Different Comfort Zones

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toomanynuts, I really believe our comfort zone for my son (now just 9) has been based on his three anaphylactic reactions to less and less exposure.

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

I would imagine had I seen my dd suffer an anaphylactic reaction, especially 3, I would be in a different zone!

I have relaxed a bit lately, allowing the occasional item where the label looks fine, but I haven't the chance to call a company, like a tortilla chip at a friends home, or such. Maybe a popsicle, those sorts of things.

However, my dd has never had anaphylaxis, her test scores were extrememly low after the first year of avoidance(going from over 10 to 1.13 or something like that). However, I know she could have a severe reaction with an exposure. She did eat PB for a couple of months before developing obvious allergic signs. Also, before I knew about cross contamination and the risks and that trace exposures were unsafe, I used to pluck a cookie from the tim with nutty cookies in it! I made them too! Same rolling pin. I just didn't have a clue. She was fine through it all.

I am sure, now that she is 5 and has had no more reactions with our current avoidance diet, that this is easing my comfort zone. But, my zone is still tighter than many. Not sure if that helps. I guess it is more of my mental state than my actual practice in what dd eats that is relaxing, LOL! I just know I have felt more at ease with the whole thing. becca

I'm not sure where my sons allergy level is, and I kind of want to keep it that way. So I'm treating his PA as those it is extremely sensitive. We don't do the "processed in a nut environment" items.
I feel that if I can over protect him from these items maybe he has a better chance of outgrowing the allergy.

Also my DH is highly allergic to Brazil nuts. Fortunately I haven't witnessed an anaphalctic reaction but I know that it could happen. So we are both very cautious. So my comfort level is very high (or low depends how to word it [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img] )

Our comfort level was pretty comfortable, I would not say relaxed, but we were never big time worried until our son had his first reaction at age 12.

It was so fast, so dramatic, so unexpected, such a big mistake on our parts. It scared us to death. But we were rehearsed and acted like a well-oiled machine.

The second reaction a year later scared DH worse. He blamed himself and as worried as I was about DS I was equally worried about DH.

So our comfort levels tightened to the extreme. To be honest we just did not know enough about PA. We almost had to see it for ourselves to really get the full effect.

Sooner or later DS had more freedom away from the home and away from us and he developed his own comfort level which I would say is very very tight and very very vigilant. He would never lapse, never. He's 20 now and doing fine.

Peggy

OK. I'll bite on this one.

Since ours is a comfy comfy zone [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Caitlins diet is quite limited. We wouldnt expect our DD#1 or DD#3 (Or DW and me) to be on her diet.

Therefore, we eat things thats shes allergic to around her, with no problems... mostly..

Now, we've done that for yrs, and have had a few mixups... But Caitlins good at not eating others foods, she always has been -- intuitively, she knows what will happen to her, if she does...

Nuts/peanuts are another story...

DW is anaph to peanuts and our house is peanut free. I eat nut products at work, with no problems...

We use SOME products in the house that say 'may contain...' or 'facility' or whatever... But Caitlins diet is, again, very limited, and most stuff we buy for her is limited, so we take chances in that sense... If we cant BUY fig newtons for her, and we have an opportunity to buy Fig Newmans (WF/DF) even though they say 'run on dairy EQ', we've never had a problem...

If we DO have a problem with x-contam, we'll talk about it then...

As to C's reaction to nut products -- No F'in clue. DW never ingested them while PG, while BF or anything, and C's never had a nut product in her life... We RAST her last yr, and she was >100 for some, and positive for the rest. Whats it matter though, really... Shes a nut free girl, like her mom. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

That help? Clear as mud? Good. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Dont take this the wrong way, to the OP, or others... Don't condemn us for OUR situation, in which we play 'Russian Roullette' if you will (I've used that term before for us). For us, its the 'riding of the FA see saw' weighing the pros/cons of our decisions... What YOU think may be stupid, for us, is necessary. If we only had one safe cereal, and lets say it was cheerios, and they made nut cheerios with it, on the same line, we'd use them. Because there would be NO other choice...

Not the case at all, and very extreme... But our choices are MUCH more limited than JUST peanuts or JUST walnuts... kwim? I think you do.

