Your feedback always has been, and always will be very important to me. I started this journey of blogging and cookbook writing because of food allergy kids, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and teachers everywhere. My usefulness to you is my number one priority. I love doing what I do, and there are few things that give me more satisfaction than serving you and your families with new meals that everyone enjoys and shares together. I’m always inspired by your stories, trials and tribulations. And I love that everyone who visits my blog feels the same inspiration and love that I do. This is an incredible community we are a part of, and I’m so grateful to all of you for your endless support, feedback and love. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

So thank you for your patience while I get through it all these next few weeks, and in the meantime, feel free to post your comments and wish list for new recipes. Thank you SO MUCH!!!! xoxoxo

The journalist in me won’t make assumptions until all the facts are out. But I will say that if the school did, in fact decline the mother’s request to keep an EpiPen at school for emergencies, they will be held responsible for negligence and not having an appropriate policy in place for children with severe food allergies. I read the fine print of their “policy” but if a clinical aid refuses the only medication that could save a food allergic child’s life, than all the rest of their policy is crap and BS. The right meds for these kids need to be in the right places at all times. No exceptions.

Which brings me to my son’s school and where they keep EpiPens, medications for children with food allergies. We are fortunate to have a school nurse. She has a big cabinet filled with resealable plastic bags of medications for children with food allergies. The nurse is located down the hallway from the cafeteria. In the event of an emergency in the lunchroom, it would seem there would be enough time to get a child down to the nurse, go through the packs of medications to find his/her specific bag of medication, administer one EpiPen for 10 seconds, maybe two if the first one doesn’t work, call 911 and pray the child responds to the corrective action.

However, I never felt comfortable with this process, because it is assuming everything will go exactly as planned, and that the child’s allergy will be recognized quickly enough to escort the child down to the nurse. I’ve always requested that a second EpiPen package be stored in cafeteria with the lunch monitors who handle the payment/check in. That person is trained on the EpiPen, and the monitors know what to look for in the event of a reaction. This emergency protocol is labeled in John’s 504 Plan. Today, as I was picking up John for his allergist appointment, I asked the office to double check to make sure John’s EpiPens were still stored in the lunchroom. The office confirmed that it was, and out of curiosity I asked if there were any other medicine kits stored in the lunchroom. The nice lady smiled, and responded…”No. Just John’s.”

The proposed School Access to Emergency Act “would enable schools to maintain a supply of epinephrine and enable staff to administer an Epipen to a student having an anaphylactic reaction.” Please read this article for more information about why it is important for you to contact your local congressman or woman for support. In my opinion, every LUNCHROOM should be equipped with EpiPens in the event of a food allergy emergency. There are a number of factors that could affect the child getting the right rescue medication at the right time. We encourage our children to always have their medicine kits on them 24/7, so why wouldn’t we have them available in the lunchrooms, where there is the most risk to these kids? Something to consider when drafting your child’s 504 Plan.

After seven hive reactions in two weeks, I took John to his allergist today to determine why. No new allergies were detected. John’s allergist said recurrent break out of hives is actually common in kids with food allergies when they are exposed to certain viral infections. As long as there isn’t any other respiratory or oral symptoms, it should be fine to treat John with daily antihistamines until the virus has worked itself out. It was interesting to note that John’s skin test and blood result for peanuts is still greater than 100 (KU/L), class 6 (highest class possible), combine that with John’s asthma and, according to John’s doctor an anaphylactic reaction could occur within 1-3 minutes. 1-3 minutes….is all it would take for my son to die if he didn’t have his EpiPens on him. Another variable is possibly how much peanut product would be ingested….the more ingested, the faster the reaction. As we all know, peanut traces could be in breads, cookies, snacks, etc. THIS is the reality parents of children with food allergies have to live with every day when we send our kids out the door. I used to think when John was in preschool that it would get easier when he got older. But I am finding that it is much, much harder. At the end of the day, John desperately wants to be a normal kid, who hangs out, plays sports and goes to 7- 11 with his friends to buy Gatorade. I get it, and I’m letting go as much as possible. But after hearing of another food allergy death…it just makes it all so hard to deal with.

Children are a great gift to us all. As parents we love them more than our own lives, and would gladly give ours to save theirs. We’re fiercely protective of them, and that will never go away. Keep fighting the fight, there’s much more work to be done in awareness, advocacy and prevention. Don’t take no for answer, ever, and believe that your child’s rights at school are just as important as any other child. Believe that homeschooling doesn’t need to be the answer, that your child can adjust happily and even thrive in any environment. And most importantly, believe in the power of YOUR voice, and empower your child to feel the same.

In the meantime, my prayers will always be with Ammaria’s family and loved ones, and hope that we can all help to prevent another child’s death from food. Here’s a great list from FAAN about the Anaphylaxis Do’s and Don’ts. Please read and share.

xo

The past few weeks have been very unsettling in our house because John has had more reactions lately than I care to count. We’ve had more than one “sensitive” discussion about how his allergies are upsetting to him, and overall it’s just been a rocky road. Everything was cool and stable for so long, and now it feels as if the universe is shouting out to me to pay close attention, and that vigilance is a must in every single situation when it comes to our food allergic kids.

Yesterday morning John broke out in hives after breakfast. As I rushed to give him Benadryl, I drilled John about what he ate, and if he ate anything different. For the record we are pretty much allergy free in our house, so it confused me as to what would have caused the hives all over his face. John admitted he gave his brother a Gerber Banana Cookie, which is seemingly safe, but a closer look at the label (which oddly doesn’t follow the Food Allergy Labeling and Packaging Act by not listing CONTAINS: allergen, etc.) showed it contained buttermilk powder. The cookie was baked withe buttermilk powder, not coated in it. John simply grabbed three out of the box, and gave it to his brother because he had asked for a snack while I was upstairs. When John came upstairs and told me he was itchy, I panicked when I saw his face…two doses of Benadryl quickly resolved the hives, and I felt assured no further intervention was needed.

Then last night before my son when to bed, he had about four hives on his face and said his face was itchy. Again I gave him Benadryl because he had no other symptoms (such as wheezing, coughing, etc). There was nothing John ate that he didn’t have before. Fast forward to this morning, and once again, after breakfast John came to my room itching his arms and face and his face looked like this:

I immediately gave him the same two doses of Benadryl that worked on his reaction yesterday, and called his doctor’s emergency number, all the while watching John like a hawk. He stayed right next to me the whole time, as I held his epipen in one hand, phone in the other. I looked closely for every other sign possible and asked John a million questions such as Did his throat hurt? (No) Do your lips or tongue feel funny? (No) Does your chest hurt? (No) Do you feel dizzy? (No) Does your stomach hurt? (No) John’s hives were mainly on his face, parts of his back, his arms and one part on his leg…what many consider a full body hive reaction. Many people feel that these symptoms alone is enough to give the epipen but I hesitated to give the epi for one reason: my doctor on the phone said that they recommend giving the epi when the patient presents the vomiting/breathing/mouth symptoms, and that as long as he wasn’t in distress and the hives were lessening, that the Benadryl would counter the reaction. Of course, John’s symptoms could worsen at any minute, in which case I would have given the epi and called 911, no exceptions. But with a house full of young kids, no husband around and his highly respected allergists telling me the Benadryl was an “appropriate” course of action at that very moment, I decided, yes, the Benadryl was good enough for now, and as I saw his hives literally fade away, I was comforted.

