Living With Our Allergies

A New Blog Site

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:28:00 +0000

Please check out our new blog site: Another Mom's Food Allergy Journey.

NPR's The Leonard Lopate Show- interview with Dr. Hugh Sampson

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:57:00 +0000

As promised, here is the link to today's airing of the interview of Dr. Hugh Sampson on the Leonard Lopate show in response to Meredith Broussard's interview.

To leave a response in regards to the show, you can click on more.

Updated Information From FDA Regarding Food Labeling Law

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:21:00 +0000

This article is from the FDA's website. It lists the specific details in regards to the labeling law in regards to the top eight food allergens and explains what to do if you experience any allergy reactions after eating something that was packaged.

Update: Changes Concerning Cross-contamination and Feeding Our Children

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:20:00 +0000

After attending a FAAST meeting last night, I learned of a few changes we need to make in regards to keeping the boys safe from cross-contamination of their food allergens.

There were two speakers, Gale Prince and Mark Redmond. Both speakers came forth with very important information, but I will focus on what Gale had to say. He worked for the Kroger company for years. He is very involved in the labeling process of packaged food. Gale was very involved in the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (Title II of Public Law 108-282) to change the law on how food allergens are listed on our food labels. He is now involved in tweaking the many loopholes that still exist in the act. What I also found particularly helpful is that Gale is very familiar with production and manufacturing processes of our packaged and prepared food. He brought to light some the the difficulties that manufacturers have in regards to preventing cross-contamination.

In regards to some of the food allergens that we in particular have to watch out for- peanut, tree-nuts, and eggs, I learned of some things that we have to change immediately.

First of all, we need to avoid getting things from the deli. The risk of cross-contamination of eggs, nuts, and dairy(for those who need to avoid dairy) is very high. This was news to me; we have been getting deli meat and cheese all along! What I did not realize is that the deli is responsible for preparing other things such as the sides that you can get at the deli counter (egg salad, Waldorf chicken salad, potato salad, etc.) I think the danger speaks for itself. It is much safer to purchase pre-packaged deli products, as they are packaged in a separate facility where there are no other foods. The guidelines for labeling the pre-packaged deli products are much more strict than when purchasing things straight from the deli.

Another kind of food that we need to avoid are the things that are produced on shared equipment. The food allergen act does not require companies to list "possible cross-contamination." They are only required to list any of the allergens if they are an actual ingredient of what ever that particular product happens to be.

For instance, ice cream is particularly susceptible. The speaker suggested that if we were to use pre-packaged ice cream, that we should stick with vanilla. It is almost always the first flavor produced of the day, therefore other flavors that contain the food allergens are produced later. The manufacturing lines are cleaned between flavors, but not as astringent as at the end of the day in which they are cleaned with more of a sanitation routine. In my opinion, the risk of a stray peanut being missed by the cleaning process is still too much of a risk for my children. So, for now we will only let them eat ice cream made at home.

One last piece of knowledge that I left with was that I should be looking for the additive called lysozyme. It is a derivative of egg, therefore it may be an issue for us since we have an egg allergy to watch out for. Apparently it is not considered one of the allergens that companies have to label since it is only a derivative.

Thanks to these two men who are actively working to make eating safer for our children. Also, thanks to all of you (our family and friends) for taking the time to read or updates in the same effort to help us keep our children safe. You are all a true blessing!

Food Epidemic?

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:50:00 +0000

I believe that our overall health and the food allergy epidemic is tied tightly to our diets. I have come to this conclusion after reading various bits of research on the subject. In the article titled "Unhappy Meals," Michael Pollan helps to explain how our culture has come to where it is in the subject of our food supply and how we choose to eat. Though Pollan does not mention anything about food allergies, I still felt that the article was very enlightening. Pollan's suggestions sound like nothing more than common sense, but obviously, our country as a whole seems to have trouble understanding the issue. I liked this article because it was thorough. Pollan explained a lot of the ideas using scientific data. I would love to know what you think about it.

When To Use The Epi-Pen

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:56:00 +0000

Like I have said many times before, when in doubt if the Epi-Pen should be used for an allergic reaction, err on the side of caution!

