Living with Food Allergies, 2013 and on

[SilverLining]

I am happy for you TC.   

I brought the Graham Crumbs back and got my money.  Then went to Walmart and bought the brand name.  DS was going to help me with the baking today, but of course there was not time after all that.

Aw well!  it Wednesday I need those fishless fish sticks for isn't it MC? 

[TabiCat]

Woot!  Tabi I thought you were NKA.

Nope but just jalapeno and apparent banana peppers. I once ate and LOVED jalapenos but in college I started  having problems with them "hurting my throat" until one day my face swelled and I become hoarse and then short of breath. Ended up at ER they said  was allergic and gave me my first and only does of epi and I have carried an epi and avoided ever since. I really didn't pay much attention to food allergies in general until DS was a baby since mine is pretty easy to avoid. When DS was diagnosed his allergist insisted I get properly test which my gp never did just kept renewing my EPI.

Eating out for Tex-Mex is hard  I can almost NEVER it salsa out. 

[Macabre]

Oh, I think I remember that now.  Yeah, kinda hard to avoid in Texas, huh?

[SilverLining]

today some little allergy-related things are making me happy.

first, there is a Canadian company you can get free samples from.  Last time I passed on a few because they might have contained my allergens.  Not a big deal, but I did send an e-mail that I was surprised there was no questions about allergies.  They responded, I don't remember exactly what, but something about looking into it.  So, today got another e-mail to select free samples.  This time there was a question specifically about skin allergies/sensitivities and another specifically asking about gluten free diet.  Maybe this has nothing to do with my e-mail....but I feel good anyway....maybe I contributed to them looking into ingredients.

Second, I was looking as the followers of CAIAnaphylaxis on twitter.  One of their followers is WestJet.  An airline.  (They were more allergy safe then the law required many years ago.  I'm not sure exactly where they are right now.)

[ajasfolks2]

Had 2 moving co representatives to our home to do pre-move surveys and bids. Both men were very receptive to our food allergy needs (packers/movers must wash up when they arrive AND we'll supply all their food — of course, we'll work with their allergies and other dietary needs to keep ALL safe and healthy). Nobody looked at me like I had 3 horns and 4 noses . . . and one shared that his own young child also was nut allergic . . . and BOY could we share some stories. So much has changed so far as education and understanding in the general population since our family first began to deal with LTFA (life-threatening food allergy) 14+ years ago. So, two thumbs up for those guys!!

[hezzier]

Ajas-very nice!  I don't know what non-military do when they move, but we always provide lunch and drinks for the packers and movers.

[buttons]

My sister sent my (nka) daughter what would have been a lovely birthday gift of special cookie baking ingredients, but all have may contain warnings, and I had to return them with a request she receive a refund.  Will have to call my sister and explain - makes me feel paranoid and ungrateful, angry.  She's done this before.  I get to pay for postage, plus have that pleasant phone call. 

I don't know what the issue is, just stinks is all.

[Macabre]

Our SOP is just to toss the gift and write a thank you note (and once my son was writing his own thank you notes, he wrote those, too). But that's with regular folks. You would hope closest family members would get it.

[Macabre]

Ajas that's just lovely. We've had similar concerns in the past year, and what a relief to know that's one thing you don't have to worry about.

[ajasfolks2]

So, in our offer to feed the crew for lunch (and supper, if needed, plus snacks/bev) -- I made sure that they understand we will accommodate all their crew dietary/health needs as well . . . I was the one who called for extra breaks last time due to excessive heat . . . lots of Gatorade and popsicles!!

[Gray]

Friday night we were travelling and at a friend's house for dinner.  Dd got a red, itchy patch on her face, plus itched slightly on her tummy, leg, & foot.  I gave benedryl and watched and symptoms went away and did not return.  They weren't really hives, but this is discouraging because this was not just a local reaction.  Also, I suspect that it was to a different food, not the allergen we've been dealing with, although there's no way to know for sure because the meal could have had traces of her allergen.

Will have to discuss with the allergist how I should have handled this.  For many hives, our plan calls for epi.  There were so many foods and spices at that dinner (shrimp, fish, cumin, pepper, etc) - I'll have to keep an eye on those foods.

[Macabre]

Possible XC with the spices and sesame?

Sorry--it's not a happy thought either way.

[Gray]

I really doubt the rxn was from XC because she tolerates a significant maintenance dose of the allergen, but reactions can be unpredictable which is one of the risks of our current approach.  My gut says it was from a different food/spice.

Before the challenge, I was pretty conservative with XC risk and she never had an ingestion rxn (other than her initial rxn) that I knew of. Things are different now and I find myself still trying to find the right risk balance.  I have a lot of confidence in our new allergist, so I'm going to listen to her advice, although I hope we don't have to go back to total avoidance.

[krasota]

Had to explain to my birthday child today that, yeah, the Wilton Scooby Doo cake pan is really cool, but egg-free, gluten-free cakes don't mold well.

Afterward, DH said he probably could've freehanded Scooby on a round or sheet cake.  So I suppose I should've bought the icing dye.  I still have time to go back to the cake shop to pick it up today and get it done before tomorrow's party.  But then again, I also have to make cupcakes, bake a cake, and make party food.  And pump.  *sigh*

I hope next year is easier.  He had a slightly sub-par birthday last year because his sister was still in the NICU.  And this year I'm trying to take care of two kids and the wire baby (breastpump).

[CMdeux]

Y'know what DOES mold well, though?

Rice-Krispie treats.  (Or equivalent for your allergen set, whatever it is.)


I seriously never thought of this as a way to make figural cakes until we did it with a free-standing RABBIT a couple of years ago.  I feel like a really super-slacker mom for denying my princess a 'cute' cake as a child.  Oh well.  There was the caterpillar.