However, in a lengthy discussion with the allergists’ office, I wanted more answers about what was going on with John, and can I expect to see another reaction soon, perhaps an even worse one? Apparently these types of reactions can occur intermittently for up to a week after the initial one, and there is truly no way to know if the reaction will present itself as hives or something like anaphylaxis. John’s course of action was to take a Zyrtec and Benadryl once a day until this passes out of his system, then I’ll need to bring John back in to determine if the reaction was caused by either touching the baked milk cookie, or possibly an emerging soy allergy. We’ll do a full testing on John again to rule out soy. If not, then we can assume the reaction was caused by touching that cookie. It’s another argument for the logic behind food free classrooms (or only allowing fruits and veggies as snack choices). Because if anyone believes that you can’t suffer major reactions by just touching a food you’re allergic to, simply take another look at the photo above.

Finally, I asked the doctor if I made the right choice, because I was still doubting that I did. I was assured, yes, given the set of circumstances, and John’s list of symptoms, that I made the best choice at the time. I then asked “But why? Why did this happen? Why now? How did it happen, and how do I know it won’t happen again and be THE big reaction that puts John’s life at risk?” I was told “You don’t know. None of us know. We don’t know if your son’s reaction was stemming from yesterday’s or if he has a new allergy, and if he DOES have a new allergy, why now? No one knows”.

No one knows. Ever. As a mother I always want to make the best decisions and am fiercely protective of my children, as are all of you. But what never ceases to amaze me in the world of food allergies…is how LITTLE we still know. How mysterious this disease is, how different each reaction is, and why some are highly allergic to one thing, and some outgrow others. I’m always asking why, but still feel like I don’t have any more answers than nine years ago when we first started on this journey. At which point are we going to know more? At which point can food allergies be eradicated? I know we are headed down the right road with new therapies, treatments, laws, etc. But on days like today, I’m painfully aware of how little we DO know. And how so much of this is still out of our control.

During this holiday season, I wish you all Happy Holidays and to BE SAFE. xoxo

After school I offered my son John a brand of vegan pudding we’ve had in the past, and that I knew was safe for him to eat because I painstakingly read the label numerous times, except for today it seemed. This packaging look nearly identical but it was a slight variation made with soy milk. As many of us already know, some soy milk-type products often have milk or legume proteins hidden in the ingredient list. John noticed right away that it was slightly different packaging and asked if it was OK (because our FA kids are REALLY good at NOT trusting labels). I looked at the label, and it looked OK..still not putting two and two together that it was slightly different. I told John it was fine to eat, and since he trusts his mother to give him good information, he opened it up and took a bite. Reaction. Albeit it was minor (itchy lips and small hives), it was still an immediate reaction. Once we countered the reaction with medicine, and saw that John was OK, and the itching was only on the outside of his mouth and not inside, I went to the fridge to double-check the packaging. Sure enough, after looking at every little ingredient…there it was; Locust Bean Gum from the Legume Family. Thank God John didn’t start wolfing this stuff down, and took a careful bite to check first (again, FA kids are REALLY good at NOT trusting labels). My heart sank. I failed my son. He trusts me to make good decisions and to keep him safe at all times, and I didn’t. I’ve written many times in this blog that “mistakes can and do happen, even in the best of circumstances”.  This mistake happened on my watch, and if I’m vulnerable, so are schools, restaurants, etc. Wait, I take that back…they’re about a thousand times more vulnerable because they aren’t as lovingly and personally invested into our children’s health as we are. We’re moms, and will fight to protect our kids under any circumstance. Yet, we’re not perfect and slip ups happen even when we think we’ve got it all covered. Good to remember when we are trying to keep excess food out of our children’s classrooms….

Speaking of excess food, after this particular reaction my son left to go to basketball practice. Almost as soon as he walked in the front door upon returning, John broke into massive tears and sobbing. I gotta be honest, I haven’t seen him cry like this in a really long time. In fact it is rare John cries at all because he hates any excess attention on him. He’s always the kid who’s cool as a cucumber. So I knew something really bad must have happened at practice to shake him up. It was hard for him to talk about, but once he calmed down a bit he told me was embarrassed about his allergies, and for feeling different. I calmly pressed for more information, all the while fighting back my own tears, and he said that his coach offered his teammates a pizza party if they scored a certain number of points at their next game. John’s friend, who is very sweet and I know always looking out for him, told the coach John was allergic to pizza and couldn’t have it. John was mortified because he hates feeling different as well as if he were somehow preventing his friends from having pizza. He remained silent about his allergy and didn’t want to talk about it. The coach was concerned, and apparently unaware of John’s life-threatening allergies (this is a travel league, and usually all that information is relayed via paperwork and registration, so I guess I assumed wrongly his coach had this information). He said to the boys, “no problem, how about Jimmy John’s or Subway?” By this time, John said he just wanted everyone to stop looking at him, and to just have a pizza party. In that moment, I imagined John wanted to crawl up and go hide somewhere, because once again, all that attention on him made him feel different, and not like a normal 4th grade boy who just likes to hang out with friends and play sports. He goes great lengths to avoid looking different, and now that we’re approaching middle school, it’s only getting worse.

John’s emotions when he came home were raw, unlike anything I’ve ever seen come out of him. He’s growing up, and very aware of his limitations. He hates it, and at times, wishes his allergies would just go away. He wishes he would outgrow them, and he wishes for a cure. He doesn’t want his friends to miss out on things like a pizza party, because of him. He wants to blend in, and not have kids, coaches and teachers make accommodations for him. Once the tears stopped tonight, this is what John told me, straight from his heart.

My heart is heavy for John, and all the FA kids like him. Especially on nights like tonight. Everyone means well, everyone is trying their best, but sometimes, the reality is still that this is a very real disease that could cause death within MINUTES if not treated, or if an epi pen was left at home because “someone” didn’t want to feel different. That “someone” is John….and I fear he will continue to want to ignore his medical condition at the risk of trying to blend in. All I could do tonight was give my son my love, my hugs and my full attention to what his heart was saying. Before kissing him goodnight though, I reminded him that although I know how hard it must be to have a body that different from some other kids, he’s not alone. There are millions of kids out there just like him, feeling just like him, and want to be included in LIFE….just like him. He’s special, and that’s OK too. At the end of the day, we’re all different with unique challenges. Some kids have diabetes, some kids have learning disabilities, some kids have medical disabilities. But we’re all the same in that we just want to be loved, heard and accepted. And I guess that’s all that John and our other children, hell, even us, really need.

For example, in previous years, Halloween really used to freak me out, and not just in the literal sense (I don’t like mock graveyard scenes, zombies and scary movies…I’m a wuss). I used to hate having to think so far ahead about how I was going to handle the school Halloween party, or how I was going to handle trick or treating. This year, the tone was totally different. For starters, my son’s class party was food free, which was fantastic and eliminated all that planning and stress. The kids DID NOT care, believe me. I was in the classroom helping out and they were having so much fun playing games, etc. that they could have cared less if someone brought in a neon orange-tinted cupcake. Second, my 4th grade FA son wanted to go trick or treating without me, and out with his friends. Now, our community is very much like Mayberry, and everyone looks out for everyone’s kids. My son was going with trusted friends, and he took his medicine kit and my cell phone with him. He knew the rule was that he was to eat ZERO, ZILCH, NADA candy while en route, and had to wait until he got home to eat any of the three types of FA safe candy he got. John’s friends knew the drill, and were so aware and thoughtful of John and how to keep him safe. They truly cared about his well-being and were serious about following my rules. I told John, that I am letting go a little to allow him to make his own choices, and that I trusted him to follow the same rules we’ve always had. Then with the blink of an eye, my freckle-faced boy bolted out the door, with pillowcase in hand. He was LIVING…just like any other kid. And though I worried until the second he ran back in through the door, I was grateful he had his moment to let go and have fun. He never takes anything for granted, and I could tell he enjoyed spreading his wings a bit.

