Peanut Allergy as an Adult: Guest Blogger Lindsay B from Nut Free Life

Hi readers: I have a wonderful guest blogger today, Lindsay B of the blog "Nut Free Life." Lindsay has adult onset peanut allergy and tree nut allergies and she has been a loyal follower of the Nut-Free Mom and frequent commenter. In response to a thread on my Nut-Free Mom Facebook page, she asked me if she could share her story. I appreciate her insights because even though many of us have young kids, we wonder what a nut allergy diagnosis means to their futures. Lindsay wanted to offer her perspectives and she also wanted to reassure us parents that a regular adult life is possible! Please note: everybody's allergy is different, so for specific medical concerns, ask your allergist.

Thanks, Lindsay for sharing your story!

"Recently, The Nut-Free Mom asked her Facebook followers to post their “biggest concerns” regarding their child’s food allergies. What surprised me the most was that your worry was not limited to your current day-to-day reality of navigating food allergies for your 18-month-old or 6-year-old. You’re already thinking about his or her future as an adult. I can address some of your specific concerns, because after almost 28 years of eating whatever I wanted, I had an immediate, anaphylactic reaction to peanut butter in 2008, and was diagnosed with peanut and tree nut allergies as an adult.

For me, the first couple of years living with food allergies was really challenging, but I am now doing everything I loved doing before food allergies. My life looks like any other 30-year-old adult, aside from food restrictions, carrying medications, and taking some precautions. I live a really happy, healthy, full life, and your son or daughter can too! Here is a response to some of the questions you asked about living with food allergies as an adult.

Will my child ever travel?When I was first diagnosed, I wondered if I’d ever be able to get on a plane and explore the world again. Life is definitely easier in the daily, comfortable routine, but I didn’t want my life experiences to be limited just because of my food allergies. It takes more planning in advance, but safe travel is definitely possible. In fact, I will be traveling internationally this June for the first time since my diagnosis. If your child has recently developed allergies, and you’ve been afraid to travel with him, start by taking a road-trip to a nearby destination. Bring a bunch of safe snacks, research restaurant options online, get a motel room with a kitchenette, and plan fun activities that do not revolve around food. Once you see that it’s possible to travel safely with food allergies, you can begin to choose further destinations. It’s amazing how much a positive travel experience will give you the courage and confidence to do it again. The more you go and explore as a family when he is a child, the more he will feel comfortable and confident to vacation as an adult.

Will my child be able to eat out at restaurants? Of course, some ethnic restaurants are now off limits because of the high risk for cross-contamination (e.g. Chinese, Thai, Laotian), as are baked goods, ice cream, and desserts. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t go out and enjoy food away from home! I simply choose restaurants that have simpler menus and/or simpler dishes, or restaurants that are known for being accommodating to people with food allergies. I ask my server the same questions you ask now for your child, and I trust my gut if I feel like my questions are being dismissed or ignored. At coffee shops, I get drip coffee instead of a flavored drink. If I want ice cream for dessert, I make it at home instead and enjoy it after my dinner out. As your daughter gets older, teach her how to ask questions and speak confidently (kindly and firmly) to servers, make wise choices, and follow her instincts, and she will grow to feel comfortable eating in most restaurants. Also, let her cook and bake with you in your nut-free kitchen at home, so that she knows how to prepare a few of her favorite meals before she leaves home for college and adult life.

Will my child carry his medications at all times? Yes. And you can help your kids by teaching the importance of having medications on them at all times, in case of an accidental exposure to allergens. Without fail, I carry two EpiPens, Benadryl (fast melts and pills), Zyrtec D (for my seasonal allergies) and my inhaler in my purse. Men can carry messenger bags, a leather satchel, or a backpack with their medication(s). There are also different options for carrying epi pens, such as belts, arm bands, and calf bands. The important part is conveying to your child the absolute necessity of having his medications on hand, not in the car (where they will be exposed to extreme temperatures), not in his dorm room, and not in his office desk drawer when he goes to the workplace cafeteria down the hall. You can model this behavior by always carrying the medications yourself, when he is very young, and giving him increasing responsibility for carrying his own medications when it is age appropriate to do so.

