thought is he is getting a cold. They don't have any pets and he didn't eat anything (that I know of and I was watching) so what was it?? There were some deviled eggs sitting out on a table and Nathan says to me "mommy, cupcakes" I said no those are not cupcakes and you are allergic". He never went near them but his allergy to egg is severe that I thought could the eggs be making him sick, like in the air.

After we got in the car his cough was really bad, it really scared me because I wasn't sure if he was having trouble breathing. At this point I didn't think it was a cold.

When we pulled in the driveway I never heard another cough or sneeze.

This really baffles me as to what he was reacting too, so I emailed the host to see if I could figure it out and I asked her if they had a pet at the house recently and they did, a dog.

So my guess would be he was reacting to a dog but I don't know what kind of dog.

I *think* Nathan had MILK

I *think* Nathan had milk is what daycare said to me when they called me at work around lunch time.

The teacher didn't see him drink it but thinks he did drink from a little girls cup who sat next to him. They gave him Benadryl and said he seems fine and they checked him over. Then I hear someone crying and they said it is Nathan and he scared because there is fly near by. I told them I will call them back after I call my husband.

I call back a few minutes later and told me that Nathan threw up 3 times. And ask me if he gets sick when upset, yes he has in the past. But this sounds more like he had milk and it is making him sick. I tell them to give him the Epi Pen. They said are you sure, then I said well if he got sick already is out of his system. I asked if he has any other symptoms and said I am on my way to pick him up.

When I get there he is resting and just looks like he had been through a lot. He was so happy to see me and wanted to go home.

I get him in the car and the owner of the daycare was on the phone and wanted to talk to me. She told me that she had a mother (who was there & who is also a doctor) check Nathan's vitals and he is fine. Also, she said they don't want to give Nathan the Epi Pen because if he really didn't need it, then it could raise his heart-rate. This is really not for them to decide. If I say give the Epi Pen then they should.

He is going back on Monday and I guess I need to have a new plan. I am going to maybe get some cups so that they are different then the other children and teach Nathan to drink only out of his cup. I thought Nathan was sitting at a table with another allergy girl but they are not doing that anymore.

Swim Lessons

We are on our second week of swim lessons at the YMCA, Nathan really enjoys the water. I like that fact that the water in the pool does help with his eczema. It seems to really dry out those rough patches and he has less itching.

Just eat your ice cream....

"Just eat your ice cream and shut up" is what I really wanted to say to the people at the table next to us.

We were at the driving range and my husband was hitting golf balls and Nathan was hungry so I took him over the the tables to eat his lunch. The people next to us were eating ice cream and singing "I scream for ice cream, every body eat ice cream" or however it goes. I just wanted to tell them to shut up and eat it. No, I really wanted to shove it their faces. Nathan can hear them really enjoy their ice cream, wouldn't be a big deal except my son can't have ice cream and I don't carry his special ice cream everywhere I go. He said "mommy I want ice cream", it just broke my heart. He is watching the other people really enjoy their ice cream. I am not saying people can't eat ice cream just don't sing and make a big deal about it.

Allergies in my tummy, mommy

Yesterday Nathan told me his tummy hurt, I asked him why and he said he had "allergies in his tummy." It was so cute! I told him he didn't eat anything that would give him "allergies" in his tummy.

He doesn't quite understand his food allergies yet but he does get the concept that allergies can make his tummy hurt.

An email from CH in Boston

The email below was sent to me by a writer for Children's Hospital in Boston. I am looking forward to watching the series of videos, this could be a big break through for food allergies.

Dear Jeanette,

I came across Mom to Food Allergy Kid while researching children with food allergies. It looks like a fantastic resource for families dealing with similar issues.

I’m a writer at Children's Hospital Boston and we just posted the first in our series of videos about our first patient who is going through a milk desensitization study to potentially cure his severe milk allergy. Here is a link to it, in case you could share it with your readers:

http://childrenshospitalblog.org/a-cure-for-milk-allergies

Best,
Annie Cardi

What's that?

I was eating some cheese and Nathan said "What' that mommy?" I said "Cheese." Before I could say anything else he said "cheese, I am allergic." This is exciting because he is learning about his allergies and if someone tries to give him something he can tell them he is allergic.

Allergy Free Chex Mix Buddies

A good snack because it has protein and can be made allergy free. I took the Chex mix recipe and made it dairy, peanut and wheat free.

9 cups of Rice Chex cereal
1 cup Enjoy Life dairy free chocolate chips
1/2 cup of soy nut butter or sunflower butter
1/2 of dairy free margarine
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In large bowel measure, cereal; set aside
In a 1 quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, soy nut butter and margarine uncovered until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2 gallon resealable food storage plastic bag.
Add powered sugar. Seal bag; and shake until well coated. Spread on wax paper to cool store in airtight container or refrigerator.

We survived the State Fair

Today we took Nathan to the State Fair which we try to go every year. Before allergies we never thought twice about it. Every year as he is getting older it is getting more difficult, I am more nervous and have more anxiety.