As John enters middle school next year, he is inching toward the age group of FA kids who are most likely to die from a food allergic reaction. Last year FAAN released a survey of food allergy patients ages 13-21 years old. Half the respondents admitted to knowingly eating food that they were allergic to, or that they knew was unsafe for them. Only 61 percent of the patients carried their life-saving medication epinephrine. And the majority of the respondents said although they wished their peers knew more about food allergies, they didn’t want to be the ones to educate them. FAAN conducted an earlier study that showed 69 percent of fatal food allergic reactions, were between the ages of 12-21. It is an extremely vulnerable group, and as my FA son grows up, I am realizing how important it is to be forthcoming with all this information to my son, so he can advocate for himself, especially as he increasingly finds himself in social and sports situations where I’m not always around.

I’ll try not to focus so much on the statistics. Instead, perhaps I’ll follow Emily D.’s lead and just live for today, because at the end of the day, time is sacred and shouldn’t be wasted for one minute worrying about things and situations we can’t control. Prepare, plan, but then let go and live freely, right?

One more thing, I just learned today that my Food Allergy Mama blog was nominated as a Circle of Moms top 25 Food Allergy Blog, a true honor and am so excited to be in the running. Please go here to vote, and you can vote every day until November 16th. I am so grateful for all you guys, you really are the most amazing and supportive group of readers I could ever hope for. I’ve learned so much from all of YOU over the years, and hope that I can continue to inspire and create recipes for your families for years to come. Seriously love you all and your comments…;)

Happy Baking…and will be back soon for a Thanksgiving recipe!!!

xo,

Kelly

LOLLAPALOOZA: My FA son John attended this amazing 3 day music festival for the 3rd year in row…not bad for a soon to be 9-year-old boy! John is a true music lover, and enjoys everything from rap and techno to reggae and rock. He will sit patiently for hours and listen to a new bad he hasn’t heard before, or roam the enormous festival grounds and take in a view of the masses. I’ve taught him the two most important lessons while attending music festivals; watch where you are walking (in order to avoid stepping on something you don’t want to) and when using the portapottie, focus on happy thoughts and get in and out very quickly. John’s personal highlights included seeing Foo Fighters and Deadmau5 live in the pouring rain and getting a decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cone at the Temptation Ice Cream Booth (Vegan Ice Cream made by the excellent Chicago SoyDairy. It was the coolest thing to witness; a food allergic kiddo ordering his own cone at a music fest:

Big kudos to the Lollapalooza staff because they allowed us to bring in our own safe food for John in a cooler as long as we had a doctor’s note. Security was pretty cool about it, except for one jerk who questioned my note, and said any person can fake a doctor’s note. I looked at him with my best evil “Don’t F**** with me” look, one I think only a mom can really give, and then kindly asked if wanted to “search” the contents of the cooler to make sure I wasn’t smuggling in other stuff I shouldn’t be smuggling in. I was half-joking, but he got all serious and dug into the contents. Once he saw graham crackers and a turkey sandwich I think he felt like a tool. Or at least I hoped he felt like a tool.

So now that summer is winding down, it’s time to shift gears from lazy to crazy. Except this time I’m going to go less crazy and not stress as much as I used to about getting my kids ready for the school year. I’m not buying any new school clothes until it’s REALLY fall, I’m not going to be a room parent for the first time in 9 years, and I’m going to think positively that all the hard work of developing IEP’s and 504 Plans last spring will pay off this fall. But just to be sure, I have contacted my FA son’s school principal to facilitate a meeting with our nurse, assistant principal and teacher. John’s 504 can be carried over annually until 2014 (when we reassess eligibility) but I always like to make sure everyone is on the same page from day one so there is no confusion down the road. Many of you have written and asked me about 504 Plans, and how to draft them. If your child has a life threatening food allergy, he may qualify if he “has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, bending, reading, concentrating, thinking and communicating”. Schedule a meeting BEFORE school starts with your child’s principle to determine eligibility. In regard to how to word the language in the 504, it’s simple. Ask for as much protection you think your child needs because it is your child’s legal right, and ultimately your child’s school will want to keep him safe. After many years of tweaking John’s plan, here is what I asked to be written in the document, and what was agreed to by all parties:

Medical 504: John must have medications at school (Benadryl and Epipens) in case of accidental ingestion of allergens above (name allergens, history of reactions, how your child reacts (ie via ingestion, touch) and indicate whether your child has asthma.) John’s classroom will remain peanut free and dairy free. John has the option of eating at the peanut free table in the cafeteria during lunchtime. Care must be taken that John is not given any foods containing milk, peanuts, tree nuts, legumes and or peas. John’s parents must be notified anytime other than usual snack time, that food will be offered in any of his classes. Parents will then come in and examine the food labels to check for allergens. Students, in any classroom John is in, will bring their own snack and there will be no sharing of snacks. Parents of John’s classmates will be given a letter on food allergies at the beginning of the school year. Parents will be given alternative activities for birthday parties (no food will be served). These include reading a book, leading a game or sending non food goody bags. The nurse will provide information regarding John’s allergies and asthma to all teachers that work with John including specials teachers. An extra epi-pen will be kept in the cafeteria. John will wear a medic alert bracelet. The school staff will be trained in the use of the epi pen at the start of the school year. If John has an asthma attack, he will be escorted to the office by an adult and the nurse will administer Albuterol inhaler as per doctor. An Emergency Action Plan is in place. A copy of it is in the substitute file, in the nurse’s office, and attached. John’s reactions to his allergens: hives, itching, mouth hurts and vomiting, difficulty breathing. When staff members observes hives he will be given xx dose of Benadryl immediately. The parent will be called to pick up John. If John complains his mouth hurts, coughing, itchy throat and difficulty breathing, and it appears to be allergy related, the school staff will administer the EpiPen. The school nurse will be contacted and 911 will be called. Then the parent will be called. John’s medication, wet wipes and EAP will go on all field trips with him.

Feel free to use this 504 Plan for John as your own guide in developing your child’s specific plan.

Finally, I wanted to share a link for you to check out, and go vote for me as a “Momimee” at Babble. The winner with the most votes gets $5,000 to go toward their favorite charity (which would be FAAN and FAI for me). My BFF in Arizona nominated me (unbeknownst to me), and I’m thrilled and honored. Pass the word along in the food allergy community and vote HERE . Every dollar for food allergy awareness counts!!