Will my child be able to go to parties? Yes! For my work’s holiday parties and networking events, I call or email our catering department to ask about the menu, and what will be safe for me to eat. At bridal and baby showers, I call the host soon after receiving the invitation, explain that I have severe food allergies, and ask if she will be serving food with nuts. At Super Bowl parties, game nights, or movie nights at close friends’ homes, I often feel safe eating the veggies, chips, cheese, meat, and fresh fruit (once again, the more plain foods), and skip the bread and dessert. If I’m at a party that serves alcohol, I choose bottled drinks such as beer or wine, and I say “no” to mixed drinks. Your daughter will learn, over time, how to make good choices, as well as her own personal comfort level. At some parties, she will be able to eat freely! At others, she may decide to eat a small meal in advance, choose to eat when she gets home, carry a few safe snacks in her purse, or assist the host in making the food, to ensure its safety. I’ve found that my comfort level varies, depending on the host and his or her attitudes about my food allergies. By and large, however, my friends and family members have been great at making accommodations and preparing safe food."

Beyond a Peanut Giveaway Winner: Plus, the Whole Florida Peanut Allergy Protest Mess

After a random drawing, I'm happy to announce that Colleen Dabler is the winner of the Beyond a Peanut flashcard giveaway! Congrats to Colleen and please be sure to e-mail me at nut-freemom@sbcglobal.net with your address so we can send you your prize. Thanks also to all who entered. I hope you will consider purchasing these cards if you did not win--they are well worth the price. You can share them with teachers, daycare workers, family and friends.

This giveaway came at an opportune time for discussion about food allergy education because the need for education about food allergies has never been greater. Many of you have contacted me about the Florida peanut allergy protest regarding peanut allergy accommodations at an elementary school. The sad part of this saga is that it seems to me that education was lacking on both sides. I don't understand what happened there, other than not enough education and information was given to the parent population and it blew up in the face of the school, and, unfortunately in the faces of parents who only wanted to protect their severely allergic first-grader.

Certain routine procedures like hand-washing are a regular and easy part of preventing allergic reactions. Peanut sniffing dogs and mouth rinsing (stated as the proposed accommodations given by the Florida school) may raise a few eyebrows among people who know nothing about the seriousness of food allergies. And I'm not sure that most allergists would recommend those two features as part of a school's food allergy guidelines. Were the intentions good? Yes, of course. I feel for any parent of a first-grader. That is a scary time. They are at school all day for the first time and subjected to lunch routines. If you don't know what to expect, it can seem terrifying. I've been there and I've felt the fear. I get it.

We want to seem reasonable and rational when dealing with schools, even if we don't feel that way because, after all, this is the life of our kids we are talking about. Where is the happy medium? That answer will vary depending on your child's case and the school culture. No venue is ever going to be be 100% safe for an allergic person. Too many variables come into play. So you have to use reasonable accommodations to make a school safe enough for a child to attend.

I don't want any of you to be discouraged by the actions of a few Florida protesters who are uneducated about food allergies. These parents were clearly wrong in their actions and frankly, I'm glad this happened if only to expose food allergy hatred for what it is: ignorant. I doubt if only food allergy parents will make that judgement. I hope they will see themselves on TV and wonder if this is how they want their kids to view them--protesting the rights of a 6-year-old girl who didn't ask to be given a life-threatening food allergy. One sign I saw said "Our kids are Special too." I bet any kid with a life-threatening food allergy doesn't want to be "special" in this way. It's really special to be unable to eat your friends' birthday cake or Halloween candy from the neighbors, and be restricted from visiting an ice cream shop?? Not really.

Because of the ignorance and hate, wherever we go, we must make it our job to advocate and educate when you ask for food allergy accommodations, whether it be at school, with friends and family or even at a restaurant or on an airplane. Every small step you take does have a positive impact. I truly believe that.

As a wrap up, I'm including a link to an essay I contributed to the current FAAN newsletter. The title is, appropriately enough, "Dealing With Those Who Don't 'Get' Food Allergies."

Take heart, everyone, and hang in there!

Food Allergies and Groundhog Day, the Movie: Is There a Connection

We'll we're officially snowed in today, here in Chicago, and ironically it is also Groundhog Day. For those of you who've seen the classic Bill Murray film "Groundhog Day" from the 1990s, you'll remember that being snowed in following a Pennsylvania storm is what prompted the plot of this film. Bill Murray's character had a bad attitude, was cynical and just generally not very nice. He was definitely a glass half-empty person and all around miserable. He didn't enjoy the little things in life much less the big things and his attitude affected not only his entire life, but the lives of those around him. Ultimately he was stuck living the same day, over and over again. However, when he changed his way of thinking, eventually, he was able to have a positive and bright future. His attitude was the key.

