Wednesday, August 18, 2010
He's Allergic
I signed Nathan up for Nature Sprouts at a local nature center. It was about squirrels and the guide (an older woman) reads a story, they play a few games and then snack time. Ack!!!! She hands out Honey Bunches of Oats with Nuts, cereal in cups. I stopped her before she got to Nathan and said "I am sorry, he is allergic." Then she looks at me really puzzled and says "he's alllllergic?" "Yes" I said. Then she tells me that she thinks they might have some graham crackers and starts to walk towards the door. I say, "No thanks, he's allergic, he is ok,. I have a snack in the car." Then she gives me a strange look and says "well I know he isn't allergic to water, he can have some water?" I said "yes, water is fine, thanks."
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9 comments:
I'm curious where you buy nut free food for Nathan? I live in Canada and there are a few things on the shelves in regular grocery stores that advertise as "nut free" but it's slim pickings. I go shopping in the States a few times a year and I like the different snacks that we don't have here. Can you recommend some stores and treats?
There is an article in one of my parenting magazines about how uneducated/unaware most people were of allergies just 10 years ago. She must be living under a rock if she works with kids and has NEVER heard of allergies.
people who dont have allergies or family members with them, just dont get it. or they know very little about them. teddy grams arent peanut butter flavoured so they must be fine, right?! huh, no! 'may contain' is just the same as 'contains nuts' to me. it should be mandatory, if you work with children that you have to be trained in how to use an epi-pen, how food allergies work, and signs of reaction. im dreading the day my youngest goes to school.
Ashley, my allergy child starts 4k next week, I am so nervous.
my youngest is almost 2 years old. and i have a 5 year old in school, so i can already see how the school does/doesnt handle food allergies very well. its a nightmare already with places, that im not looking forward to the day she has to start at all.
My first is the one with the allergies & he starts preschool Monday. After months of me asking them different questions (he has a genetic condition, asthma & eczema as well so I had a lot to cover with them besides the food allergies) & getting the answers that everything is safe, they call me yesterday & ask me about when they serve pb&j to the kids. I was about ready to lose a shoe in someone's behind b/c they told me I didn't need to worry b/c they're a nut-free facility. WHAT? How does peanut butter fall under the definition of nut-free? I also had to explain that milk allergy isn't lactose intolerence, he can't have ANY animal or nut milk products & they have to read labels & the "may contain" warning" means NO he can't have that if it says peanuts, any kind of nut (b/c they have us avoiding tree nuts even though he's negative) or milk. That would not have bothered me so much if I hadn't been talking to the REGISTERED NURSE that's in charge of the kids' well-being. she was supposed to call me back yesterday for clarification. OMG!
I'm afraid to send him to school now & even more afraid that if something happens they'll be too inept to deal with it & I may just lose it completely.
Nurse called me back. Apparently no one in the entire building communicates with anyone else. They ARE a nut free facility. (still not making me feel better though since there was that much confusion)
Nathan's daycare will be nut free but his school isn't. The teacher requested the class be nut free. The problem is not just nuts, he is allergic to milk, eggs and wheat.
I am an 18 year old who is allergic to all nuts, shellfish, corn, wheat, soy, sesame seeds, and melons. (Anaphylactic to the nuts and shellfish.) I ran across you blog while doing research for the medical alert tattoo I want to get- as a testament to who I am and the world I live in- and wanted to ask if you know about FAAN? The food allergy and anaphylaxis network is an amazing organization who really supported me through my entire life, especially after a terrible reaction when I was 12 that pushed me into a period of depression and made me incredibly neurotic. I have recovered now, but FAAN really helped me out, and even gave me ways to speak to my peers through their teens summits and such.
Anyway, there is also a children's section if your son is interested. It gets hard, being labeled as the "food allergy kid" and always being surrounded by special food and protective parents- although I completely understand the precautions- and FAAN provides an amazing outlet for those with food allergies.
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