There has been a lot of this kind of discussion on the food allergy forum 'Kids With Food Allergies'. The title of the discussion topic is "Why Do We Hesitate?" The world of food allergies is very complex, and deciphering when an anaphylactic episode is beginning can be so as well. The key to saving a life from an anaphylactic reaction is using the Epi-Pen immediately. There is no room for hesitation!

I was reminded of this fact when I was reading another story on KWFA. Just recently, for their sons seventeenth birthday, a boys parents planned a special dinner for him at the Outback restaurant. They took the time to plan ahead. They contacted the Outback's manager to explain the severity of their son's food allergies, and to confirm how the restaurant handles these particular situations. The Outback has posted on their site their plan of prevention for patrons with food allergies and special diet needs. Based on all of this information, the family proceeded with their planned dinner.

Too make a long story short, their son did end up having an allergic/anaphylactic reaction and had to go to the ER. Luckily, he was saved. What struck me was that his symptoms didn't start to occur until after they made it home and some time after opening birthday presents. The symptoms started with what sounds like hives, but by the time they made it to the ER their son's body was covered with a bright red sunburn-like appearance! They did use the Epi-Pen, but not until the reaction progressed to this point. It sounds as though the epinephrine took longer to work, and many say that with each minute of hesitation, the epinephrine loses its power.

I have read other stories with the same similarity. I remember reading about Sabrina Shannon. She did end up getting a dose of the Epi-Pen after a reaction to dairy while she was at school, but it wasn't until after her symptoms had progressed greatly. She ended up losing her life to the reaction.

Many other people have lost their lives to an anaphylactic reaction because of mistaking it for an asthma reaction, which reminds me of Emily Vonder Meulen. Of course, in this instance, a person would probably use the asthma inhaler and wait for the symptoms to go away. That, of course, only leads to a delay of the epinephrine they need and in turn horrible consequences.

Determining whether or not an anaphylactic episode is occurring is sometimes obvious, but can also be misleading. When asked about the symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction, most people will describe tightening of the throat, swelling, and itching. What most people don't realize, though, is that cardio collapse can occur without respiratory symptoms, as stated here in the sixth paragraph.

Just remember, it might not always be obvious when the Epi-Pen should be administered, that is why I always say to err on the side of caution!

Allergykids.com

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:46:00 +0000

In light of the controversy that is being stirred up in the food allergy world, I would like to highlight a specific person who has been working hard to motivate more research into the cause of the problem. Her name is Robyn O'brien, and she developed the site allergykids.com.

On her website she writes about her theory of what causes food allergies. She zeroes in on all of the genetic modification, hormone adding, and chemical pesticidal use on our food supply in the U.S. While she may lack in the arena of scientific evidence to support her claims, currently there is no evidence to go against them either. I find it very interesting what she has to say.

Most people are not familiar with all that is involved with our food supply. For a more in depth explanation of things such as modern use of pesticides through injecting chemical toxins into seeds, you can go here to see the research section on the allergykids website.

O'brien gets a lot of media attention about her food allergy journey, and a comment was left on my blog with the link to the most recent article which was in the New York Times, January 9, 2008.

I find the points that O'brien makes to be fascinating. It almost sounds like some kind of common sense thing, and the fact that no effort has been made to research more into the matter only seems to support her conspiracy theory.

NPR To Interview Dr. Hugh Sampson

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:45:00 +0000

In response to all of the complaints after the interview of Meredith Broussard, NPR(comment #79) has announced that they will interview Dr. Hugh Sampson on January 31 at 12:40pm on the Leonard Lopate Show to offer a balanced perspective on the issue of food allergies. I am sure this time the information will be presented with accurate sources and information, and if there is a link on their website of the interview, I will post it here.

Unbelievable! (I cannot think of a more appropriate title)

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:10:00 +0000

Just the other day, Meredith Broussard, a writer for the magazine Harper's wrote a story titled, "Everyone's Gone Nuts About Food Allergies." She was also given a fifteen minute spotlight on the radio station, NPR(you can listen and read the comments here), while being interviewed about the article.

Broussard's article, and the mere fifteen minutes she spent trivializing food allergy could potentially cost the lives of children across the globe. You may think this statement sounds exaggerated, but it is the truth. All of us familiar with food allergy/anaphylaxis know first hand how serious and real it really is. We have put a ton of effort into teaching and advocating for our children so they can live a safe life outside of their homes. Unfortunately, there are people out there who read her article or listened to the NPR broadcast, and now have misconstrued information regarding the subject. When a child is having an allergic/anaphylactic reaction, there is NO ROOM FOR ERROR! She has made it sound like parents of food allergic children are exaggerating, when in fact we are not.