Why am I thinking about this movie with regard to food allergies? Well, it struck me this morning that for a lot of us, (including me, at times, I plead guilty) dealing with food allergies can feel like "Groundhog Day." After all, every day you're living with food, potentially unsafe situations and finding yourself having to constantly explain, over and over again, how to keep your child safe.

Can it get depressing at times? Of course. Sometimes we deal with this stress by getting angry at others or by having a negative attitude towards new people and experiences. Like the Bill Murray character, we think we've seen it all, done it all and may expect the worst from other people because we've been burned before.

Like anything else in life, attitude is key with food allergies. Sometimes, situations or events, like a food allergy death in the news or even an insensitive comment can get you down. But if you view living with food allergies as just part of life and even try to see the positives such as healthier eating for the whole family, you and your kids becoming more compassionate of others, even learning to be more assertive--you will get a better attitude and it will get easier. Also, each time you have a new experience and it turns out well, you'll get more confidence about you and your child's ability to handle life-threatening food allergies. If you are never open to new experiences, your child won't be prepared to life a more full life independently and you definitely don't want that.

Trying new experiences does require caution when you deal with a food allergy that can be life-threatening. You should never take unnecessary risks with food. However, if you are careful and make safe food provisions, you can open up your family's life and experiences. Food allergies just mean that you need to be careful, but you can still live your life.

Happy Groundhog Day, campers!

Peanut-Free, Tree Nut-Free Holiday Candy...at the Supermarket!!

While doing my errands, Christmas shopping and what have you at SuperTarget and Jewel, I've been researching supermarket-available holiday candy that is safe for people with peanut and tree nut allergies. Besides reading labels, I've called some of these companies for more info. If you have any questions about the following list, I suggest you do the same.

Still, with all the things we have to do, it's nice to know that we can pop out to the supermarket and buy candy that's safe for our nut-allergic kids or for a kid-centric holiday party. I also hope that I've provided a great list to pass on to friends and relatives.

A couple of things before I get to the list: because nut allergies are what I deal with, that is what I focused on here. The best sources for multiple food allergies are generally things available over the Internet such as Divvies. However, a few candy brands found at the supermarket offer holiday treats free of many allergens.

Beware of chocolate. Lots of chocolate is not safe for nut allergies. Regarding Hershey's brand, read the labels. They will list if any allergens are present on production lines and will list allergy warnings if there is any cross-contact risk for particular items. If you need more info from them, please visit their web site.

Please always consider your child's specific needs before giving them any food and ask your doctor what is safe for them. If you have any product questions, call the companies for more info.

Let your comfort level be your guide. If you prefer candies made in allergen-free facilities, then please go with those. There is no sense in worrying about the candy you give your child; candy is supposed to be FUN. However, I hope the following list gives you a few tasty options.

OK, disclaimers are out of the way. Let's get to the candy:

"Bob's" brand peppermint candies including Candy Canes and "Sweet Stripes": made in a facility free of the Top 8 allergens, according to Bob's customer service rep I spoke with today. The customer service rep told me that Bob's brand candies will list allergen info, including possible cross-contact info. If you don't see allergen info, it's because that particular Bob's brand of candy was made in an allergen-free facility.

Exceptions: Bob's Starlight and sugar-free Starlight mints are NOT safe for peanut and tree nut allergies. The rep said they are made in a different plant than the other "Bob's" mints. Their labels will reflect an allergy warning for nuts, among other foods.

Sweet Tarts Holiday Gummies: This brand will list allergen info, including cross-contact info, if any.

Mike & Ike brand Holiday Medley Jelly Beans: Red and green jelly beans, perfect for decorating holiday cakes and for parties.

Life Saver Big Ring Gummies--These are SO cute--they are packaged individually to look like little Christmas wreaths. Allergy note: Check the label if you are shopping for multiple allergies; some Life Saver gummies may contain milk.