Have a great last few weeks of August everyone and totally looking forward to working a little harder in the fall! xoxox

For example, my good friend invited John to her son’s birthday party and I made a special treat like I always do, for John to bring in place of the birthday dessert. I happened to have a lunch date with girlfriends that day, and my husband drove John to the party. But for some odd reason, John told my husband that he didn’t want the special treat, and that it was fine. He’ll just have water or something there. Like most of you, I’m sure, I would have made John bring the treat “just in case”. When I picked up John, he seemed to regret that he didn’t bring it, but after talking a little further about it, I learned that sometimes John just gets tired of having to bring or have the “special” treat. I personally think it is because of all the parties recently, and it can be just as tiring for an 8-year-old boy to be on his guard. As his mom, I can certainly relate.

However, the following email from my school superintendent literally picked up my spirits, and made me feel that little by little, we are getting to the point of regulating how much food we are bringing into our children’s classrooms:

Hi Kelly,

The Ad Council completed their review and have made recommendations for next year that include the restriction/regulation/control of food in the classrooms, but not an out right elimination. Staff and Parent handbooks will be revised to codify these changes.

However, our work is not complete. The new guidelines are still considered “under review.”  We are hoping to work with them and see how implementation goes.  Interestingly, a few teachers have already made comments like, “It might be easier for me to simply avoid the use of food in my classroom.” While this sentiment is clearly not universal, you can see that opinions are changing.

Additionally, we have given the Curriculum Department the task of doing a subject-by-subject audit of the curriculum.  Our goal is to identify every place that teachers are using food as part of their instructional practice. Once identified we will be asking how necessary this lesson is and what controls need to be put in place.

I know that this is not exactly where you want us to be (at the moment). However, we are taking a concerted effort to move in an improved direction.

The superintendent was right in saying that “this is not exactly where I want them to be”, but I am SO HAPPY we taking the next steps to developing a responsible policy that is good for EVERYONE, not just the children with allergies. It is a chance for educators to really pause about how they use food in their curriculum, and to determine if it serves an educational and valuable purpose. I am very proud and happy that this getting the attention it needs. Don’t ever give on your schools; they WILL listen and try to work in the best interests of our children. It may take a while (in my case, YEARS) but in the end, ALL our children will benefit from these healthier and important changes in the classroom.

Finally, I have another blog post up at Martha Stewart’s Whole Living. I’d love for y’all to check it out and post your comments! Thanks so much everyone and here’s to the start of a fun and WARM summer!!

Here’s what has been going on in a readers digest version:

VACATION: Our entire family of 7 took a much-needed vacation to Scottsdale, Arizona for spring break. It was warm, beautiful and mostly relaxing. I have to say that the food allergy part always throws a wrench into some of our plans, but overall everything worked out just fine. Both flights were non eventful; we showed up early, brought our own food and sat on the plane with no worries at all. Of course I had several packs of Epi Pens in my carry on so I felt pretty good about being prepared in the event of an emergency. Even baby Michael did pretty well for each flight. We stayed in a condo, a must if you have a large family and if you have food allergies. We cooked most of our own meals at home, and it saved a ridiculous amount money, worry and stress. The vacation revolved very little around food in general, and more about the experiences together.

IEP SEASON: For those of you that don’t know what an IEP is, it is an Individualized Educational Plan, a state mandated document that outlines and lists the educational goals and accommodations for children who have learning challenges, etc. I have three children with IEP’s and one with a 504 Plan, so the spring season is usually pretty stressful for me personally. In addition to the normal IEP meetings, my kids are up for their three-year reevaluation, which basically means a lot of additional testing to determine their eligibility. It’s a long and somewhat stressful process, and one I never look forward too. In fact, I just had conferences for three of my kids last Friday, and I usually walk away reminded of the fact that our educational path isn’t the typical one, nor is it easy. Advocating for them in school is one of the most important ways I can spend my time. All children have various learning styles, challenges and gifts, and it is important that their spirit is never broken because they learn “differently”. As I often tell my kids, there is always a solution to every problem.

GO FOR THE GOLD: This month I had the good fortune to present a nutritional workshop to two classes of first graders in Chicago as part of Michelle Obama’s Go For the Gold campaign for healthier eating in schools. Check out the link to find out more information, perhaps there is something you can take back to your own schools. I’ve always found that the best way to promote change in food policies at schools is to approach it from a wide-reaching perspective; increased childhood obesity, higher numbers of children with ADHD, diabetes and food allergies, all whom could truly benefit from healthier eating at school. Another great organization to get on board with is Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. They are tackling the food issue in schools and working hard to limit the amount of icky processed food that is being served to kids all over the country. Better food policies at school in general is a must. Kids rely on us to look out for them and their general well-being. Serving healthier food is an important part of that equation.

FAAN CONFERENCE CHICAGO: I was fortunate to attend FAAN’s amazing and powerful food allergy conference in Oak Brook, IL this past Saturday. I also presented an Allergen Free Baking Workshop which was LOADS of fun. I LOVED meeting so many of you, hearing your stories and answering your questions. Every year I attend, I am astounded by the amount of new information I learn, and inspired by all the incredible stories I hear from FA parents all over the country. If you live on the West Coast, consider attending the June 11th Anaheim conference. FAAN did a stellar job as usual, and we should all be so grateful that there are fabulous organizations like FAAN supporting all of us and our FA children.

GLUTEN AND ALLERGEN FREE EXPO CHICAGO (APRIL 29-MAY 1ST): If you live even remotely close to the Chicago area, this event is not to be missed. There are going to be so many fabulous vendors, authors, and speakers from all over the country sharing their products and expertise. I personally can’t wait to see all the cool chefs and authors (see the full rundown here). I will also be one of the presenters (though I’d hardly call myself a chef!) on Saturday, April 30th at 11:45am. I will be doing a demo on Allergen Free Parties. Hope to see many of you there!

Finally, I just came across this story today, and am sure many of you may be as well. As with all the other recent stories of a child dying from a food allergic reaction, this one hit me just as hard. I cried, and felt every muscle in my body ache. It is such a helpless, sad and terrifying feeling that confirms our fear and reality; our children could die if they eat the wrong food, if they have a life threatening reaction, if they don’t happen to have their medicine on them, or in this case, the medicine wasn’t administered fast enough. My heart breaks for this family. The minute I read the story, I wanted to reach out to my son John at school and give him the biggest hug I could. I wanted to look into his big brown eyes and freckled face, and tell him how much I love him, and how grateful I am to be his mother. I’ve experienced great loss in my life, but I NEVER want to know THAT kind of pain….the loss of your child. I am praying for this family and their friends, and pray their hearts and souls recover and mend, though I don’t know how that is possible. Until we find a cure, this is the fear that drives me to do whatever I can each day to raise awareness and keep our kids safe. NEVER apologize for that, to your schools, teachers, principals, other family members, whomever. Do whatever you have to do to keep your child safe.

I hope you all have a blessed Easter with your families.

xo

There are times to speak up, and times to back down. Two recent incidents come to mind. In one case, my 8-year-old FA son John looked really sad when I came to pick him up from his school Valentine’s Day party. I asked him what was wrong, and he pulled out a Valentine he had received from a fellow classmate that had a personal message written to him stating “I would have given candy but you have too many food allergies”. Of course, the logical part of me could have said to John not to read too much into it, that perhaps this child didn’t intend to single him or his allergies out on Valentine’s Day. And I did in fact, say this about 20 minutes later. But in that very moment, my blood was boiling in anger not at that child, but at our school principal and school district. I felt the urge to march into our principal’s office and show her the Valentine, and explain to her that this is what happens when a school district doesn’t take ownership of the food and treat policy at school. The uneccessary burden of developing a food policy falls on the shoulders of the FA child’s parent. THEY are the ones who get sneers and jabs, and their children get singled out in the classroom for “having too many allergies”. In this particular case, I held the school responsible for this type of backlash. And in that moment, I wanted our school’s principal to look at John in the eyes and explain to him why he would be subject to this kind of behavior, because I was done explaining it.

