The Award for Best Food Allergy Performance Goes To....

With the Academy Awards on TV just yesterday, it got me thinking about people in our lives that deserve the award for "Best Performance in Dealing with a Food Allergy."

As parents of kids with food allergies or adults dealing with food allergies, we can be faced with negativity at times. We've discussed this on this blog and also on my Facebook page (where I also asked readers to chime in on their "best food allergy performance" award-winners). However, most of us have those special people in our lives who go above and beyond for us. Or maybe we are impressed by our kids and how they handle their challenges.

In a previous post I discussed why I would give my daughter a "Best Food Allergy Performance" award. I am lucky that there are so many people in my life who support her and me even though sometimes dealing with food alleriges is inconvenient and even stressful for people. I'm thinking of my youngest daughter and how she is extremely careful about foods on behalf of her big sister and always is looking out for her. I'm thinking of my husband and how cautious he has become with regards to food, so that I feel truly supported and don't have to do all of the work myself.

Even more special, I'm thinking of the friends we have made who go out of their way--literally--to provide safe foods for my daughter. One of her friends even served "made in a nut-free facility" cupcakes at her own birthday party--just so my daughter could participate in the birthday treats. I'm thinking of the moms and dads who watch over my daughter during play dates and parties. I'm also thinking about the teachers who showed us empathy and did what they could to ensure that we could send our daughter into their classroom with confidence that she would be well.

I'm sure many of you have those special people in your lives, so be sure to thank them for all they do. Who would you nominate for "Best Food Allergy Performance" in your life and why?

Food Allergies Handled with Grace: My Beautiful Birthday Girl

Sorry, I'm just too proud of a mom to resist wishing my daughter Alexandra a happy 11th birthday today! She has taught me the meaning of grace under pressure with regard to the mature and matter-of-fact way she has handled her peanut and tree nut allergies from Day One. The girl has spunk, spirit and guts! Since it is Oscar Night after all, may I even say she has her own unique style and "True Grit." Even in kindergarten her teachers were telling us that she was careful with foods and would readily and (mostly) cheerfully decline anything she wasn't sure about.

My daughter was diagnosed at age 4 years old, and during one of our early allergy doctor visits, I remember how she decided to go to the doctor's appointment in a complete "Lizzie McGuire" (A past Disney TV series starring Hillary Duff, for the uninitiated :)) outfit including little high-heeled shoes and a purse. I know she was afraid but she put on her best fashions (!) and faced the situation with courage. She has always met her challenges with spirit, bravery and a positive attitude.

I'm also so happy at how she has grown. I find her independence heartening as she heads out into the world, though of course I still worry. She knows to check her own food, monitor many situations independently and educate her friends about food allergies while not making it the focus of her life. She is so much more than a girl with food allergies; it's just one aspect of her. That's how I want her to live and that's how she sees herself.

For many of you who have very young kids with a nut allergy diagnosis, take heart and make an effort to be cautious without focusing only on the negatives. We have tried to focus on the positive and my beautiful girl shows this confidence in everything she does!

Happy Birthday, Alex!

Food Allergy PSA from Dr. Oz

As many of you might now, Dr. Oz has featured food allergies on his popular TV show, including a demonstration of how detect the signs of anaphylaxis. This show was a wonderful public service. I especially appreciated it since I did not know what the signs of severe food allergy reactions were the first time my daughter experienced one.

Did you know that he also filmed a public service announcement for FAAN?

When public figures like Dr. Oz take the time to speak out about food allergies, it can have a very positive impact on the general public's awareness and acceptance of food allergies, besides giving them crucial health information.

Have any of you seen this PSA on TV before? I like the way he talks about the unexpected nature of food allergies and how they can happen anywhere at school. People think they can only happen in the cafeteria or lunch room, but they can happen anywhere. Awareness is the first step in making schools or any public venue much safer for allergic kids and adults.

Thanks, Dr. Oz, for your support of food allergies!

Food Allergy Book Giveaway: We Have a Winner!

I'm happy to announce that the winner of our Allergic Girl book giveaway is Karen! Congratulations! Karen will receive a copy of this upcoming food allergy book by author and blogger Sloane Miller. Thanks to all who entered and shared their heartwarming stories of how they approach food allergies with love. You all make me proud!

Karen, I now need to reach you so I can send you your prize. Please e-mail me at nut-freemom@sbcglobal.net with your contact info so your copy of Allergic Girl can get on its way to you immediately!

Here is Karen's story:

"Karen said...
The first Christmas after my 14 month old had her first reaction to peanuts was extremely difficult. Family members still were not very accepting of her allergy, brushing it off as not being very serious. Some even insisted that the traditional Christmas salad still have almonds in it even though we were told to avoid other nuts as well. It's been over 2 years since then and all of our family is extremely supportive of our now 3 year old. It's amazing to see how they go out of their way to make sure she's safe when she's over at their houses, at holidays and anytime! Their love and support mean so much to us and I can always count on them to think about reading labels and calling companies, etc. It takes time and a lot of learning to know what it means to be "nut/peanut free" and they have really come a long way!"

Since this giveaway got a great response, I will be doing more of these in the future. Keep reading this blog for more details.

Note: This winner was chosen at random via a computerized process.

Peanut Allergies, Spring and Gardening: Beware of Mulch and More

Spring felt like it was coming to Chicago last week for a fleeting moment, which got me thinking about gardening, bird feeders and much more. I've also had some recent questions and comments from blog readers about the "nutty" stuff they are finding in both bird seed and gardening items.

Non-edible food items frequently contain tree nuts or peanuts, and they are not regulated in the same way as foods are with regard to labeling. Always read the list of ingredients when buying gardening or lawn items and also birdseed for your feeder. It's surprising how many non-edible items will contain peanut or tree nut ingredients like shells or other matter.

Gardening items can be dangerous because, obviously, the go into the ground and young children will have access to them. If you have young kids, you know everything that looks edible (and even a few things that don't) will go directly into their mouths. So have fun with your spring garden, but be cautious!

Items to watch out for include mulch, plant food, enriched dirt for planting and of course, bird or small animal food.

A couple of years ago, a gardening item at Target stores called Buzzy Bee had peanut and tree nut allergy warnings. This is rare, however. Most of the time you need to read the labels and call companies if labels are unclear. Now, Spring can hurry up and arrive--just be prepared!

The book giveaway winner for Sloane Miller's "Allergic Girl" will be announced Wednesday after a random drawing, so come back on Wednesday and find out who won!