We all make our OWN choices on our OWN comfy zones... No, DW does NOT go out for Thai Food, and NO, does not eat PB (though while PG, DID eat pistacchio puddings...)

And as long as there are NO noticeable reactions, we continue with what we're doing...

We see the best docs at BCH, and they all agree with me -- Now, docs can be wrong (more often than not) [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] but we're on the same page as them on this one.

Jason
Caitlin 4-17-00 Allergic to Dairy, Egg, Wheat, Bananas, Grapes, Rye, Sesame, Beef, Garlic, Mustard, Onion, Peas and Avoiding Latex and all Nuts
Sara 2-13-98 NKA (Avoiding Nuts)
Meghan 2-28-03 NKA (Avoiding Nuts)
[url="http://community.webshots.com/user/jtolpin"]http://community.webshots.com/user/jtolpin[/url]

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[b]* ENRICHED * [/b]

I would say our comfort zone is as tight as it can be while still having food that ds can or is willing to eat. He's very picky about textures, won't eat most meats or vegetables.

So, we've strayed beyond what I think some people would be comfortable with to give him a little variety. I try to bake as much as I can, but that gets just a touch time consuming....

As soon as there's any hint of a problem, I obviously don't go near the food again.

We do eat crackers from Keebler for example, and I've read that alot of you aren't comfortable with them. Knock on wood, we haven't had a problem.

Since ds can't tolerate milk or egg as cooked ingredients, I do a little happy dance when I come across products free of those things. Once I check with the manufacturer, then we try it.

So far, we've only had a few mild reactions. But it's definitely a little unnerving when we try a new food. Hopefully, I keep making safe choices...

Edited to add that we are looser with foods that are run on the same lines as milk or egg. Our comfort zone with peanuts is very tight. He's had 1 contact reaction from shampoo residue (which had to be a really small amount of peanut protein). And his test scores are very high, initially a Class 6 and now a 5. So we stay FAR FAR away from peanuts.
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***[b] ALLERGY ELIMINATOR*** [/b]

Meg, mom to:
Matt 2 yrs. PA,MA,EA
Sean 2 yrs. NKA

[This message has been edited by mommyofmatt (edited December 29, 2004).]

[This message has been edited by mommyofmatt (edited December 29, 2004).]

My comfort zone depends upon the food. DD is allergic to milk, soy, wheat, peanuts, walnuts, pecans and almonds.

Because her milk and soy allergies are fairly mild, I allow her eat foods that are manufactured on the same lines, or have may contain warnings.

I have not encountered a may contain type of warning for wheat. It seems to be listed as an ingredient.

I don't allow any peanut/tree nuts, may contains, manufactured in the same facility etc. If it has peanuts or tree nuts or a chance of containing peanuts/tree nuts, I don't allow it near her. DD is 18 months. She had an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts at 17 months and one milder contact reaction (hives).

She had hives after I ate walnuts and almonds (2 separate occasions) and nursed her. She has never had tree nuts directly. The allergist told me she is at high risk of an anaphylactic reaction and to keep her away from all contact with all tree nuts.

My comfort zone for milk and soy is somewhat loose and extremely tight for peanuts/tree nuts.

Anne

My comfort zones are different for different foods as well. I allow my son to to have may contains milk products and have a few times given him products with milk in it if baked or cooked because he does not seem to be reacting to it in foods anymore. I am pretty stricked about the peanuts though. No may contains, no same facility. I bake alot and try very hard to keep him away from processed foods. I do allow him to eat in restaurants that use peanut oil but I dont let him eat the fried foods there. I do allow him around others eating nuts sometimes but ask them to wash up afterwards and dont let him near them till they do. I dont let him eat any nuts but have once since he was diagnosed with PA baked with safe pecans. ( I used to use pecans all the time but we quit that but I made my husband a pecan pie on his birthday). After he is three I think I will start using some pecans again as long as I know where they come from.. My comfort zone is stricter than my husbands and several peanut containing products found their way into my house this christmas.. I am going to be stricter next year. just makes me nervous.

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Lalow
James 3yrs NKA
Ben 21 months PA,MA,SA