As an example of the fact that there are people out there who will feed into her claimed "expertise," you can read some unbelievable posts on the blog site of allergymoms.com. The topic is peanut bans in schools. What I found unbelievable was not the fact that there is controversy on the subject, but what some of these people actually had to say! One such quote is, ". . .Be responsible for your own child and keep him/her home and make friends w/ other peanut allergy children so that can be sure to be completely peanut free together."

Keep in mind, both of these examples happened within the past few months. Talk about being overprotective; I am afraid to put the lives of my dear children in the hands of these kind of callous people.

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:34:00 +0000

2007 was filled with many things, but my focus here is on our food allergy journey. I wish to thank ALL of you for taking the time to read our blog and occassionally leave your comments. You have no idea how much it means to us!

The number one goal of this blog is to help communicate allergy news with our friends and family, mainly to help keep Randy and Carson* safe from the deadly food allergy reactions that are possible in the event of contact or ingestion of their food allergens. If it helps to educated a few others on the way; an added bonus!

I also want to make it clear that your communication with us through this blog is huge in the way of comfort and support. It allows me to see who is reading, and lets me know if the information I am posting is of your interest to you. In addition I also get a sense that you do care about our situation by the way you are taking the time to learn with us. I often go through boughts of loneliness while on this journey. The food allergies sometimes cause us to be left out of certain events because they would otherwise not be safe for us to attend. (I say us because while the children are still so young, it does effect us.)

*Carson has not been confirmed. His body does get covered in hives when he eats egg, though. We have made it a point to avoid all of Randy's food allergens because food allergies tend to run in families. Studies show that strict avoidance to possible food allergens tends to lean in the direction of not developing those food allergies because the delay in the introduction of the food allergen gives the immune system time to strengthen and develop. We do plan on having Carson tested sometime in the future, though the only real test is eating a potential food allergen and watching to see if anything happens (I know, scary!)

Sunbutter Buckeyes

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 02:09:00 +0000

We have had a few social events over the past few weeks due to the holidays, so I decided to try making a new desert that would be safe for the boys to eat. We recently discovered Sunbutter, a peanut butter substitute. We like the taste a lot, and most people think it tastes the same as peanut butter, therefore I decided to use it to make buckeyes, a common holiday treat.

Melt 1 cup of butter in a pot on low heat.
Add 1 cup of Sunbutter, and mix thoroughly.
Add confectioners sugar one cup at a time until it makes the right consistency, but not more than 3 cups.

Chill the entire batch in the refrigerator, approximately 30 minutes. When cool and stiff enough to handle, form into 1" size balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer until frozen solid, approximately 30 minutes.

Melt 12 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips (make sure they are peanut free and that there are no possibilities of cross-contamination) and 2 tbl. of shortening in the microwave.

Use toothpicks to dip frozen Sunbutter balls into the chocolate leaving the very tip to show so it will resemble the buckeye. Place the tray into the refrigerator until the chocolate is hardened, then remove toothpicks and place the buckeyes into a serving bowl.

Things to Keep in Mind

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:50:00 +0000

I came across this awesome list on the allergymoms website. I think it will prove to be very helpful for you when coming for a visit at our house, or when we come to yours!

Food Allergy/Anaphylaxis as a Teen

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 13:58:00 +0000

This article was on the allergic living website. A few teenagers were interviewed about their food allergies and how they are effected in certain situations because of it. It was very interesting for me to read because my children are still very young. I am starting to look forward into the future to see what life will be like when the time comes. I find myself very anxious at times now, so I can only imagine how hard it will be for me when they become teenagers; less control on my part. At least right now I have more of an ability to keep them safe.

Article in Science News 2003

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 23:43:00 +0000

I was doing some research tonight and I came across this very interesting article. What I find most interesting is that it was written just days before my son was born. I find that kind of ironic.

The focus of the article is on finding the cause for peanut allergy. I do find it interesting that it quotes research studies supporting a theory that says skin exposure to peanut oil early in life leads to developing a peanut allergy.

