FoodAllergyMama.com

When I began this journey of living with food allergies, I never in a million years thought it would lead me down a road of advocacy and controversy. I never thought I would need to educate and raise awareness as much as I’ve had to over the years. Like so many of you, I quickly [...]

As many of you already know, my youngest son Michael seemed to have an aversion to milk from his first few weeks of life. Like my food allergic son John, he would double up in pain every time I breast fed, or gave him formula. We switched to the ultra expensive, hypoallergenic formula Nutramigen, and [...]

What a week it has been! As room mom for three classes, I found myself in a sea of must do’s all week; treats, projects, and then the usual sickness to throw everyone for a loop. Let’s just say it has been “crazyland” around here, as I am certain it was for so many of [...]

Kids loves snacks, but it seems parents love to offer them even more. In fact, an article in today’s Huffington Post, “Snack Food Nation” talks about how parents in our country are obsessed with snack time. Writer Wendy Sachs writes “We are creating a generation of socialized snackers. Every activity from infant music class to [...]

Yep, you read that right, John’s classroom is Nut AND Dairy Free. He’s in the third grade now, and historically speaking the third grade teachers allowed birthday treats, food, etc. in the classroom. Frustrated by the constant topic of food in the class, and the inability to get our school to have a district-wide policy [...]

It also got a ridiculous amount of crazy, vicious, insulting and disgusting comments from Chicago Sun Times readers. John and I were interviewed yesterday for a nice little piece about the Chicago Cubs hosting a peanut free sky box for the first time Monday August 3oth. A fellow food allergy mama started a face book [...]

I’m a die-hard music fan, and an even bigger fan of seeing bands live. So when the ultimate music fest Lollapalooza comes to Chicago every year, I’m the first in line to buy tickets. For the past two years, my husband and I bring our two older kids Chloe and John with us (kids under [...]

Like most of you, I’ve  been checking food packaging for hidden allergens for so long that I think I got it down pat. Lately I have relied more on the FDA allergen labeling on food, the ones that say Contains: Milk, Peanuts, Tree Nuts. I am usually further comforted by the additional label of “Produced [...]

This is a phrase I utter more often than not, especially to school and camp officials. It’s always driven me a little batty when I get that dazed and confused look after I say my son John could die from a reaction to milk too. Or even legumes and peas  could cause my son John [...]

That was the question I asked my school’s superintendent last week when it was brought to my attention that our school district decided to do away with John’s 504 Plan and incorporate his food allergy accommodations into his IEP Plan. I was also told that if a child in our district only has a 504 Plan and [...]