With several of the big holidays behind us, I've been hearing from many of you who are new to peanut and tree nut allergies, in addtion to other food allergies. For some reason, the new year brings new food allergies and it can be a very scary and confusing time.
That's why I'm including a link to a recent post featuring my advice for those new to food allergies.
Take heart, take your time to get used to your new life and most of all, join us here as well as on my social networking including my Nut-Free Mom Facebook page and Twitter. I hope you will also check out some great food allergy resources including FAAN, The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network and FAI, The Food Allergy Initiative.
Another great resource for the newly diagnoses is Allergic Living magazine. (Full disclosure: I'm an associate editor. But I started as one of their readers and it's a great magazine!)
Showing posts with label newly diagnosed food allergic kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label newly diagnosed food allergic kids. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year, New Food Allergy? Here's What To Do
As we ring in 2011, I have noticed a huge increase in the number of e-mails and posts I've received from parents facing new nut allergy diagnoses in their kids and I've even heard from several young adults with new nut allergies.
The most frequent word I hear is "overwhelmed." This is so understandable. It is overwhelming. The wealth of information alone (often conflicting) can be hard to absorb. Plus, you may wonder if you'll ever have a normal life again, if you will ever learn to decipher food labels and if your child can even go to school. You wonder if every food has the potential to harm your child and/or you. Life can seem very scary and very surreal.
I've been there and I can tell you that things improve. But I can't sugar coat the facts: your life will change, sometimes in ways you may not even foresee now. Some of the changes will be hard to deal with; some may even be positive in the long run. I can think of two positive changes: becoming healthier in our family eating habits and learning to be more assertive in life and ask for what we need. I also have a truly compassionate daughter whose own struggles have made her want to be helpful to others facing different challenges.
Food allergies are never welcome and they make life more difficult at times. But you can live well with them. Here are some things that have helped me and my family:
Seek expert medical advice from an allergist. I've found the best people to handle the medical aspects of food allergy have been our allergists. Find a board-certified allergist and then follow their advice. Keep up on yearly visits, appropriate testing and keep in contact with them about medications. An allergist will be more knowledgeable on food allergies than most pediatricians, not to knock them because they're helpful, too. But an allergist will be more up-to-date on the constantly changing aspects of food allergies and this will be invaluable to you.
Always stand firm about food allergies. You'll meet people who don't take food allergies seriously, who may even blow them off completely. Sometimes those closest to you won't accept the situation. Be prepared for it. Usually, ignorance about food allergies is the key reason. If you know that something is not safe then avoid the food, situation or if need be, the person until they "get it." Risking an allergic reaction to preserve any relationship is never worth it. As we saw recently in Chicago, food allergies can be fatal when not clearly understood or properly respected.
Be informed but don't overload on random info. This is the hardest thing because Internet access can uncover some crazy stories and information. Stick to respected resources such as The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, Allergic Living magazine and The Food Allergy Initiative for research and facts. (And I hope you'll visit me for lifestyle tips and food allergy news.) Overloading on stories of food allergy deaths or unproven medical information is never helpful and may be harmful.
Knowledge is half the battle. The good news is, if you're reading this you probably have received medication, medical advice and are just generally prepared to face a reaction if it occurs. Witnessing an allergic reaction without any knowledge of what may be causing it or without any medication to treat it is much, much worse. If you know what you're dealing with, you can avoid or safely adapt to potentially harmful situations and cut down on risk.
I want to wish a healthy and Happy New Year to you all! Let's be safe together and please continue to share your input and comments!
The most frequent word I hear is "overwhelmed." This is so understandable. It is overwhelming. The wealth of information alone (often conflicting) can be hard to absorb. Plus, you may wonder if you'll ever have a normal life again, if you will ever learn to decipher food labels and if your child can even go to school. You wonder if every food has the potential to harm your child and/or you. Life can seem very scary and very surreal.
I've been there and I can tell you that things improve. But I can't sugar coat the facts: your life will change, sometimes in ways you may not even foresee now. Some of the changes will be hard to deal with; some may even be positive in the long run. I can think of two positive changes: becoming healthier in our family eating habits and learning to be more assertive in life and ask for what we need. I also have a truly compassionate daughter whose own struggles have made her want to be helpful to others facing different challenges.
Food allergies are never welcome and they make life more difficult at times. But you can live well with them. Here are some things that have helped me and my family:
Seek expert medical advice from an allergist. I've found the best people to handle the medical aspects of food allergy have been our allergists. Find a board-certified allergist and then follow their advice. Keep up on yearly visits, appropriate testing and keep in contact with them about medications. An allergist will be more knowledgeable on food allergies than most pediatricians, not to knock them because they're helpful, too. But an allergist will be more up-to-date on the constantly changing aspects of food allergies and this will be invaluable to you.