I walked into the principal’s office with my children in tow and handed her the Valentine. I asked her to explain why we still have no food policy and why my son must put up with this. Maybe the children in my son’s classroom assumed there was no candy allowed because of John. I believe the principal was surprised at my reaction, and there was a minute of uncomfortable silence among all of us. But she reassured me that this is not appropriate behavior and it will be addressed. In regard to the food in the classroom issue, the principal and superintendent argued these are two separate issues.

On the walk home, I talked everything over with John, letting him know that his classmate most likely didn’t mean ill will, and perhaps he misunderstood the tone of what he was writing (I’m always trying to teach my kids to give people the benefit of the doubt and that there’s always two sides to a story). But it’s OK to be hurt and upset, and that we’d talk it over with the child’s parents and all would be fine. And it was. The mom was so sweet, so apologetic and I really do believe this child didn’t mean anything by it. In the end, I believe it was important to seize the moment of frustration and hurt, and bring it into the principal’s office to address. I think our schools need to work harder at being accountable toward our children, and worry less about possible parental backlash. School should be a safe haven for children, they shouldn’t worry about being discriminated against, excluded or ridiculed. They shouldn’t feel anxious because unneccessary treats and food are brought into the classroom that could potentially put their lives at risk. For some reason, this basic need of keeping food out of classrooms is always a thorny issue for some parents and teachers, and I’ll never understand why. Isn’t a child’s safety a priority over excess treats in the classroom? Perhaps people honestly don’t think it’s a real issue, or that it isn’t life-threatening. Our school district’s advisory council is currently reviewing its best practices policy regarding food in the classroom K-4, and if the Food Policy is approved, then they will meet again to review 5-8. Yawn. I’ve been waiting several months already, and will continue to wait.

There are also moments in which I realized that arguments won’t be won and perspectives won’t be shifted. Recently I had this type of moment of when talking about food allergies with a fellow parent. This person wanted me to know that she didn’t see the big deal of having food in the classroom, and that most parents she talks to, including those with allergies didn’t see the need to keep food out of the classroom. There was a bit of back and forth on the subject, but ultimately I just left it at that it is a complicated issue, with two sides for sure, but in the end, if it is a matter of life or death for a child, I think we can all agree that the risk isn’t worth the freedom to eat whatever you want in the classroom, and I made sure to point out I mean the CLASSROOM, not the LUNCHROOM. There is a distinct difference. But beyond that I kept my mouth shut. I knew we weren’t going to get any further on the subject and that is totally fine too.

As food allergy parents it’s OK if we don’t convince every parent, teacher, chef, child, administrator, flight attendant etc that food allergies are deadly, and to take some of the burden off our own shoulders. As long as we take steps to ensure our children’s personal safety, and continue to peacefully and logically educate where we can, then that’s good enough. We aren’t going to change the world, but we can help to raise people’s level of consciousness about the world around them, and to perhaps try be more empathetic, understanding and accommodating. At the very least, every FA parent can rest assured that their passion and diligence is seen by their children, and truly helps to shape them into the loving and caring children they already are.

All you have to do to win Sloane’s new book is to comment about your most memorable or favorite loving act you did for your food allergic loved one. At the end of the week I’ll randomly select a name through Random.org and have the book sent to you from Sloane herself. How fun is that??

To get this started I’ll share my story: My sister in law sends Valentine’s cards to all my children every year and includes one free donut treat card in each card. The cards came yesterday, and my two little guys David and Matthew had to have those donuts as soon as possible!  So this morning, the boys reminded me promptly after waking up that today is the day to get the donuts. In normal circumstances, this is cute, fun and what getting impromptu treats is all about. However, I thought about John, who never said a word. He knows he can’t have it, and is never, ever able to partake in this simple joy of childhood. Then it occurred to me, that just because he can’t have those donuts, doesn’t mean he can’t go along with us for the ride.

So when my daughter and two other boys were suiting up to go out to the car, I told John to grab his coat and come with us. He looked shocked, and asked why? “I can’t have it Mom” he said. I told him that while this is true, it doesn’t mean he can’t go and see what it’s all about. Sometimes the magic lies in being in that moment, the anticipation of going there, looking around, and seeing what looks yummy. It isn’t always the treat that matters. I wanted him to know and share in that joy of coming with to take a look around at all those donuts. Besides, I promised to make him whatever he wanted later in the day, a special treat just for him.  John’s gorgeous brown eyes it up and he excitedly got up to get his gear on.

It was fun for him to see all the flavors and and the experience inspired me to create some new donuts that he wants to try. It was a meaningful moment for both of us. I can’t wait to get back in the kitchen again for him, and for all your kiddos too.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!! You’re the best readers anywhere and I’m so grateful for your comments, support and never ending recipe testing!! Love it all!

I had no idea the amount of opposition I’d face in trying to minimize (not eliminate) the amount of sugary and full-o-allergens treats that were served on a monthly basis at my childrens’ schools. I had no idea that making a Peanut Free Zone at a Cubs game last summer would draw the national headlines it did, and all the negative and truly cruel comments that came with it. I had no idea that asking for a flight to be nut free so my family (and other nut allergic families) could fly safely would compromise the rights of other passengers who just had to have their nuts on board a flight. I had no idea I would ever have to read in a paper that a sweet, young 13-year-old girl would have to die of anaphylaxis because no food allergy policy was in place for her at her school.

I have always tried to look at the rights of everyone involved, not just my child’s. I have always tried to be fair and balanced in my views.  I don’t aim to be righteous or militant about my views on food allergy policy, but I do aim to have a logical discussion based on common sense. So when I get a comment on my blog like this one:

“I have to say that peanuts or any food should not be banned in any way. These allergy sufferers need to manage their problem. If you can’t manage it, then don’t fly! It certainly won’t stop me from cracking open a bag of nuts on a plane whether they serve it or not.” comment from foodallergymama.com reader in response to “Should We Ban Peanuts On Airplanes?”

I have to wonder about what we’re really fighting for here. Is it the rights of food allergic persons, (because last time I checked they have rights too), or is it simply fighting for the right to be “right”? There’s no logic in saying my son shouldn’t fly on a plane because we “can’t manage” our food allergy problem.  Turn the mirror around, look at yourself, and say that statement again. Are you really that passionate about a bag of nuts? Or are you just up for an argument based on zero logic?

My son is doing a school project on who they admire. As a 3rd grader, I thought he’d choose a famous sports player. Instead, he choose to study the life of Martin Luther King. Why? He told me MLK fought for equal rights through his words, not his fists. He also said MLK wasn’t a bully, because all he wanted to do was help everyone have the same rights. We talked about how people with food allergies should have the same rights as anyone else; they should be able to eat out at restaurants, attend school and not be told they should be home schooled, be included in parties, play dates and camps and not told they have to eat alone separately, and also be allowed to fly safely without people telling them not to, because they can’t manage their allergies.

