pashley'smom: I think it really is just totalbr /
ignorance on the part of some. Even afterbr /
you have explained it. Before my son wasbr /
diagnosed with multiple food allergiesbr /
including PA, I knew *nothing* about foodbr /
allergies. I'm not sure if I even knew therebr /
was such a thing! When my son was firstbr /
diagnosed at a year we showed all of ourbr /
relatives the video "It Only Takes One Bite"br /
from FAN. I think they could understand thatbr /
it was serious. My son also wears a Medicbr /
Alert bracelet at all times and this seemsbr /
to give the impression that it is serious.br /
Both families on my side and my husbands arebr /
pretty good about it. We were recently at abr /
family gathering and my in-laws gave all thebr /
kids little packets of Jelly Belly jelly beans and said, "We don't know if Sawyer canbr /
have this so you will have to check it out."br /
It was nice that they wanted us to check butbr /
they could have too. Right on the packagebr /
it says peanuts and peanut flour (one of thebr /
flavors is peanut butter). Can't *they*br /
read too!?! There have been a few otherbr /
incidents but not to bad. On the Mainbr /
Discussion board there is a topic calledbr /
Response From The Magazine Offspring, postedbr /
by momma2rac. There is a link to an articlebr /
called "On The Trail Of The Killer Peanut".br /
Maybe you could print this article and give,br /
or send, it to members of your family andbr /
nicely ask them to read it and say that thenbr /
maybe they would understand why you have tobr /
be so cautious and why they need to be too.br /
I hope that would help. Sorry this is sobr /
long.br /
Take care!br /
Tracy/p

pYou know its funny I had the same problem with ignorents myself on mothers day.We had met grandma and great grandma for lunch and what do you know she hands us litte gifts and inside was nut clusters "hello"what are they thinking ?My husband just handed it back and said I'm sorrey but she can't have this ,instead of keeping them to save hurting her feelings.Thats just not the way to go or she'll not understand.But thats what we always do on holidays and we getting the dam peanut products.br /
I find that its the grandparents that have the hardest time understanding this allergy.My grandparents use to buy cake from their favorite dutch bakery ,which was covered in peanuts.They would bring it to my moms birthday for a treat and mom felt so bad the first time that she didn't have the heart to tell them to get it out of the house.The second time was at a big going away party and my daugter and myself walked in the door to be confronted by a kitchen counter with two if these lovely cakes.Well thats all you need when everybody wants to kiss and hug your little one because hey thats what eurpeon people do.So I turned around put my girls coat back on and said "come on Chantelle we can't stay "and went outside with tears in eyes.I felt so bad for her ,but this is going to regular acurance in her life.Well as I baled in their carport and everbody came out to see us.Everbody asking if your allright dosen't help the tears.They felt so bad that my grandparents were in tears embracing us in th garage.I have never seen them like.They felt so bad about that stupid cake and have never orderd it agian,along with a peanut free household.br /
So I guess the tears worked.....thanks for letting me get that whole thing out ,I feel much better and please ignore all my spelling mistakes....tania/p

pWow,br /
I just found this web site and have learned so much since sunday. My son was diagnosed recently and we have been careful at home and checking to see if things are fried in peanut oil, all of the obvious things, but reading these posts has opened my eyes to how vigalent I am going ot have to be.br /
Today, I realized that other people just dont understand, even my own mother. I was telling her some of the things that I read here and she acted like I was just being silly, she even said "his allergy isnt that bad." Now I have been aware of her lack of concern to my sons health issues for the beginning when we asked that noone smoke around him,and she did not stop until he spent eight weeks on antibiotics for upper respitory infections, but this is so obvious, he spent 5 hours in the emergency room, blew up like a baloon, and had breathing trouble. Why dont people just get it, it is that BAD!!! Doesnt life threatening mean anything to them???br /
I'm sorry this is so long I too was venting [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] But seriously where can I get the information available to help myself and my family and friends keep my son safe???/p

pHave you checked out the Food Allergy Network website? They have a lot of resources you can purchase that are worth it for schools and family. The video It Only Takes One Bite should jolt some people. Your mom sounds like she is in denial. My mom can be like that sometimes with other issues, but thankfully she does take pa very seriously. Keep reading these boards and check out the 'links' section. Good luck to you. It is very hard, but you'll find a lot of support here! Lisa/p
pHi Shannon, I just saw on another thread that someone gave you the link to FAN. /p
p[This message has been edited by Lisa M (edited May 16, 2000).]/p

pHi Shannon; I haven't had any problems with relatives...yet...But I think if I did I would continue to give them any information that I could. Do not let up. Keeping your son safe is the priority and educating those around him about his allergy is one important way of keeping him safe. I read this article on another site. It is about someone with allergies and asthma in the sixties. We really have to be grateful that we are so much more educated now than they were back then. I have to warn you though that this is sad but it really hits home. [url="http://www.angelfire.com/mi/FAST/fatality.html"]http://www.angelfire.com/mi/FAST/fatality.html[/url]/p

pI ordered and received the video, "It Only Takes One Bite". Any advice on how to approach the extended family requesting that they view it???/p

pThis is my first time "venting". Fortunately, I've never really needed to before./p
pMy grandmother babysits my two year old while I work part time./p
pThis morning in the car, I reminded her not to leave JO's epi in the sun or hot car. She said she doesn't take the epi pen when they leave the house. Of all the !@#$#@!br /
She doesn't keep any nuts in the house, so when did she think JO might need it most? While taking a nap?/p
pI'm quite proud of the way I responded to this new info. I said that bees are around a lot this time of year, and it would be nice in case JO is allergic to bee stings, that they had epinephrine on hand./p
pA few days ago I mentioned in a post that my grandmother told me that JO would have to eat a jar of peanut butter before he would die from peanuts. Nearly every day for 5 months, I talked to her about JO's allergy. I told her that trace amounts of peanuts can kill. I guess I talked too much about it and she decided that I was overreacting. Has anyone else run into this? You describe the peanut allergy too much or too well, or too dramatically, and people tune you out and chalk up your precautions to "paranoia." /p
pARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/p

pFunny you should mention that. This past Saturday night my husband and I went out. We left my son with my mother-in-law. Before we left I went down the list - "the cell phone number is XXX-XXXX", right away she snapped, "you don't have to take a cell phone, nothing is going to happen" I said "just in case, it's nice to have it. The epi pen and Benadryl are in this cabinet. Don't open up this BBQ sauce because I haven't heard back from the manufacturer." She snapped at me "I know all this!" I get the feeling she thinks I'm overeacting./p

pHi Heahter - I had to respond when I read your post. I, too, have trouble with my mother-in-law and will never leave her in charge of my son. She recently told other family members that we "go overboard with this peanut thing and she just wants to be able to feed my son." She made a huge issue about my son (5) not eating microwave popcorn right in front of him. Carrying on and arguing with my husband./p
pI have gone to great lengths to make sure he does not feel "different" from everyone else and it only takes one incident like this to blow it. I am still furious and it happened Father's Day. I found the best thing is avoidance!/p

pWhy can't our friends and 'loved ones' understand we have to hope for the best, but plan for the worst? The worst being an immendiate epi-pen shot and rushing to the hospital./p
pWe have very consistently stressed over these past twelve years to everyone the seriousness of this allergy. All family members know we consider peanut products to be toxic waste and can kill our children. You cannot overreact to something that is life threatening./p
pIf any babysitters (family or not) do not share your concerns about your children, I would find another babysitter./p