First, the animals. Nathan is allergic to cats and dogs and once at the zoo and he pet the sheep and lambs he had a horrible allergic reaction so I didn't want him touching any animals at the fair. When we walked through the animal barns every 5 minutes I said "just look, don't touch," "don't touch anything." I did notice he was scratching his hands without even touching anything. When we went through the cow barn and how milk was made I was really nervous because he is so allergic to milk. He does love looking at the animals.

Second, was the food. I fed Nathan a sandwhich on the way to the fair so then he could just snack at the fair. It is so hard to find items that he can eat and then we worry about cross contamination. Our first stop was corn on the cob. I told the girl no butter, allergies. And she said she would take off her gloves that have butter on them and no butter would touch his corn. That was so nice of her and no butter touched his corn. Then we got him some french fries and I asked the guy over and over if they used peanut oil and if the fries were made of just potatoes, no seasoning. He said "no peanut oil, pure potatoes." We also got him a slushie. Then there was the food we were eating, he sees us eating foods that he can't have and then we have to tell him he can't have it, so hard!! So we have to sneak food when he isn't looking.

Nathan rode a couple of kiddie rides and he had fun and wanted to go on again and again. He jumped in the inflatables and loved to watch people

Allergy test results

January 2008 v.s. August 2009
Egg: Was: > 100 Now: >100 (Still high, the highest)
Casein: January 2008: 45.3
Milk: August 2009: 10.9
Peanut: Was 37.6 Now: 24.5 (Improved)
Wheat: Was: 52.4 Now: 24.6 (Improved)

The good news is: Milk, Wheat, Peanut numbers went down.
The bad news is: Egg white and yoke has stayed the same.

To do a food challenge the allergist wants the numbers to be < .35

The test he just did he only did the milk protein not casein but it baffles me that milk is that low -I mean, come on - remember the bad reaction to milk at dayare back in March? There is no way his milk is that low.

How were we going to do a food challenge for wheat back in April at another doctor's office when wheat is higher then milk and he was just recently exposed to wheat with no reaction.

No food challenge with this doctor in the near future, off to find another doctor or go back to the one who tried to do the wheat challenge in April.

I am confused and frustrated that two different doctor's and two different opinion. So when you go to get a second opinion and it is different, which is correct?

Allergy walk 2009

This morning was the annual allergy walk in Madison, I really wanted to go but it was raining and we didn't know if it would stop. I would have went in the rain but then Nathan was getting cranking so we decided not to go.

I really hope to make the walk next year.

A bag of chips

We have a very nice neighbor who works for a local chip company and he gets free bags of chips. The other day he stopped over with a bag a Cheetos for Nathan and gave him the unopened bag. I then told the neighbor that Nathan can't have the Cheetos, that Nathan is allergic to milk and cheese and the Cheetos. The neighbor felt horrible and my husband jumped in and said "I like them, I will eat them." I told the neighbor that is was fine, you didn't know - if you want to get something for Nathan, he can have plain potato chips or Fritos."

The next day our neighbor came over with a big bag of Fritos and apologized over and over. I thanked him and told him there is no need to apologize.

I don't want people to apologize for my son's allergies. Really no big deal.

Daycare gave Nathan two pretzels with wheat

At 3:45 daycare calls me and to tell me Nathan ate two regular pretzels, NOT wheat free. She said he is not reacting and asked I wanted her to give him Benadryl. I said if he has no signs of an allergy attack then she didn't need too. I asked her to read the ingredients, "was there any egg or milk in these pretzels?" She said "no, there wasn't." I said "if you see one little hive on him (check his whole body) or any other reaction, give it too him and call me." She said "ok, we will call you if anything changes."

I arrive at 4:45 and Nathan is happy as can be and playing. He didn't seem like he had any ill effects from these pretzels. I said to the owner "are you sure he ate pretzels with wheat", "was wheat the first ingredient?" and the owner said "Yes". She apologized many times and said there had a lot of kids in his classroom and didn't exactly say if Nathan was given the pretzel or if Nathan took another child's pretzel ,which I don't think he would do.

I really wasn't mad, I told her she was lucky it wasn't a food that would have a more severe reaction like milk, egg or peanut. She said "oh no, we are careful". Um yeah.

Could it be true? Could his wheat allergy be gone, back in April we tried to do a food challenge with wheat because his numbers were down. Nathan just had another blood test done last night so I really can't wait to find out the results, especially the wheat.

Allergy appointment

Tonight, we went back to CHW for an allergy appointment we haven't been there in a year or more. We have been going to a different allergist but feel she didn't do well with children.

We went to the brand new clinic that was huge and beautiful, just opened this month. Nice and clean and had that new smell. Well looks are not everything, they were slow. They were still trying to figure out stuff and there was a very few patients and we waited and waited.

Well, I really wasn't impressed with the allergist tonight either, he did so much small talk and talked so much about Asthma which has been a lot better. Then he was amazed that Nathan still had tubes in his ears, he wanted our next appointment to also be with the ENT. What about the food allergies??? I want to know about them. I asked him to do a blood test, he agreed and said to come back in October, October I don't want to wait until October. The blood test results don't take that long and if he was close to losing the wheat allergy then let's do a food challenge and get on with life. He said to call in a week for the results.