The article also says there is a link between children developing peanut allergies and babies that drank soy based formula. This is irrevelant to me because my son did not drink soy based formula. It did seem, though, that at about the age of two weeks, when we introduced formula for the first time, is when he developed a full body rash that was diagnosed as eczema.

More On the Vaccine Recall

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:11:00 +0000

I just read more on the story regarding the Merck recall of the Hib vaccination here. It really has my mind spinning...

More On Vaccinations

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:44:00 +0000

After reading the last article I posted, my thoughts started going more in that direction. I shared the article with a friend who is also on a journey to learn more about the food allergy epidemic, and he responded with this article. It doesn't talk about food allergies, but it does open up more thought about how our government puts so much effort into the vaccination process. It appears that there is a conflict of interest; politics vs truth. (Yes, I know, that is always the case).

I just wanted to make an effort to shed some light on the issue. I know researchers are working hard to find a cure for food allergies, namely allergies to peanut. I, however, feel that more effort should be made in finding what causes food allergies in the first place. I just don't think that you can keep covering up mistakes by fixing them. It reminds me so much of a person who is possesed with telling lies. Every new lie is made to cover up the first lie, and eventually the person gets too tangled in their web of lies that there is eventually no hope of overcoming the problem.

I would love more input on this topic. Please share your thoughts with me!

A Link Between Vaccinations and Food Allergies?

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:44:00 +0000

I have always wondered about the connection between food allergies and vaccinations. It has always seemed to me that there should be a connection between the two since both subjects involve antibodies and the immune system. This article is incredibly enlightening on the subject. It only strengthens my suspicions! Why have there not been more studies on this subject??? I realize that vaccinations have helped to ward off serious diseases, but the thought of trading one epidemic for another does not make sense to me!

Always Carry Two Epi-Pens!

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:17:00 +0000

This story was written in December of 2007. It supports the recommendation that individuals who have food allergies should carry two epi-pens instead of just one.

What About Red Dye?

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:55:00 +0000

I am a little late in writing this post. This past Sunday night my husband and I feel we have made a new discovery. After dinner we let the boys have some homeade ice cream. We had some sprinkles in the pantry in which they must have when they eat ice cream. Anyway, to make a long story short, immediately after eating their desert, Randy started bouncing off the walls!

This event immediately got my wheels turning. I had just recently read a thread on KWFA about food dyes and how they can cause reactions. Reactions from food dyes can cause different things like GI distress, skin problems (eczema), and even anaphylaxis! But, red dye in particular seems to cause hyperactivity in some individuals. This is what we think it does to Randy!

We started reminiscing on times like when he ate some fruit snacks and he had the same crazy behavior. I got online to look up ingredients, and low and behold, the common denominator: Red dye #40!

Now, I realize that it is probably a bit early to start jumping to conclusions. We will just have to keep our eyes and minds open to what he is eating and what his behavior is. But, my gut instinct is saying it is the dye!

I would love to hear what you know about this topic.

The Peanut Butter Sandwich Under Threat

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:38:00 +0000

An article in TIME exposing the controversy about peanut butter in schools.

Coping with Deadly Allergies

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:22:00 +0000

This is a video about a family who deals with much more serious allergies than we do, but it gives an example of just how awful allergies can be.

My son's food allergies: danger everyday

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:17:00 +0000

This article was written on Cnn.com in November 2007. The story of the daily life of this family is very similiar to ours.

Peanut allergies strike earlier, study says

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:05:00 +0000

This article was written in the Yahoo news in December of 2007 in regards to peanut allergies.

Safe Holidays For Allergic Children

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:56:00 +0000

This article was written in the Philadelphia Inquirer in December 2007.

Sabrina's Law and Documentary

noreply@blogger.com (RandCsMommy) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:58:00 +0000

This is a link to a documentary that was aired in Canada on November 3rd, 2007. When you click on the link, it will start a short clip of the documentary, but you can watch the entire documentary by clicking to do so on the main page.

It is well worth watching if you want to learn more about the dangers of food allergies. Sabrina lost her life when she ate something that she tought was safe. The food she ate was cross-contaminated by a food in which she was anaphylactic. Unfortunately, this happens far too often!

Some time before she had her fatal reaction, she made her own documentary with help from her aunt in hopes of advocating the seriousness of food allergies to others.