Nathan's Chocolate Pancakes

On Christmas morning, Nathan and his cousin (who also has some food allergies)  were eating pancakes and his cousin likes chocolate syrup on his pancakes. Nathan asked if he could have some. It was Hershey's Chocolate syrup (which has no dairy), I said "sure!" Nathan loved them!! Thank you Hershey's for making a chocolate syrup that is dairy free and Nathan can enjoy. I know it is made with corn syrup but I would rather have that then it having dairy. 

Nathan also drinks Hershey's chocolate syrup in his soy milk for chocolate milk or in hot soy milk for hot chocolate.

Flying with a Peanut Allergy.

When we made the flight reservations for our trip to Florida we talked to the airline Customer Service Representative and my husband told her that we had a son with a "peanut allergy." She said she would make a note of it (whatever that meant).

Fast forward to our first flight today to Florida, we are on the plane and I hear the flight attendant a few rows ahead asking the passengers if they would like: cookies, pretzels or peanuts. I cringed. I called the flight attendant over to us and said that we have a son with peanut allergies and we stated this when we made the reservations. She said, "oh I am sorry, I don't have that information" and said she would be right back. She went and talked to the other flight attendants and then came back to us and said: "I am sorry, we will make sure that the 3 rows in front and the 3 rows behind you are not served peanuts and on your next flight be sure to let them know at the gate before you board that you have a peanut allergy." This must be the airlines policy. I said "fine, thank you."

Luckily Nathan's peanut allergy is not so severe that he needed the whole plane free of peanuts. Would the airline do that if that was the case?

The Donuts

I made donuts!! They are free of Dairy, Eggs, Wheat and Nuts. I used the pancake mix that I make for Nathan and I bought a donut maker. Then I frosted them and added sprinkles. Nathan loved them!! It was so easy and now I have all these different ideas for flavors and decorating donuts. I could do powder sugar, glazes, cinnamon sugar and more.

Nathan Loves his Inhaler

The last couple of days Nathan has seemed wheezy so I have been giving him his ProAir Inhaler. Every time I give it to him he tells me he loves it. In fact he will ask me if he can have a puff from his inhaler. Can it be addictve?

Yesterday he tells me his heart ( he means his lungs) tightened up while at school and he went to the school nurse. He said she just put something on his finger (probably an oxygen monitor) and said he was fine.  He said he didn't need or get the inhaler.

I am not sure if he is now "faking" or "crying wolf" to get to use his inhaler. I think I need to start listening to his lungs.

Birthday Party at a Friends House

Nathan was invited to a birthday party that was today, a few weeks ago I called the mom and asked if there were any pets and she said no. Then I told her that I would pack Nathan's cupcake and a hot dog because Nathan can't have pizza he doesn't even like pizza that is allergy free.

We took Nathan to the friends house and dropped him off, all the parents were dropping off. As much as I wanted to stay because of Nathan's allergies and asthma, I left him there. I didn't even pack any meds because I didn't want to freak out the mom and I had all his food, what could go wrong? We live so close and I gave her my cell number.

Well 1/2 hours before it was time the mom called us and said we needed to pick up Nathan. She said he wasn't feeling good. She said he was laying on the floor crying, coughing, his lips were chapped and the kids were bothering him. My husband was on his way.

When Nathan and my husband got home, Nathan was still crying. He was coughing and it sounded like Asthma, but from what...I don't know. After some Benadryl, his inhaler and a nap - he was fine.

Need to find allergy free donuts.

I get an email from Nathan's teacher requesting donuts for Nathan for their Christmas Party next week at school. The other children must be having donuts. Is she really going to give Nathan donuts if I send them in??

I have never found a donut that Nathan can eat, most Gluten Free ones have eggs. We need no eggs, no wheat, no diary and no nuts. I call our local GF bakery to see if they have donuts but they do not. So I call my best allergy friend. She has a boy with the same allergies as Nathan and the same age. She gave me an idea on how to make my own donuts. We will see if it works. Stay posted...

The teacher calls...

Tonight I get a phone call from the teacher in regards to the email I sent (see post below this).

She is immediately is defensive and turns it all around as she was trying not to be wasteful and gave Nathan choices on what to use for his food projects. If the other children don't have choices, then I don't want Nathan to have choices. She went on to say that she was using the chocolate frosting I sent in a month ago - to use it up - before she would open the new white frosting that I just sent. No! Use what I send when I send it. That is all I ask. Let Nathan have the same as the rest of children. She did apologize. We went over and over on this topic but I just wanted to cry and changed the subject.

I understand it is hard to be a teacher you have all those parents sometimes against you and you feel the need to be defensive, I like her as a teacher and just have one request. Use the food I send in.

Email to Nathan's teacher...

I sent an email to Nathan's teacher today because when they make food in class Nathan comes home with different stuff then what they are making and I send the items in for him to be like the other children. I just want Nathan to feel normal. Maybe it is time for a 504 Plan. Here is the email:

Dear Teacher,


Nathan came home from school today with the decorated cookies that he made in class but I noticed they had chocolate frosting.  I am not sure why as I sent a brand new container of white frosting for him to use, it was requested on your ingredient list.  


This also wasn't the first time this has happened.  For the turkey cupcakes he had decorated a chocolate cupcake and not the vanilla that I sent (and you requested on the sign up sheet). I appreciate the fact that you asked me for white bread for the reindeer sandwiches but at the same time Nathan said he had chocolate frosting and the recipe you sent home called for peanut butter. I would have been happy to have sent soy nut butter for Nathan so his could look the same.


When I see you requesting different foods for the "math cooking" projects I go and find those items so Nathan can feel like the other children, this may mean I am up after hours baking yellow cupcakes or driving miles to get a food that is comparable to your request.


I hope you understand how important this is to us. I am always willing to send foods as close as possible to what the other children are having as I want Nathan to feel as normal as possible.


Thanks.
Nathans mom

Results from Nathan's Surgey

Nathan was diagnosis is Eosinophilic Esophagitis or EE or EOE. A type of white blood cell (eosinophil) builds up in the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach (esophagus) as a reaction to foods, allergens or acid reflux. When that happens, the eosinophils can inflame or injure the esophageal tissue. Symptoms of EE in Children may vary from stomach ache, loss of appetite, throwing up and failure to thrive. Nathan has now been prescribed more medicines to help with this issue.


He also has some gastritis in the lining of his stomach in which he will need to take some medications for that. 


A new issue that recently has started with Nathan is horrible smelling gas and bowels to be hard and loose. The doctor has requested an x-ray of Nathan's abdomen. We are waiting for those results.