Why is this so hard??? Why can't I find a good allergist? My husband feels the same way.

Allergy Support Group

Tonight was our monthly meeting and it was a great meeting. I felt like I got some ideas and information as well as helping out other moms with information.

One of the topics was about a Dr. in our area who does a sort of "alternative medicine" the allergy drops and they don't costs as much as I thought. I called this morning to get an appointment but can't get in to see him until October.

Nathan's 3 year Dr. appointment

Age: 3 years
Height: 35 inches
Weight: 25.5lbs.
Head Circumference: 14.9

He is growing, buy slowly.

Nathan's 3yr professional photos

These are Nathan's 3yr old professional pictures we had done.

Drive-thru mistake

Today we were running errands and we stopped at Burger King to get Nathan some fries (allergy safe) and some apple fries to take home to eat with his sandwich.

Well, I handed him the bag in the car so he could start eating his fries. Thank God he only ate the fires because when I got home I noticed that there were no apple fries in the bag but instead chicken nuggets which has MILK and WHEAT. If he would have eaten them, he would have had an allergic reaction.

When you go through a drive-thru and you get the wrong food that sucks but when you get something that can't even been eaten and you paid for it and it could make your child sick....that REALLY SUCKS!!!

Tip: Always check the bag before you hand it to your child.

He remembers and talks about the horrible day

Nathan is now three and at three I didn't know how much a child knows or remembers but today I was surprised. Nathan talks about the day on March 18th, 2009.

Nathan came out of his room showing us his stuffed Poo Bear.

Nathan: I got it from the ambulance guy, "I was sick."
Us: "why were you sick?"
Nathan: "from my allergies, from milk."
Us: Yes, you can't have milk, only soy milk. Milk makes you sick.

We were shocked that he talked about this because it happened back in March and he has never said a word about it before.

Send a letter to congress

To fill out form to send this letter on-line go here.

Suject: Congress must increase funding for food allergy research

Please support increased federal funding for food allergy research. Food allergies severely impair the quality of life for allergic children and their parents. The most common allergens – peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, eggs, milk and soy – are staples of our food supply and nearly impossible to avoid completely. Yet the medical consequences of coming into contact with allergy-inducing foods are dire – not only do food allergies kill many Americans each year, but they are also responsible for 125,000 emergency room visits. More than 12 million Americans suffer from food allergies today.

Food allergy research is woefully underfunded. The federal government spends less than $17 million a year on food allergy research. But for reasons that scientists cannot yet explain, food allergies afflict more and more children each year. Between 1997 and 2002, the number of children in the United States suffering from peanut allergies doubled – and now afflicts an average of 10 children in every elementary school. There are currently no medications to cure or control food allergies, but scientists believe a cure could be found within a decade with greater funding.

Please help millions of children and families -- be a leader in Congress to devote more funding to food allergy research.

Feedback from a local restaurant

I wrote to a local burger restaurant to see what allergens were in their food or if my son could even eat anything there. I looked on the website and didn't see anything about the allergens in the food so I wrote to them, this is their response, my comments are in red:

Hello Jeannette, (my name is spelled wrong)

Please accept my apology for the delayed response. (It took over a week for a response, glad I wasn't going to day I wrote)

At this time, we do not have a formal nutrition/ingredient guide available on our menu items; however, we are in the process of developing these guides; however, the beef, buffalo and ostrich patties and hotdogs are gluten free (ok, what about dairy, eggs or nuts?) along with the spice used on the burgers and fries.

The items produced in our bakery may contain any or all of the following ingredients: peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, gluten, eggs and dairy. All these items (cookies, buns, brownies, Rice Krispies treats, etc.) are produced in an environment where peanuts are present and there may be a danger of cross contamination. Most (most? How do I know about the one I am going to visit?) of our restaurants are frying with partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

We do recognize the importance and need for nutritional information on our menu items and we are hopeful that we will be able to provide our guests with this information in the near future. (Why can't companies have this information available on their website or even if asked, is it so hard to do??)

On behalf of Fuddruckers, Inc., we want to express our sincerest appreciation for your continued loyalty and patronage. (Well, I can't be loyal anymore because I have no idea what to feed my child from there)

Adriana Thompson
Guest Services Specialist

Fuddruckers/Koo Koo Roo
5700 Mopac Expy South
Ste C300
Austin, TX 78749
t: 512.275.0418
f: 877.847.3062

We won't be eating there until they have more information available to us.

Nathan's 3rd Birtthday Party

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Today Nathan had his 3rd birthday party at our house. He had more friends this year then family, His friends included: Lyla, Sal, Maddux and Owen. I baked cupcakes and made them into a road with trucks for our guests and for Nathan's allergy-free cake we bought it at Molly's Gluten Free Bakery. Mary did a wonderful job at decorating the cake.