Always stand firm about food allergies. You'll meet people who don't take food allergies seriously, who may even blow them off completely. Sometimes those closest to you won't accept the situation. Be prepared for it. Usually, ignorance about food allergies is the key reason. If you know that something is not safe then avoid the food, situation or if need be, the person until they "get it." Risking an allergic reaction to preserve any relationship is never worth it. As we saw recently in Chicago, food allergies can be fatal when not clearly understood or properly respected.
Be informed but don't overload on random info. This is the hardest thing because Internet access can uncover some crazy stories and information. Stick to respected resources such as The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, Allergic Living magazine and The Food Allergy Initiative for research and facts. (And I hope you'll visit me for lifestyle tips and food allergy news.) Overloading on stories of food allergy deaths or unproven medical information is never helpful and may be harmful.
Knowledge is half the battle. The good news is, if you're reading this you probably have received medication, medical advice and are just generally prepared to face a reaction if it occurs. Witnessing an allergic reaction without any knowledge of what may be causing it or without any medication to treat it is much, much worse. If you know what you're dealing with, you can avoid or safely adapt to potentially harmful situations and cut down on risk.
I want to wish a healthy and Happy New Year to you all! Let's be safe together and please continue to share your input and comments!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Nut-Free Mom Newbies--Welcome to Our Nutty, Wonderful Community!
Over the past several weeks, I've received several e-mails and blog comments from mothers who are facing new peanut and tree nut allergy diagnoses in their young children. Even though I've now been in the "trenches" of food allergies for more than 4 years, I still vividly recall how I felt when I first found out about my daughter's life-threatening allergy to nuts.
It was one of the scariest times of my life. I felt certain that I wasn't cut out for the job. The first year I had a roller coaster of emotions. One day, I'd be very optimistic about handling my daughter's health problem. The next day, I'd feel so negative about the whole thing I wondered how our family would ever be normal.
Here's the good news for all of you facing this for the first time: you can do this. There is nothing like a mother's love to override obstacles. I'd be willing to bet that all of you will dig deep inside yourselves, like I have, to make sure that you give your child their best possible life despite the fact that you have to watch their every bite of food.
You'll wake up one day and realize that having a food-allergic child does not seem like such a crisis. You'll know you can do it and your child, as they get older, will be able to cope and have confidence, too.
My best advice is to stay positive. My allergist always tells us to keep life as normal as possible--even while we have to be cautious. Travel, eat in restaurants, go places. Let your child go to Girl Scout camp or stay overnight with a friend.
Of course, you have to take precautions. You can't be lax and everybody--teachers, grandparents, babysitters and other parents of the kids your child plays with will need to know how to use the EpiPen. But if you teach your child how to stand up for themselves and how to avoid certain foods, that's half the battle already.
The resources I have listed to the right of my blog have been invaluable to me in this journey and for those of you new to nut allergies, I suggest you take a look.
The other big thing to remember is that you're so not alone. When I first discovered my daughter's food allergy, it seemed like nobody was very familiar with it. Now it's rare if I meet someone who doesn't have at least some experience with it. Things are changing for the better, but we still have to be vocal for our kids.
I welcome your comments and suggestions for this blog and wish all of you the best of luck as we work through the "nut allergy maze" together.
It was one of the scariest times of my life. I felt certain that I wasn't cut out for the job. The first year I had a roller coaster of emotions. One day, I'd be very optimistic about handling my daughter's health problem. The next day, I'd feel so negative about the whole thing I wondered how our family would ever be normal.
Here's the good news for all of you facing this for the first time: you can do this. There is nothing like a mother's love to override obstacles. I'd be willing to bet that all of you will dig deep inside yourselves, like I have, to make sure that you give your child their best possible life despite the fact that you have to watch their every bite of food.
You'll wake up one day and realize that having a food-allergic child does not seem like such a crisis. You'll know you can do it and your child, as they get older, will be able to cope and have confidence, too.
My best advice is to stay positive. My allergist always tells us to keep life as normal as possible--even while we have to be cautious. Travel, eat in restaurants, go places. Let your child go to Girl Scout camp or stay overnight with a friend.
Of course, you have to take precautions. You can't be lax and everybody--teachers, grandparents, babysitters and other parents of the kids your child plays with will need to know how to use the EpiPen. But if you teach your child how to stand up for themselves and how to avoid certain foods, that's half the battle already.
The resources I have listed to the right of my blog have been invaluable to me in this journey and for those of you new to nut allergies, I suggest you take a look.
The other big thing to remember is that you're so not alone. When I first discovered my daughter's food allergy, it seemed like nobody was very familiar with it. Now it's rare if I meet someone who doesn't have at least some experience with it. Things are changing for the better, but we still have to be vocal for our kids.
I welcome your comments and suggestions for this blog and wish all of you the best of luck as we work through the "nut allergy maze" together.