My 3rd grader showed more class and grace in his perspective than many adults I’ve talked to about this issue. Of course, he comes from a different perspective than most because he HAS been bullied, told to sit elsewhere and alone, and simply not included in things. Yet he doesn’t want to fight or have an argument about his food allergies, he just wants to feel included and like any other kid.

We’ll continue our path on peaceful education and awareness about the rights of those with food allergies. And thank you to the person who made the above mentioned comment on my blog; you’ve only inspired and motivated me to work harder.

In addition to all the problems Michael seemed to have digesting dairy, he immediately got ill and flat out refused pureed peas and pieces of egg yolk. This all seemed so similar to my issues with John as a baby, so I decided to make an appointment with our allergist. Michael is turning one in February, and given my family history of food allergies, asthma and eczema it was important to me to know if Michael had allergies.

Today, Michael was diagnosed with FPIES, aka Food Protein-induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (a non IgE-mediated condition). It is a rare but potentially serious condition. See here for more information. FPIES mimics food allergies with its gastrointestinal symptoms; vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration and even low blood pressure, but it doesn’t involve skin or respiratory symptoms. It also doesn’t cause anaphylaxis but can be dangerous in that blood pressure can drop severely and quickly, and the body can go into shock if not treated quickly and appropriately. Allergists recommend treating an episode with a visit to ER to monitor dehydration and blood pressure.

The most common foods associated with FPIES are milk and soy, as well as solid foods such as legumes, peas and lentils. The only way to treat FPIES is to strictly avoid the suspected foods, similar to food allergies. Many cases of FPIES are outgrown by age 3, but that doesn’t mean food allergies can’t develop later. We’ll re test Michael at 18 months old and go from there.

I found myself reminiscing in the allergist’s office today about the day I found out John had severe food allergies. I remember hearing all the doom and gloom, details and information, but I didn’t really process it until later when I got home and realized I had nothing in the house that was safe for my son to eat. I remember feeling helpless, angry and very, very isolated. At that time, there were far fewer children with a food allergy diagnosis, and I knew no one who shared the same issues as my son. It was heartbreaking and life-changing. I remembered all these feelings of despair today as I sat and watched my youngest son get tested for allergies, and subsequently get the FPIES diagnosis. Honestly, it’s kind of another learning curve for me because I don’t know anyone personally who has this condition. However, I was grateful there weren’t any gigantic hives all over my son’s back. But to say I’m relieved….well, not so much. I would have preferred a “he’s totally fine” diagnosis. Anytime you hear a diagnosis from your child’s doctor that his life could be at risk, it is unsettling.

So, in the spirit of Michael, and all the random illnesses my family has been fighting for the past three weeks (3 kids with pink eye, 3 kids with stomach flu, 1 husband stomach flu, 2 kids sinus infections, 1 mom sinus infection, 2 kids colds, 1 kid ear infection) I’m posting my favorite Super Fast and Super Easy Chicken Soup recipe. I’ve made this probably every third day for the past few weeks and can promise you it will be better than anything that comes from a can. The best part? It only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. When everyone in your house is sick, or if you just need a dose of extra comfort, you’ll want to make a quick batch of this. Have a great week everyone!!

Super Fast and Super Easy Chicken Soup

48 oz. box of low sodium chicken broth (if you have homemade stock…use it! you’re a lucky duck)

1/4 c. finely chopped yellow onion

1/4 c. finely chopped celery

1/4 c. finely chopped carrots

1 c. small pasta (I like ditalini, elbow or tiny bits of broken spaghetti)

1 1/2 c. cooked chicken (diced or shredded, your preference)

Salt and pepper to taste

Put the chicken broth into a dutch oven or soup pot and bring to a simmer. Add the onion, celery and carrots and simmer about 10 minutes. add the pasta and cook an additional 8-10 minutes (depending on the size of the pasta and its suggested cooking times on box). Add cooked chicken and simmer 2 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Halloween itself was actually a piece of cake (pun intended) this year, as I think we’ve really gotten the whole trick or treating thing down. John trick or treated with his best buddy, and I let him have his freedom to roam the neighborhood. He knows he isn’t allowed to eat anything until he gets home. He also knows he can only have three types of candy, and so does my other children. So my other three children were happy to trade all their Skittles, Smarties and Starburst with John in exchange for his candy. One rule; no peanuts, peanut butter, etc was allowed. Those types of candy were immediately thrown out. Then I made my annual Halloween deal: Trade your bucket of candy with mom for a $10 gift card to Target. Everyone bit, and I collected the buckets. They all stuffed their faces with candy for a good 30 minutes any way, so when I start to see them get sick to their stomachs, that’s when I make my move. No more Halloween candy (for the record, I donate 80 percent and keep 20 percent for me. Remember I am a sweets freak….and I LIVE for Halloween candy. The kids don’t know; I eat it all when they are at school.:)

Of course, I’m always on guard, with a medicine kit nearby at all times, etc. but sometimes you just have to let go and have some fun. Though any mama who has a child with food allergies will tell you, it ain’t easy.

Finally, here’s a treat I made Saturday for one of my fave bands in the whole world, The Dandy Warhols. They were in town Saturday and I happily obliged to make them some Dairy, Egg and Nut Free (Vegan) treats with a twist; Gluten Free. Ya’ll know I don’t always make gluten free treats because our diets are so limited as it is, and if I don’t need to take wheat out I won’t. However, I will need to make it every so often for a class treat, etc. and I am very happy to do so. I asked some good friends for their favorite gluten free flour mixes (including the fabulous Cybele Pascal who was so darn sweet with her advice) but eventually I turned to one that my friend Colette gave me; it worked very well with my base recipes and I loved that it only had a few ingredients. (I was in a rush and just picked out a couple flours at my local market) Here is the Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread I made for the band, and honestly it tastes EXACTLY like my version with regular old flour: Enjoy!!

GLUTEN FREE/VEGAN PUMPKIN BREAD

Gluten Free Flour Mix:

1 1/2 c. brown rice flour

1 c. white rice flour

1/2 c. potato or corn starch

2 tsp. xanthan gum

Mix all together with a wire whisk and store in freezer. Makes three cups, exact amount needed for pumpkin bread recipe.

Pumpkin Bread

1 recipe Gluten Free Flour mix (3 cups flour)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2/3 c. dairy free shortening

2 1/2 c. granulated sugar

4 T. Water

1 (15 oz.) can pureed pumpkin, canned

1/4 c. orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray two 8-inch loaf pans with dairy free baking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the water, pumpkin and orange juice, and mix well.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg with a wire whisk. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and combine thoroughly. Pour into the prepared loaf pans and bake 50-60 minutes or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean.

** May be frozen, wrapped tightly in saran wrap and foil, for up to two months.

I never noticed how obsessed some parents are about their children’s snacks at school and sports functions until my food allergic son was old enough to attend them. It started with the Preschool Snack Time. Since John was allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts, I knew he wouldn’t be able to eat the little goldfish crackers or veggie booty like everyone else. But what worried me more was the risk of a severe allergic reaction because all those dirty little fingers surrounding him could inadvertently touch the table, toys and door handles. Those particles of food are enough to trigger a serious reaction.

However, whenever I explained this to the teacher I got the glazed-over look. My solution was to purchase fresh fruit and veggies for the year, and parents can send in a monetary donation to cover the cost. I figured they’d be thrilled; I’d do the shopping and preparation, AND their kids would get healthier snacks at school instead of processed and packaged food.