Our first overnight vacation - Wi Dells

We have never been on a vacation with Nathan, with his food allergies it doesn't make taking a vacation very easy or relaxing. There is a lot of work into planning a vacation with food allergies, you can't just eat anywhere or just not eat. It takes a lot of time of planning and packing for a vacation.
We went to the WI Dells (Water park Capital of the World) just a couple hours from our house - a car ride away and we only stayed overnight. I packed snacks and treats for Nathan. Our hotel room had a microwave and refrigerator.
Nathan ate breakfast at home before we left and we when got to the Dells we ate a Burger King for lunch. It was a place we knew was safe. Nathan has eaten their plain burgers and fries.
We went to the water park at our resort and when it was time for dinner we ate at Famous Daves. Another restaurant we have at home be also a great place to eat with allergies because they have a wonderful allergy menu.

The next morning we ate cereal with soy milk for breakfast and then for lunch on the way home we ate at Culver's.

Tried the Epi-Pen

I haven't had to use the Epi-Pen (very thankful for that), only the trainer for practice. When one of Nathan's Epi Pen expired, I thought I would try it on an orange.

I am glad I did, it really made me jump, the power of that needle shooting out actually made me pull back and most of the epinephrine went outside the orange. That would not be good if my son needed it for an allergic reaction.

Ice Cream

School calls me today because they are making sundaes and they wanted to know if it is ok for Nathan to have some soy ice cream so he wouldn't be left out. That was nice of them to think of him and he was included. I said "ok but no toppings."

The Ice Cream Stand

I didn't want to send Nathan to school today because the class was going to a water park then to an ice cream stand. A bunch of toddlers and all that ice cream scares me and plus what was he going to eat??? I have back-up sitter so off he went and I just hoped for the best.
The teacher called in the morning to ask if he could have a frozen juice treat at the stand, that is what they get for the other allergic children. I said "sure".
Everything was fine and he didn't have any problems......this time.

Nathan at the July 4th parade

Today we went to a parade, the one that throws tons of candy. Some of the candy was fine for Nathan to eat but some of it was not. So as he put it in his bag, I would take out the stuff he can't eat (tootsie rolls and gum mostly).

The children next to us were also getting candy and were nice and shared with Nathan since they were faster and older at getting the candy. But many times I told the children "that is ok, you keep the candy, he is allergic."

My famous words at the parade "He can't have that he is allergic"

Maybe I should have just taken the candy and switched it out at home. There are always new experiences when dealing with food allergies.

Took my dairy allergic child out for "ice cream"

Ok, it really wasn't ice cream but to a 3 year old with food allergies to dairy it was the next best thing.

I remembered there was a Gelato cafe by our mall that carries sorbet that is water based, made from only fruit, water and sugar. It was perfect, Nathan and I shared a scoop of raspberry outside tonight (a warm summer night). It was so nice and to him.........it was going out for "ice cream."

The coughing, itchie kid

Well, the anti-itch meds are not working, I increased the RX for Zyrtec (per Doc orders) and it isn't working either. My child is always scratching his body. He will scratch until it bleeds. We haven't tried any new foods, new soaps, lotions, etc. This is very frustrating.

This week the coughing started to be more often. He will cough so hard he will gag and then spit or phelm and what he calls "bubbles" will come up. This is really scary because I am afraid he is going to throw up especially in a public place. He usually coughs when he eats and I just always thought that was normal for a toddler who stuffs his mouth. Now I wonder if it is normal. Is it his Asthma or does he have GERD or something completely different??? It has been very hot this week and I have increase his Asthma meds to more frequently.

Reader's Comments

Dear Blog Readers:
Please use the email on the left side of my blog so I can respond to your comments. I get some anonymous comments that I can't reply directly back too.
Thanks.
Mom to Food Allergy Kid

Anti-itch Meds

Friday I noticed Nathan's face was really red, looked like hives and a rash. He didn't have anything new, we were at home. It really didn't clear up with Benadryl or Steroid creams. So today we took him to the Pedi. She increased his Zyrtec and gave us an RX for an anti-itch medication. He could be allergic to something in the environment but nothing has changed. I haven't used any new soaps or detergents. He Eczema looks worse too.

A novel I am reading....

I am reading a novel called "Matters of Faith" by Kristy Kiernan.

What do you have faith in?
Your marriage?
Your children?
Your religion?
Yourself?

At age twelve, Marshall Tobias saw his best friend killed by a train. It was then that he began his search for faith; delving into one tradition, then discarding it for another.

While his parents, Cal and Chloe, were at odds over his behavior, they found common ground with his little sister Meghan, whose severe food allergies required careful attention...even as it took a toll on their marriage.

Now Marshall is home from college with his first real girlfriend. Meghan is thrilled to have her around, but there is more to Ada than meets the eye—including her beliefs about the evils of medical intervention. What follows is a crisis that tests not only faith, but the limits of family, forgiveness, and our need to believe.

I really recommend this book. I can't put it down, it has touched me because of the food allergy story in the book.

Nathan's Spring Sing

Tonight Nathan's school put on a Spring Sing concert and they did such a good job, the kids were so cute they were ages 2-4 years old.

