Hi Everyone...My son (20 Months)was just diagnosed last week with severe (4+ after 5 minutes) peanut, tree nut, and soybean allergies. He was also tested at 3+ for wheat and eggs. I'm thrilled to find this website and all that it offers, and have been exploring the other links to allergy related websites. I've downloaded tons of info., picked up my EpiPen, Jr.'s, and have begun to try to educate my family and friends.... We have two older children and Halloween is just around the corner....it makes me so nervous. Our first clue about his allergies was when the baby pulled two closed, acrylic peanutbutter jars from the pantry (there may have been slight residue and the lids were a bit loose). Within minutes, he broke into severe hives, but Benedryl helped immediately and we continued the Benedryl every four hours per the pediatrician. If this is his reaction to peanut residue/fumes, it's easy to imagine what direct ingestion might bring. Anyway, I'm so glad you are all here, and I appreciate and value reading your messages so much.
Brand New to This
Posted on: Tue, 10/10/2000 - 1:55am
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WOW, I was you so many years ago. read under the "Living With Peanut Allergy" thread and look for "Comfort Zones" thread started by Cindy Spowart Cook. It's a good place to start to see how we all deal with this stuff. It can be very overwhelming and tears at the grocery store are likely. It is manageable though and we are all here for you. Under the search if you put a person's user name, you can also find out more abut their childrena nd see who fits best with your situation. Might want to start with mine...lol I think I have covered almost every angle on this board when it comes to dealing with pa and other food allergies. Between my kids and I, we have every food group covered with allergies, animals, and environmental allergies as well. We really should be living in a bubble here. Good luck and you will be fine, and so will your child. There is a Halloween thread as well, under "Living With PA". We all do the best we can to deal with this and so will you. Good luck and stay safe. Kim
Welcome MJ'sMom! You have certainly come to the right place! Read as many of the posts as you can. If you ever have a question about anything, there is usually someone on here who has already gone through it and has the answer! Good luck to you and your son. Deanna
Kim and Deanna...thanks so much for welcoming me and for your words of support.
I've put together an emergency info. sheet and laminated it for any caregivers, and yesterday I attached his medic alert bracelet. (He's been fussing and trying to pull it off). I've printed a large manual's worth of info. off the various internet sites, and all of the posts here that I've been able to has helped so much. I find myself looking at every product on every isle in the store in a way I never would have before....and I'm now a regular at our local health food store. I found a wheat-free cookbook, and will begin experimenting soon. "One day at a time" is my mantra! God bless you all, I pray we all stay safe.
Hi MJ's Mom and to you all. I am brand new to this sight but not new to pa's. If you can believe it, because my husband was diagnosed with peanut allergy as a baby, none of my five children have ever been given any kind of peanuts by us. My oldest son however, (he's 11) accidentally got a peanutbutter snack at school (he took 1 small bite) and immediately broke out in hives. When I called the Dr. she said to give him Benedryl and she would call in a prescription for an Epipen. Well, that was almost two years ago and I am very ashamed to say that we have not taken this as serious as we should have. Until this week, when my husband broke out in hives (we still don't know what he ate that was contamimated). He went to HIS Dr.and was severely scolded by both Dr. and nurse for not carrying Epipens everywhere (we have one at home and one at my son's school). They explained to us that seconds count! They also gave us an Epipen trainer. I have to say that I am very irritated that when my son had his reaction his pediatrician didn't want to see us and explain all of this. Nor did she tell us that he should be given benedryl along with the Epipen. The first time I heard that was from this sight. No one until now has ever shown us how to use the Epipen and I don't think anyone at our son's school (except the school nurse who is part time) knows how to use one. To top it all off, the other day my son's friends started teasing him with peanut butter sandwichs at school! Since talking with my husbands Dr., I have talked with the school administrator and have put in a call to my son's pedi. I would love to find out from all of you if your children are allowed to carry their Epipens with them at school. Do all the teachers know how to use them? Also, none of my children have ever been tested for this allergy, so even though we have been told not to give them nuts at all, we really don't know which of them are allergic. The Dr. told us to assume all of them are. Like knowing one is isn't stressful enough! Why won't they test them? Is it to dangerious? I know I must sound completely ignorant about this whole thing, but I am so uninformed. Sorry this is so long. Can use all the info I can get. Oh, also, where do I get a list of what foods do have peanuts? I saw something on this sight about smarties. What's up with that? Is anything safe?
Momof5littlePa's
MJ's Mom,
You are SO in control! I was FREAKING out initially and just recently calmed down a bit (although I DO have my days).
Welcome, and keep posting.
Momof5littlePA's (I hope I got that right!)--There is no need to be embarrassed about being uninformed! I think we've all been there. My son's pediatrician didn't take his allergy very seriously either--at least yours prescribed an epi-pen for you, but it certainly would've helped if you were shown how to use it!
This site will more than likely have all the answers to all of your questions. I know there was just a thread under living with pa or schools about children who carry epipens with them at school. Just do a search on any topic you have questions about and it will bring up what you need. My son is only 3 so I haven't had any experience with schools yet. We're just dealing with preschool.
There are also several adults on this site who are pa. At what age was your husband diagnosed? I wasn't surprised that your husband didn't have an epi-pen. From the posts I've read on here from the pa adults, peanut allergies were not taken as seriously back then as they are today.
Welcome to the board and good luck to you and all of your family! Deanna
Hi Gavin's Mom...Believe me, the last thing I feel like I am is in control...my son being PA, plus his other allergies make me realize how little control I really have...I'm doing all I can to be prepared, but the reality is, I won't be able to have perfect control over every piece of food,every situation, and certainly not over other people who don't understand/believe/care how dangerous PA can be. I feel freaked out too, but I'm reaching out for information to help me understand and not feel so helpless. I hope you've found some coping strategies too...Welcome also Momof5littlePA's...this is an amazing place for resource and support! I'll keep you all in my prayers.