Boy was I wrong. Parents weren’t happy about the suggestion, and wanted to know why they weren’t able to send in Cheeze Its and Cookies to school. I was baffled. The overly vocal parents won; they got to send in a prepackaged snack to school with their child. At least I was able to negotiate an Approved Snack List to be sent home to parents so they could at least buy snacks from the list of snacks I knew were safe for John to be around.

Fast forward to Kindergarten Snack Time. According to my son’s 504 Plan, the classroom had to be Nut Free. I was told at the time it would be impossible to implement a Dairy Free room as well. After a few years of navigating through the “snack issue” I kind of gave up and figured a peanut free room is about as good as I’ll get and besides, after kindergarten I won’t have to deal with snacks again.

Boy was I wrong again. Not only did we have to deal with birthday treats being sent in by other parents every month or so, and holiday parties filled with food, but we had to deal with snacks at soccer games. And not just the “Celebratory End Of Game Snack”, but the halftime snack too. The total duration of John’s soccer games? About 45 minutes, give or take. And there were TWO snack rotations. Believe it.

John is in third grade now, and his class allows a daily snack. Though now that we have a Peanut Free AND Dairy Free room, it has made our lives much easier. And our school still won’t officially go with celebrating birthdays in a Food Free Manner, probably because taking an “official” stance on the issue will upset a lot of parents. Instead, they choose to let the teachers make the call. Thankfully, all the third grade teachers have decided birthdays are celebrated in a non-food manner. But the best solution would be for the School District to take the initiative and draft a policy on this. It would take a lot of pressure off food allergic parents, and quite frankly it’s a healthier choice. What’s the point of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Healthy Kids Revolution if we’re still feeling obligated to give our kids lots of snacks and treats at school?

This Snack-At-Every-Social-Function is still alive and well. An example of this is from my other son Matthew, who doesn’t have food allergies, but one child on his soccer team does. My husband coaches his kindergarten team, and he decided not to assign a snack rotation. Once again, the games are barely 45 minutes and really, the sugar and treats are a distraction and usually attracts a swarm of bees too. So after a week of no snack at the game, emails from some concerned parents were in my husband’s inbox, offering to schedule the snack rotations themselves.

Snacks are not a bad thing, in fact, they can be very beneficial in keeping our childrens’ blood sugar in check and hunger at bay. However, it isn’t a meal, it isn’t a neccessity and it certainly isn’t a requirement at sports games and at school. We all know food allergies and childhood obesity numbers are rising among school aged children. The time is now to address the already out of control snack issue at schools. Everyone will benefit.

At the end of last school year I had my son’s annual IEP review meeting, and I requested his classroom be Dairy Free as well as Nut Free. Honestly, I was just tired of everyone thinking that a peanut-related reaction was the only one that was life-threatening. Everyone gets (or at least most everyone) that peanut allergies are dangerous. But no one talks about the other common allergens; wheat, soy, dairy, egg, fish, shellfish, and that they, too, can produce life-threatening reactions. That’s why they are called a food allergy.

Some of my son’s most severe, so-scary-you-never-forget type reactions were from dairy products that he inadvertently touched or ingested. So as long as my school insists on food and snacks in the classroom, I insist his classroom and learning environment be free of the food that could cause him a serious reaction. His class should be a safe haven. For the record, the lunchroom is still status quo: John sits at a peanut free table, but the rest of the lunchroom has milk, peanut butter, etc. and I am totally fine with this. I know this is the real world, and John, along with millions of other food allergic children have to find a way to adapt to lunchrooms, restaurants, etc.

I’ll be honest, the first few days of this new Dairy Free Policy threw some people for a loop. I got calls and emails about what was safe and what wasn’t. Some parents were worried that their children only eat certain foods and they wouldn’t be able to find a snack they would eat. In fact, my other son (who is not food allergic) is in a Dairy Free Classroom too because of another food allergic child and there was confusion there too. I get it; change is hard and people generally don’t associate dairy as being dangerous. Yogurts, Cheddar Goldfish, and  Cheeze Its all leave milk residue on fingers, which could potentially touch desk tops doorknobs, pencil sharpeners, you name it. But once parents understood this I think they were much more willing to accept it.

Finally, my school nurse, who has taken great care in helping where she can to educate and keep all the food allergic children in our school safe, decided to give a 15 minute informational presentation on food allergies after all the curriculum nights. This was her idea, and in her own free time. I honestly can’t thank her enough for caring enough to go the extra mile and really helping to not only enforce these safety procedures, but to also educate others. Just this morning she emailed me to ask if I had any questions about John’s safety for an upcoming field trip. She’s amazing, and I am grateful.

It’s been a long road to get to this point. I can still remember back in 2004 when John was starting preschool, and I got the Deer-In-Headlights look after asking if his classroom could be nut free. I didn’t dare ask for it to be dairy and egg free too. I was too scared, thinking no one would comply anyway. And I didn’t want to rock the boat. But, if there’s one thing I have learned after all these years of school, snacks, and birthday treats in the classroom, it’s that you MUST rock the boat, and educate people to get on board with you. I really believe that most of the negative things we read about food allergies is just based on lack of information, or the unwillingness to access it. Call me a Pollyanna, but I really believe we are making great strides in getting the word out, keeping our kids alive and ultimately finding a cure.

At first I was happy, because first and foremost it gets people talking about food allergies, and it praises the Cubs for listening to their fans and giving peanut allergic fans an opportunity to attend a game just like everyone else, but in a more safe environment. For one night. On a Monday night. Against the Pirates. In a Sky box no one was using anyway. But then came the backlash. Remember the comments posted after Joel Stein’s infamous column about food allergies? Yep, those same people must have been posting today too. So rather, than getting all pissed off about it, I figure I would highlight some of the more “interesting” comments people said about me and my son (my rebuttals are in italics):

1. I am sorry and no disrespect toward this child and his family, but this story proves the once mighty America has fallen. What is next, no ice cream day for people who are lactose intolerant? Why yes, that would be the logical next step. Just kidding. And yes, you did mean disrespect.
2. This seems like a great family and I do not mean to be an a-hole, (but you are an a-hole) but I am sick and tired of all this PC krap (SIC) we have in the world today. Really, how PC of you to post this intelligent comment.
3. The wussification (SIC) of America continues..I know, posting anonymously is so not wussy.
4. That’s right lady, smother the boy until you turn him into a girl. Perhaps I should ask YOUR mother for child-rearing advice?
5. It’s our birthday present to him,” said Kelly Rudnicki, a blogger and author on food allergies who has written two books, including The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book. I that says it all.
   This kid will be dancing on one of the floats in that parade they have on Halsted in a couple of years. Wow, he actually took the time to requote me. An A for effort, and just to clarify, is there something “tricky” in that title that “says it all?”. For the record, I’ve danced on those floats for many, many years and would stand proud on Halsted any day.
6. EXTRA CREDIT FOR BEING THE MOST, WELL, DISTURBING:I ‘d like a section where I only sit with MILFs. Now, THAT is a title that says it all. Nice one Larry Horse (yes, that was his pen name)

This is just a sampling folks, but I thought I’d save you the trouble of getting ill and just give you some of the better Springer Zingers of the bunch. Should we be sick to our stomachs and offended? Yes. Should we write letters defending our stance? Yes. Should we keep pressing on, educating and doing the best we can as parents who just want our kids to have little moments of normalcy here and there? Definitely. But should we care what any of these people say? NEVER.