The director informed us when we arrived that she brought some of Nathan's snacks from school so he would have something to eat when they had refreshments and cookies at the end. She also announced to the parents before the show to "please do not give any children you don't know any food because there are children with food allergies." That was so nice of her to think of Nathan. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the end, Nathan was hungry and getting antsy so we left. I didn't even think of bringing a snack which I should have.

They also had a Slidshow of the children at school during the year, it was really cute.

Make a Smilebox postcard

A call from daycare

The phone rings today and I look at the caller ID - I noticed that it was daycare calling, I was shocked because today my son and I are home (off day). Why would they call when he is not even there?

They called to tell me that they have a change in the menu for tomorrow, when my son will be there. They are not having pancakes (which he doesn't eat-he is allergic) they are having PB&J. They are not a peanut free center but they are careful which is ok with me. Nathan isn't that allergic to peanuts that he can't be around them. What made me very happy is she said that "no kids in Nathan's room will be eating peanut butter, either they will have Sun Nut Butter or just jelly." Fine by me, makes me happy that they are really trying to help him with his allergies.

A new allergy free webiste

I received this email from a mom I have met through my blog and wanted to pass it on. She is going to publish an allergy-free cookbook soon.

Hello, everyone!
Today is the big launch day for my new website, Allergyfreemom.com! The site is meant to help the millions of children and their families that are suffering from severe food allergies. It will continue to grow daily. Today's children are not like we were when we were kids. Today, an estimated one in THREE children under the age of five suffers from either food allergies, asthma, ADHD, or autism. Yes... you read that right...one in THREE. These estimates are a bit outdated, so later studies assume that amount is even higher. There's more; a new disease if affecting our new babies age five and under. This disease is called Eosinophilic Esophagitis (or E.E.for short.) These babies have such severe allergies to food protiens, the immune system is literally trying to defend itself from itself! They have to be fed through a feeding tube, because they cannot eat.What's happening to our children? One in 150 children now have autism. One in every 17 children under the age of three has at least one allergy to food. This does not include intolerances such as lactose intolerance, etc.; these are true food allergy statistics. Again, these statistics are outdated. We have no way of knowing how prevalent this is as of 2009, but research suggests there has been a 20% increase each year in children with food allergies. That leads to a staggering number. I have written a cookbook, as you all know. It will be on the site as well as a monthly allergy-free recipe. My goal is to raise awareness and to help ease the worry for as many families as I can, one at a time.

Won't you join me? Together we can make a difference. Knowledge is power!

With hope,
Sharissa

Cast is off

Today Nathan had his cast removed, I can't tell you how nice it will be to give him a bath or be able to wash his hands.

His arm will be stiff, so he won't use it right way, it will take time.

My child is labeled

Today Nathan came home from daycare with a big bright yellow smiley face sticker on his shirt. It had "Food Allergies" written on the sticker. It was really cute, I think this is something new they are trying since there is another new child child at daycare with food allergies. They really want to be safe and I think it is great!

Twitter Food Allergy Party

I attended my first Twitter party last night, it was a food allergy party. A great way to meet and chat with other food allergy people and parents. There were prizes you could win and best of all I never had to leave the house.

If you notice my Twitter updates on my blog don't make sense that is why, I was chatting with others.

Tattoo

I was at a store today and I saw a teenager with a tattoo on his arm and I noticed that it was a medical symbol. I was so the curious, I looked closer and noticed that in big letters it said "Diabetic" I thought that was a great idea. It was right on his fore arm and very noticeable, it will never wear off and always be with him. That is a great idea and if something happens to him, the paramedics or hospital will know.
My next thought was to tattoo my almost 3yr old toddler (is that even legal??) for his food allergies. This way if he wasn't able to talk, they would know that he has allergies. I wouldn't have to worry about a bracelet for him to wear or a T-shirt.
But, then I thought what about the day he grows out of his allergies (I will not lose hope) how would we remove the allergy from his arm...

Signs at day-care

When I dropped off Nathan at his new day-care, I was really impressed with how well they have labeled Nathan as an allergy child. They had a big sign on the door to his room, they had signs in the kitchen (that I provided) with his name, picture and allergies. They keep a board in his room with his sheet of meals I provided for him.
I really hope he does well there.

Update on Cast: Day-care called at 3:30 and said Nathan had been crying that his arm hurt/itch. I told her he gets tired very easily, the cast hurts him if he over does it. We will be there soon to pick him up.

They also told me that he isn't eating well there. I hope this passes and after time he will be more comfortable.

Menu at day-care

The new daycare provided me with a meu of lunches for the next 3 months. I am hoping they follow this menu because I can then try to make something for Nathan very similar for Nathan to what the other kids are eating.

Today the kids were having a PB & J sandwhich, well I made the same thing for Nathan but used Soynut butter and his egg-free, dairy-free bread. They also had carrots and ranch dip, I provided a dairy free ranch dip for Nathan and he can have the carrots and fruit they served. I want to make him feel equal to the other children.

Nathan enjoying an allergy free cupcake

Well, he was enjoying the frosting. He eats more frosting then acutal cake. I made the cake from a mix called "The Cravings Place".

