pHow's that for a mixed bag?/p
pI've been helped so often by people on these boards but did not register myself until Nestle Canada announced they were doing away with their peanut-/nut-free factory. I was and am furious about it and just jumped right in./p
pNow maybe I should introduce myself. I'm JoannaG and I live in Canada (city of Ottawa). One husband (anaphylactic to shellfish), one son (environmental allergies) and one daughter (anaphylactic to peanuts and tree nuts)./p
pSince our daughter was diagnosed at the age of 6 we have - like so many others on these boards - put a lot of effort into teaching her to live safely, and building good working relationships with her school, Brownie and Girl Guide leaders, etc. etc. Now she is 12 and graduating to middle school next year./p
pWhen I look ahead I see...YIKES! teenage years! How do we navigate this? Is anyone else already on this road? Any words of wisdom to offer?/p
New here. I\'m fighting Nestle Canada, apprehensive about the teen years
Posted on: Wed, 05/02/2001 - 12:58pm
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There are many here who have gone through or are entering the "teen" years. I wanted to let you know I just did a search of these boards and put the word "teen" into the search. I found 146 threads. You may want to do a search yourself and do some reading if you have not already. In case you are not familiar with the search (and to inform others about this feature on the boards) I will give some direction for doing a search.
The search on these boards is located under the big blue posting buttons, just click on the word "search" and you will go to the search page. There you can put the word you are looking for and also pick which forum (board) you want to search. If you do not know which forum the information you are looking for is on, you can put the option to "Search Forum/Archive" to "Search All Forums and Archives". Which will then check each board and give you a list of threads that were found so you can click on the ones you want to read.
If you would like to give me a call and discuss the "teen" years or any other peanut allergy related topics, (how to stay safe) our phone number is on the "Our Contact info" link on the PeanutAllergy.Com home page. I will post a link below to this page. We are on eastern standard time.
PHONE NUMBER
207-766-5292 9-5 EST
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Link to PeanutAllergy.Com contact information page. There you will find e mail addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, information on how to make a check out to PeanutAllergy.Com and the mailing address.
[url="http://www.peanutallergy.com/address.htm"]http://www.peanutallergy.com/address.htm[/url]
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Hi Joanna,
I am 16 and about to leave secondary school.I think you sound very sensible and have obviously done all the right things by your daughter so far.
Provided that the school are 100% aware of the severity of the allergy and know precisely how to deal with it, then there is little more you can do.
The day to day practicalities do become a little more complex, but not uncontrollable. If she is taking food design (home ec?), then you may need to talk to this teacher separately as mine didn't understand that I couldn't be in the room at all. I don't know how her new school's canteen is, but I don't eat any school food, but bring it all from home.
Basically, it is all about thinking things through so that things can't go wrong, and by the sounds of it, you know what you are doing.
Hope I have been of some use.
Rachel
Rachel, you've said all the right things. I was over to the school for parent information night earlier this week and learned that they no longer have Home Ec. (was called Family Studies at the time it disappeared a couple of years back) and don't have a canteen. Hooray! that's 2 risk factors I don't have to worry about.
It's as you say, I must just satisfy myself that the school has its act together and talk with my daughter about what she is likely to encounter there. It's a bit scary that she is leaving the protected environment of elementary school, but I do feel a little more optimistic.
And thank you Chris I had not thought of doing a search, but I will now.
Hi Joanna, and welcome! It's funny, but I feel like I know you already what with all the Nestle stuff!
I also have a daughter entering middle school next fall, she will be 12 in Sept. but is not PA. You don't happen to be in the south end of Ottawa? It would be quite ironic if our kids attended the same school!
Feel free to e-mail me anytime! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/tongue.gif[/img]
Regards,
Katiee (Wade's mom) AKA Kathie
Hi again Joanna,
After reading this post again, I thought that your daughter may well be feeling like I felt as I changed schools. If she wants, then she can feel free to e mail me at any time and I will be only too glad to write to her as it was only a couple of years ago for me.
Take care
Rach
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RACHEL
I can sure relate! My daughter will also be changing schools this fall...to high school. She will be 14 soon. She and I have a meeting set up with the school nurse for June 12th. I spoke with her on the phone, of course they have "never had a peanut allergic student before". Why must we ALWAYS be the first?! Sigh. Right now I am figuring out what paperwork to take with me. I don't want to freak this woman out. It seems to me that how we handle this initial meeting will determine how the next 4 years will go. She sounds willing enough to learn, but I am feeling pretty overwhelmed just thinking about it! One really great thing about her new school, she is going to a "medical magnet" school, to prepare for a medical career. I think there will be alot of opportunities to make more people aware of PA through research papers, reports, etc. And you would think they would take this allergy very seriously there. Our fingers are crossed!
Beth
Great to hear from you Katiee, Rach and Beth. Isn't it wonderful news about Nestle.
Wouldn't it be cool if our daughters ended up at the same school, Katiee? Friends and peers are so important at their age, especially when they "get it" re severe allergies.
Rachel, thank you for that offer. I will speak to my DD about it.
And Beth--I hear you! Some days I am just so glad that my daughter is growing older and taking on more responsibility for herself because I get weary of encountering and trying to overcome the same resistance year after year.
The last couple of years I've been getting a not-so-subtle brushoff, "Oh yes we know all about it, we've been dealing with it, don't worry she'll be well taken care of" and then being cast as troublemaker/overprotective/mistrustful when I dare to ask for specifics. Oh I see myself slipping into a rant! I'll stop now.
I am glad that you have a chance to make an ally of the school nurse, and to use the school's focus on medical matters to inform and raise awareness.
The Principal at DD's new school told me straight out she has no time for us until late August (the week before classes begin); so I thought I'd try getting in touch with other parents and contacted the School Council Chair. I hope it wasn't a mistake. I agree we have a lot riding on our initial approaches to a new school.
Good luck to you.