And in the spirit of TV News, as Ron Burgundy would say, “Stay Classy”….that means you, Online Newspaper Readers.

That’s all, carry on.

But the coolest thing this year at Lollapalooza? Seeing my severely food allergic son walk up to a food vendor and order Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream, served in a waffle cone. Seriously, it happened and we’re still talking about it. Temptation Ice Cream, made by local vegan company ChicagoSoyDairy served up these amazing treats at the newly revamped “food court” at Lollapalooza. Their treats are made in dedicated facilities. Believe me, I asked these guys about 15 questions about their product, how it was made, how it was possible. Most of us food allergy mama’s don’t believe a word these people say, but my instinct said it was OK and to trust.

John ate that yummy waffle cone, as did me, my husband and my other dessert-obsessed child Chloe. It was a life-changing moment for us all; finally a chance for John to eat an ice cream cone purchased outside his home with his family. Millions of kids do this very thing every day, but not ours. So when that moment came, and passed, I vowed to remember it forever. Every little kid should get to eat freely the treats of childhood. My son, like so many of your children, can’t. But moments like this remind me that anything is possible.

99 percent of the time, I still take the time to read every single ingredient. But for some reason I let my guard down when I bought a new donut in the frozen section at Whole Foods by Kinnikinnick Foods. The package says these chocolate dipped donuts are “Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Dairy Free and Soy Free” in addition to the above disclaimer that it was made in a dedicated facility. I remember thinking at the store before I bought them that I hit the gold mine…finally I can make donuts for all the kids quickly without having to make my own.

Fast forward to a few days ago. I heated the donuts in the microwave, served them to my kids (including John), patted myself on the back for finding an allergen free donut, and called it a day. After eating it, John said his throat itched. I panicked. I checked the package and saw nothing that would alarm me. I gave him a Benydryl just to be safe, and he felt better.

Then this morning, the kids asked for another one of those yummy donuts and in a weak moment, I obliged. Once again, John complained of an itchy throat. This time I read the entire package line item by line item, and finally saw that it contained pea protein and pea starch. Bingo – John WAS having an allergic reaction to the donut because he is allergic to peas and legumes too (5 percent of those with peanut allergies also are allergic to peas and legumes because they are all part of the legume family). I started to panic, but John said it wasn’t that bad, just scratchy. I game him Benydryl and watched him like a hawk for the next several minutes, epi pen in one hand and phone in the other. The reaction subsided, thankfully, without further intervention. We dodged a bullet. And I felt like a failure.

How could I be so naive? I know better, and usually am very diligent about ingredient checking. I don’t know, perhaps it is the craziness of my full household that causes me to be more distracted than usual lately. Never again, I learned my lesson, and feel so darn lucky that nothing more serious happened.

Here’s something else I learned; if your child has a peanut allergy, and is among those 5 percent of people who also have a legume/pea allergy, be wary of labels that say “gluten free or wheat free”. Oftentimes pea or fava bean flour is substituted for wheat flour in recipes (like those new cookies at Starbucks…John can’t have because they are made with fava bean flour).

I apologized to John, and we talked about how “moms make mistakes too”. And that we should never, ever let our guard down when it comes to food allergies. I must admit though, it’s days like today that I wish more than anything, that a cure can be found for our children’s life threatening food allergies. Because that feeling of panic and terror I felt this morning is something I would never wish on any parent.

So when developing John’s IEP and 504 Plan recently the topic of a peanut free classroom came up again. I decided that once and for all, this year, we were going to require that John’s room be declared Dairy Free too. Because as long as my school doesn’t incorporate a Food Free Birthday Treat Policy among all grade levels (exceptions are holiday parties and special educational events) I was going to make sure my son’s classroom was as safe as possible. As a mom of five kids, I’m busy. And I know all of you are busy. Do you really feel like running around whipping up a batch of my treats (as easy as they are) every month when a child celebrates his or her birthday in class? As much as I love to bake, doing this every month gets tiresome. And it often makes the child with food allergies feel excluded. More important, since daily snacks are allowed in my son’s school, there’s always a child that brings yogurt or cheese to school. John has had some pretty serious reactions just from touching residue of dairy. The whole idea of food in the classroom is so unnecessary, but if it is a must, than I think alternatives such as fresh fruit, pretzels, etc. are safer bets.

I have to give high praise to my son’s educational team, because once I informed them that John’s dairy allergy is as life threatening as his peanut allergy, they were responsive to my desire to make John’s class environment as safe as possible. Our school nurse drafted a letter immediately (once the new IEP and 504 took effect) that was sent out to my son’s classmates. The letter stated that a classmate has a life threatening allergy to dairy, and the specific procedures were in place to provide the safest possible environment. The procedures included:

• Do not send any dairy products such as yogurt or cheese for a snack.
• Do not send container that have contained dairy products such as washed out plastic containers.
• If your child eats dairy before school, please have them thoroughly wash his or her hands before coming to school. It is important that residue from drinking milk, eating cheese or yogurt is not on a student’s hands when they handle common school books and equipment.
• Our classroom celebrates birthdays in a food-free manner. You can contact your teacher for ideas.

I am very proud and grateful that our school took my concerns seriously and quickly enforced new procedures that further ensured John’s safety at school. Of course, I’m sure there may be some eyes rolling or heads turning among some of the parents upon receiving the letter but I hope not. I would like to think that if any non food allergic parent put themselves in our shoes for just even a moment, and think about what it must feel like to know that your child die from a food allergic reaction, they might change their mind and do whatever they can to help.

Have a great holiday weekend everyone!!

• I wasn’t told this was an optional directive at first. Instead I was informed by my son’s IEP case manager that this was a new district policy to incorporate both documents into one central document. My school district believes these two documents are interchangeable. In my opinion, they are not. A 504 is a Health Plan that is carried with the child through high school, college and beyond. It details all the necessary accommodations needed to comply with the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. It does in fact have fewer rights and accommodations than the IEP (or IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), but to call them interchangeable is a mistake. I believe the school district should be informing every family this affects that it is NOT a legal madate, but instead a Best Practices policy. Optional is the key word here.
• I was uncomfortable that my school nurse sent home the food allergy accommodations to me in advance of my IEP meeting last week, therefore indicating she was notified that John did in fact have an active IEP. I am not secretive about my children needing an IEP and never have been. However, I do know some families are uncomfortable with this information being shared and for that reason think that there is a privacy issue at stake here. My son’s developmental delay diagnosis doesn’t impact my school nurse, therefore this information shouldn’t be shared with her (or with anyone else for that matter) without my permission.
• When I pressed our school district for more information about this Best Practices policy, I was told from our superintendent that this practice actually better protects our food allergy kids since IEP’s are viewed as more protective than the Section 504, and therefore is a better place to hold the accommodation information. I asked if I should be concerned if my son ever loses his IEP status since the 504 is considered more “loose”. He responded no, of course, and that they hold both documents in high regard, but that is not always the case with other school systems.

Last week I had three IEP meetings for my children, concluding with John’s. I ultimately decided to hold both documents seperate because I feel they should be. I’d love to know what everyone thinks about this, what they would do if this Best Practices policy is introduced in their own school district.

Have a good week everyone!