2nd Day of Day-care = Broken Arm

Yesterday, when I picked Nathan up from daycare he was on the playground crying - the teacher was holding him. She told me he fell off or ran into something with his big wheel. They had ice on his hand, I didn't think anything of it. On our way out the door, the director stopped us to meet us and she asked "what was wrong?" She looked at Nathan and we noticed he wasn't using his right arm, which then made me think he had "Nursemaid Elbow" again. So off to urgent care we went, he was still screaming his head off.

They looked at his arm and said it wasn't Nursemaid Elbow and did x-rays. They didn't see anything broken and thought maybe he bruised it. They gave him Motrin and a sling and off we went. He finally stopped crying.

The entire night he never used his right arm and kept saying "owie".

The next morning I went to work but had my mom come and watch him, he couldn't go to daycare, he was in such pain. My mom said that he wouldn't eat and he wouldn't get out of bed. He is a toddler, they get out of bed. I called the Bone Specialist and got us an appointment at 1:30pm.

The bone specialist Doctor did more x-rays and found a crack in his elbow and put a cast on. It is a blue cast and he will have to wear it for 3 weeks.

Day-care is very sorry and offered to pay any medical bills our insurance doesn't cover. They feel bad, it wasn't like they hurt him purposely, kids will be kids. These things happen.

Starting New Day-Care

Today was Nathan's first day of a new daycare they are fully aware of his allergies, I sent medications for him, special snacks, etc. They have other children with food allergies and are "trained" with food allergies.

Nathan was happy to be back with kids and all the new toys. He had a great day!!

Thank You for Health Insurance

I ordered a new Epi-Pen for Nathan's new day-care that he will be starting tomorrow. Epi-Pens are exspensive, if we didn't have insurance it would be $159.00 but because of our insurance it is only $25.00 A great savings.

Wheat Food Challenge

Today, I took Nathan to the allergist for a food challenge for wheat. They gave him Cream of Wheat because it is something that is pasty to put on his lips and it had the least of other ingredients.

Well, he hated it on his lips and he cried until we wiped it off. Then we tried the lips again and he seemed ok, well when they tried to put it in his mouth, he freaked out and cried. We tried adding a little bit to a banana and he threw a tantrum and kicked and screamed. He likes bananas too. After a 1/2 hour of his screaming and crying we gave up. He was tired and hungry but didn't want anything to do us.

So the results are incomplete.

The good news is the little bit of wheat he did have he didn't have any kind of reaction, the bad news we wasted a $25.00 copay.

The allergist said we could try another time. I didn't like the way this allergist did the food challenge, Children's hospital was much better. I think we may go there next time.

Easter 2009

We went on a few Easter Eggs hunts - most of the candy Nathan could not have so I switched the candy he allergic to and put money, stickers and candy he could have in the eggs, he didn't even notice. He also got to meet the Easter Bunny.

On Easter morning, Nathan woke up hunting for plastic eggs and then he found his basket. Now that he is 2.5 yr. he understands and had fun hunting.

We went to eat Easter dinner by the grandparents house.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Coloring Easter Eggs

I didn't know if I should start the tradition of Nathan coloring Easter eggs because he is allergic to eggs and I wasn't sure if he would have a reaction from just touching the eggs. I am trying to teach him that he can't have eggs.

Well, I tried it with him and he was fine and he had so much fun! I am glad that I did get over my fear and let him do it. It just wouldn't be Easter without coloring eggs.

Food Challenges the Way To Test??

I saw this news special on Nightline tonight.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AllergiesNews/story?id=7232662&page=1

It was about the only true test to tell if you're allergic to something is doing a food challenge and see if there is a reaction. They are saying the blood tests are not very accurate. Many think they have allergies when they may not.

Well we know Nathan is still allergic to milk by his exposure recently. His Wheat numbers are lower so we are doing a food challenge this month. Now I also want to food challenge his egg and peanut. The reason they don't do food challenges that often is because they are risky and expensive.

Carry In

We went to a indoor play area today and after Nathan was done playing we wanted a snack. There were signs posted everywhere stating that "no carry in food was allowed." Well they didn't sell many items Nathan could eat, so luckily I brought some snacks for him. Was I supposed to ask them if I was allowed to feed my child snacks I brought or do I just give it to him and see if they come up to me and say something?? Then I read another sign stating that "because of Food Allergies they don't allow carry ins." Does that mean all the items they carry are allergy free, they were not. The reason I am carrying in food is because of food allergies.

Play Date

Today we had a really nice play date, we went to the house of a boy with the same allergies as Nathan so it was so refreshing to not have to worry about exposure or snacks. Nathan was invited to have lunch and he and his friend were able to eat the same lunch.

Menu: Grilled Cheese sand which with Cheddar Rice Cheese and Corn Puffs

Nathan ate really well and it was a great play date.

Leave from Work

I am on a "Leave" from work because of everything that happened with Daycare last week. I need to find a new daycare for Nathan or decide if I will even send him back to a daycare. I just need time to think about what to do. He is definitely is not going back to the daycare that he was at.