Tootsie Roll Candies: All Tootsie Roll candies are made in a tree nut-free, peanut-free facility, right here in the Chicago area, as a matter of fact. They have some great new holiday candies including Candy Cane Pops (pictured above), Frosty Vanilla Midges and Starlight Pops with a Tootsie Roll center. Each holiday candy features festive individual packaging, perfect for parties or gift-giving.

York Peppermint Patty: Always nut-free, but may contain milk.

Junior Mints: Made by the Tootsie Roll company so nut-free; may contain milk or egg.

Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses: Hershey is careful about manufacturing and labeling; past conversations with them confirm that their packaging reflects detailed allergen info, including cross-contact risk due to product lines. Candy Cane kisses do not have a nut allergy warning and according to Hershey reps, are safe for nut allergies.

Starburst and Life Savers Sweet Game Books: I found these at Target. They have fun holiday activity books for young kids along with candies. These are safe for nut allergies; however, both candies have milk allergy warnings.

For all food allergies, Dum Dum suckers and Smarties are free of the Top 8 food allergens. They are always a good standby.

I hope this list gets you started. Readers, what are some of your favorite nut-free or allergy-free holiday candies? Let us know if you can find them at the supermarket!

Food Allergies and Food Labels: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Check out this photo of a label from Breton Multigrain Crackers. From my perspective as a consumer looking to avoid even traces of peanuts or tree nuts, the label I share in the photo should be one of the "good ones." It is clearly marked with regard to any nut ingredients and clearly states that the product is made in a nut-free facility. Does a label that states clear nut allergy info boost my interest in buying the product? Absolutely.

However, take another look at the label. This particular flavor also includes sesame seeds and an allergy to sesame is on the rise, so this ingredient may be a concern to some of you reading this right now. Before we get too angry at the company, though, a quick note: sesame is not one of the "Top 8" allergens and the allergy warning in bold type on this package is totally voluntary. They didn't have to put it there, but they did.

I'm talking labels because soon those of us in the U.S. will be talking turkey--as in Thanksgiving and many of us are going to be eating at the homes of family and friends. Label reading is crazier than ever these days and food labels with regard to allergy warnings are changing like the leaves in autumn.

Consider the new labels for Ragu spaghetti sauce. Now, any time of year people are serving spaghetti and tomato sauce. I make my own--taste preference as well allergy concerns factor into this decision--so I'm not a regular Ragu customer. Howevever, I came across a troubling label discussion on the page of one of my food allergy Facebook friends. Turns out Ragu has changed some of their sauce labels to reflect nut allergy warnings due to new manufacturing lines/locations.

Oh, dear. But the thing is: This happens ALL THE TIME. Here's what Ragu had to say when I questioned them on their Facebook fan page:

Hi Jenny! We totally understand your concern about nuts in our sauce. As of 2/10, some labels of our Traditional sauce stated that the product may contain tree nuts. This is because a little amount of this sauce was produced at a different plant, thus there will be an "L" in the date code instead of a "Y" so if you want to be extra cautious, check the date code. An example of a date code would look like this: JAN2211YU010302A1. We do NOT put nuts to our Old World Style Traditional - we had to put that different label # on there just for precautionary reasons. We regularly test for allergens at that facility to ensure our products meet the highest standards quality regardless of production – and to date, no allergens have been found. As we’re sure you know, you can never be too safe – so you can stick with any date code that contains a “Y”. Thank you for your concern and we hope this information is helpful!

I know. I'm a little confused after reading that as well. However, that's all I know--if you want more info from Ragu, please ask them directly.

Additionally, the law that requires the "Top 8" allergens (egg, milk, soy, tree nut, peanut, shellfish, fish and wheat) to be listed on a food label doesn't cover other allergens and does not require any additional allergy warnings in bold type. Allergy alerts in bold type are totally voluntary under current U.S. law. Only the ingredients need to be listed in "plain English." If you have any questions, I encourage you to do your homework (as I do) and contact the companies directly. The more noise they hear, the better chance they may actually create a label that's easy to decipher as well as (fingers crossed, always!!) accurate.

The bottom line is to always, ALWAYS read food labels and inspect them before serving to an allergic person. You also want to start alerting your family now if you notice any changes in food labels you've used safely in the past.

Any other food label issues you'd like to sound off on? Readers, let's hear it. If possible, share the outcomes of any e-mails you've sent or phone calls you've made.