GP, we have sooo been there, done that.  I really think it is due to being MFA. BTW, did you notice at the FAAN Teen Summit how many small teens there were?  I noticed that at the FAAN conference last year in California.  All or almost all of the teens were MFA, and almost all were really tiny.  Dd at almost 17 years old finally hit 5 feet 2 1/2 and 92 pounds!!

YKW, I feel for you.  Dd used to hate when she would get comments (it doesn`t really happen any more now that she is 5 feet 2 1/2 and a size 1)

We get the raised eyebrows when people ask DS how old he is ---- 13.  And he's smaller than his 9 y.o. cousin.  (He's at 67 lbs this week -- woo hoo!!)  Sometimes I feel like I have to explain to those people that we're seeing an endocrinologist, doing our best to get more calories in him, etc.  AND he's a picky eater with food allergies. 

Quote from: Carefulmom on February 22, 2012, 05:58:37 PM
Or that you are so worried about standing out as a teen when you are with your friends that you would rather not eat than eat separate food or have to interrogate about ingredients and cross contamination.  That`s not stressful either.

DS1 is not a teen, he is a very small statured 7yo boy.  Do you know how many comments we have heard about him being anorexic already?  And the new campaign about the face of anorexia being male is going to be a nail in the coffin for him.  DS1 can eat out eat me at many meals but we have decided at most birthday parties or celebrations, it is not worth the fuss to bring food in, find out ingredients, etc.  So he eats before and often, after.  And often people look at me like I am starving him. 

Or that you are so worried about standing out as a teen when you are with your friends that you would rather not eat than eat separate food or have to interrogate about ingredients and cross contamination.  That`s not stressful either.

Quote from: Janelle205 on February 22, 2012, 12:15:29 PM

Quote from: suevv on February 22, 2012, 11:24:46 AM
I don't see how anybody with a lick of common sense could even imagine that allergic kids don't have a higher stress level.  A "study" my arse.  But I guess as Voltaire said, "Common sense is not so common."

Agreed.  Because it is not stressful at all to me that something relatively common could kill me. 

Yes, and that the kid has to bring an Epipen everywhere just in case of a life threatening reaction.  Oh, that's not stressful to have to think about that all the time. 

... or that you can't fully share in a fundamentally SOCIAL major life activity with your friends, your family, or pretty much anyone... particularly at a time in one's development where "fitting in" is of paramount importance to one's sense of self-worth and identity.

Yeah, that's probably not stressful.     Maybe it was homeschooled preschoolers with lactose intolerance that were the population in this mythical study?   

Quote from: suevv on February 22, 2012, 11:24:46 AM
I don't see how anybody with a lick of common sense could even imagine that allergic kids don't have a higher stress level.  A "study" my arse.  But I guess as Voltaire said, "Common sense is not so common."

Agreed.  Because it is not stressful at all to me that something relatively common could kill me. 

I don't see how anybody with a lick of common sense could even imagine that allergic kids don't have a higher stress level.  A "study" my arse.  But I guess as Voltaire said, "Common sense is not so common."

There are so many analogies I'd love to throw at them to make them see the light (how would YOU feel if ...).  But truthfully, I think they would never listen.  They just have some other bizarre agenda. 

This type of insensitivity just makes me very very angry. 

...And should Noah really  not keep an epipen at camp - just in case?  Haven't there been individuals who began to react again after "successful" treatment?

This article frustrated me no end. 

Quote from: DrummersMom on February 19, 2012, 07:47:40 PM
"A recent study found that children with food allergies don't feel any higher levels of social stress than their non-allergic peers. "

Does anyone know what study this is referring to?

No.  I have no idea, because if such a study exists, it would be directly contradictory to the four or five that have shown just the opposite to be true.

I have a hunch that the "journalist" writing the article wanted a bright and cheery soundbite and figure there must be one out there somewhere....


Frankly, some of the "then" and "now" bits in the piece struck me as...


well, delusional, to be blunt. 

no, but I would love to see that one.

I just hate the way these stories make it seem like voila!  theres a cure.  every time one of these stories comes out, a million people come out of the woodwork telling me there's a PA cure.  I must have gotten this story in my inbox 2000 times yesterday.

Not that I am not thrilled there is some progress, it isn't as easy as some people thing to just "cure" pa.  YK?

"A recent study found that children with food allergies don't feel any higher levels of social stress than their non-allergic peers. "

Does anyone know what study this is referring to?

mostly because of the headlines etc.  the notion it sends to people that allergies are outgrown/curable.

http://www.parenting.com/article/truth-about-food-allergies?src=syn&dom=aolhp&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl14%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D136656