A Horrible Day

Today Nathan's daycare teacher gave him 2-3oz of milk. Yes, he is very allergic to milk!!

After my lunch, I checked my cell phone (that was on vibrate) and I had 12 missed calls, daycare, my husband, my parents and my step sister. My heart sank, I knew something was terribly wrong. I called my husband and he tells me that he is on his way to daycare, they gave Nathan milk and he is having an allergic reaction!! I panicked and drove as fast as I could to daycare. My husband had arrived there first and talked to the center's director. She said "the teacher gave Nathan milk and he got sick, she then tried to give him his Epi Pen and she stabbed her thumb instead of Nathan's thigh, they tried to call us but couldn't get a hold of us, so they called my parents who are the emergency contacts and asked what to do?" Daycare then gave Nathan Benadryl and they called 911.

Nathan had been throwing up, gagging, spitting and he looked awful. He entire body was red, he looked like he was sunburned, even his ears were beat red. He had hives and welts and his hands looked swollen. He was crying and just wanted me to hold him. If his throat and tongue would have started to swell, he could have died.

His teacher was in the back, I saw her come out of the restroom in tears, I knew she felt bad, but I couldn't understand why or how it happened? A couple of weeks ago she told me she had a child that couldn't have milk, so how could she be so careless with my child, was she not thinking? She never came to talk to me, which was good because I really didn't want to face her.

It seemed like it was taking forever for 911 to come. Finally, the firetruck arrived then the paramedics. They took Nathan in the back of the paramedics, you should always have a child check out after an allergic reaction, in case of breathing problems. Luckily, this time he was breathing fine, it affected his intestinal tract and his skin. The EMT told us that Nathan was stable but needed to be checked out by a Doctor. We could go to the hospital or his pediatrician. We really liked the EMT's they were really nice guys and handled Nathan with such care. We decided to go to his pediatrician thinking it would be cheaper (not thinking that we won't be paying a single bill - daycare will be).

As we were ready to leave the daycare, the director kept telling me she was "so sorry" and said "she would understand if Nathan didn't come back." I just wanted her to go away, I didn't want to talk about it.

I called the pediatrician on the way and told them our situation. We got to see our Doctor and explained what happened at daycare she was angry about the way that daycare handled everything and the lack of training for a center. She examined Nathan and checked his oxygen level. She said he was one big hive and by him throwing up it was his body's way of rejecting the milk. She said to expect diarrhea next, lovely. She prescribed a steroid for him to help with any breathing problems and his red skin and a refill of his Epi-Pen. She even gave him a dose of the steroid right at the office.

We dropped off the prescriptions at the pharmacy to be filled and headed home.

Nathan said he was hungry but only ate a little, by this time it was 3:00pm. He has not had a nap, so around 4:00pm, I laid him down. His skin looked pretty good by now. I was emotionally drained and just needed to relax but I washed his clothes and made a few phone calls.

Nathan got up at 5:00pm and seemed fine, he played and acted normal. He told me he was hungry and eat some dinner. While he was eating he was telling me he choked, he was trying to tell me about his milk incident at daycare today, it broke my heart. I then gave him a bath and covered his whole body in a cortisone.

The director called from daycare and left a message on my phone stating that she wanted to know how Nathan is doing, apologizes again, hopes they will see Nathan again. She also reported the incident to their Risk Management who are going to send me some forms to complete and they will pay our medical bills from today. What about our missed work, what about Nathan's tuition for today? Are they going to pay for that? I didn't call her back.

A few hours later I get a call from the Allergist at Children's Hospital, she said daycare called them after the incident. The Allergist asked me some questions about it and then told me that they were in violation, they didn't handle the situation correctly and it should be reported. They didn't have the training they needed, she gave me some information on some resources. The Allergist also told me that now that he was exposed today to milk that it just made his allergy to the milk worse. The mistake they made today could make it harder or even impossible for him to outgrow his allergy to milk now.

This is the second time that daycare has made a mistake, they once gave him some cheese. He didn't eat that much so he just had hives at that time.

I have some phone calls to make tomorrow, what am I going to do? I really don't want to send him back to his daycare, but he has been there for 2 years and loves his friends there. How do I find a new daycare in a weekend?

It was a horrible day.

Blog Readers

I love when my blog readers write to me and I am happy to meet other allergy moms.

This week Sharissa wrote to me, she is a mom from Georgia with two children and has a son named Nathan also. He has the same allergies as my son and outgrew the same allergies that my Nathan did.

Sharissa is writing an allergy free cookbook that she is going to publish soon. I viewed a few of the recipes and they are great recipes.

Is there hope??

There has been a lot of food allergy stories in the news lately about a possible cure for food allergies. A few kids now are allergy-free thanks to a scary treatment - tiny amounts of the very food that endangered them.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29707036/from/ET/

St. Patty's Day Parade

Today we went the St. Patty's Day parade downtown, the weather was beautiful. There was candy thrown during the parade and he could have the lollops but the chocolates I just gave to the other kids sitting by us.

Nathan watched the parade for a bit but he was more interested in the trucks on the construction site behind us.

My Mac N Cheese

Today Nathan's teacher at daycare asked me how I made Nathan's Mac N Cheese. I told her that I used a rice cheese, soy milk and corn noodles. Wondering why she asked me?? She then said "my son has an allergy to dairy (he is 16 months) and he LOVES Mac N Cheese". I immediately felt relief that she has experience in food allergies!! Not that I want anyone to have food allergies just that it is a good teacher for Nathan. She had told me that she was happy to find the yogurt (Silk Soy) that I give to Nathan because she wanted to give her son yogurt. She then asked where I shopped. I happy to help her out and answer her questions!!

A Safe Resturant

This is a picture of Nathan eating lunch at Schlotzky's Deli. It is a safe place for us and he likes it. We always bring our own bread & rice cheese and the we order him turkey (without the bun) with all the veggies and chips. We have never problems with him eating there and we all like the food.

New Daycare Teacher

Nathan has a new teacher at daycare (what's new they have a high turn over rate) and my first reaction was panic because of his food allergies. I had talked to the director who said that the new teacher was briefed on Nathan's allergies but to talk to her when I meet. The teacher seemed to listen and asked questions, which I liked. She didn't give Nathan juice the first day because she wasn't sure (last I checked, juice didn't contain dairy, eggs, wheat or nuts). I guess better safe then sorry. She also told me they played with play doh and Nathan colored instead, awww poor guy was excluded. Play doh does contain wheat which was the right thing for her to do. I have let Nathan play with it and I haven't noticed any problems, he doesn't eat it.

The Grocery Store Trip

There is no quick grocery trip for me......when I go to the grocery store, I read labels. I feel like the workers are like "oh that lady again" she is here forever!! I am always reading labels on products desperately looking for "safe foods" for my son. I read labels from soups to cereals. If I find one new food he can have, it was a successful trip. Wheat is the ingredient I find most, it seems like it is in every gravy, soup, noodles, cereal, etc. Very Frustrating!!

Wheat Challenge Post Poned

Today we were supposed to have Nathan's Wheat challenge but we needed to cancel, he has a cold/flu thing right now. His Asthma has been bad lately too and coughing a lot.

We are rescheduled for the end of April. It is a couple months away but I really don't think he will pass anyway, so I am not in a rush.

Easy recipe we all can eat

Most of the time, I make a separate dinner for Nathan but tonight I made something we all can eat, no substitutions required. Free of Dairy, Eggs, Wheat, Nuts, Fish and Soy. I got the recipe from All Recipes.

Almost Stuffed Peppers

1 pound ground beef
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 large green pepper cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, brown beef; drain. Set beef aside and keep warm. In the same skillet, combine water, tomatoes, green pepper, onion and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender. Stir in rice; cover and remove from the heat. let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in beef; return to the stove and heat through.

I didn't give Nathan any of the green pepper because I know he won't eat them so I gave him corn instead.

Allergy Support Group

Tonight we had our allergy support group meeting and again I learned so much. It is so good to meet once a month with other moms who are going through the same thing and share advice and information.

Pizza for Nathan

I have tried allergy free pizza with Nathan a couple of times but he wouldn't really touch it. Mostly frozen and already prepared. Today, I took his bread, toasted it, put pizza sauce and then used a Vegan mozzarella cheese, a slice of pepperoni and broiled it so the cheese melted. He really did like it!! He gets so excited about pizza and has always seen us eating it so I am happy that we have a pizza for him.

Allergy Appointment

We had a follow-up appointment with the Allergist today. Our appointment was at 3:00 and it was about 3:45 before she finally came in to see us. So it didn't start out right. She went over Nathan's blood test and told us he dairy, wheat and nuts went down, but his eggs went up. She said his wheat is the lowest and we told her that he accidently had wheat and seemed ok so she suggested we do a "wheat challenge" at her office at the end of the month.

For some reason I just don't feel like he will pass this one, we will find out soon.

No Reaction....

I came home from running errands and my husbands tells me what Nathan ate and he says he ate some French Twist, two of them. I said "I didn't buy Nathan any French Twists". Those were for us.

The package states:
No Dairy
No Eggs
No Butter
No Trans Fat
No Yeast
No Cholesterol
Low Sodium & Low Fat

I think he saw the no dairy and no eggs and thought they were for Nathan, well they had Wheat. But Nathan never had a reaction and even days later we never saw any kind of reaction.
The first ingredient is High Protein Wheat Flour.

Nathan's Weight Check Appointment

Tonight we had an appointment at the Dr. office to check Nathan's weight to see if he is growing. He gained less than a pound since July. But he gained something and grew in height so that is good, I guess.

Weigh: 23lbs.
Height: 34 and 3/4
He is now 2.5 years old.

Food Allergy Support Group

We had our food allergy support group tonight and the turnout was great. I would love to grow our group even more. We all shared some great ideas and food tips, very informative.

Happy New Year...2009

We want to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!

Love, Steve, Jeanette and Nathan!!