Didn"t have to happen

[MandCmama]

M had bday party at a bounce place this weekend. It's the most relaxed I'd ever been prior to a party because the host family is awesome. They are also a MLTFA family with a similar tight comfort zone. We've even made some food for each others children (with much consultation). Add to that the fact M doesn't really put his fingers in mouth anymore and this was going to be a walk in the park!

All of us moms were sitting on a bench in the middle of this warehouse-like room chatting and watching our cherubs.  All of a sudden the mom to my left whips out a pb Cliff bar. Surely she won't open it in this "No food beyond this point" area! And if she does, surely she'll pull the wrapper back discretely and take little bites and then wipe her hands.  After all, she's a class mom. She knows there are multiple food allergies in the class, including peanut! But no. No. What she does is pulverize that Cliff bar before she opens it.  Breaking it into a million pieces and creating dust and crumbs. She eats it slowly with her fingers and probably coats the entire front of her person in peanut protein. At one point M ran over to ask me a question and I just about clotheslined him in an attempt to keep him away from this peanut person!

I knew the bouncing was soon to be over and we'd be moving to the party room where the kids would be eating.  I thought I'd offer Mrs. Peanut a wipe, but as I dug into my bag, I realized I'd just used my last hand wipe. I walked over to the hostess and asked her to keep an eye on M and told her I was running out to the car for more wipes. Her guy's allergies don't include peanut so I didn't want to add to her stress load by telling her about peanut lady at this point.

By the time I ran back in (Maybe 90 seconds tops) the kids had made their way to the party room. The hostess was passing out pizza and chips and M had soda in front of him. I handed him a wipe. Mrs. peanut was not right there at that moment. Like all the kids, M was hot and sweaty. His face was beet red.  He was coughing a bit. All normal stuff for a kiddo who's had a slight cold that's been running and jumping like a maniac for an hour and a half, right? Then he says his throat hurts. The cough seems a bit too persistent. I panic now. I pull the hostess aside and ask about Mrs. Peanut's movements in the moments I was gone. She touched none of the food but did pour soda. The hostess and I sat with M and stared at the poor kid.

When we left a bit later I really thought maybe it been some type of reaction because he looked at me and said "That's really weird mom, my throat feels so much better now". I limited his physical activity for the rest of the night which angered him greatly (we have 19+ inches of snow in our yard right now!) and stared at him a whole lot more.  Nothing more yesterday.

Then this morning.  He woke up fine.  Then while we were eating a very boring breakfast of boring things we eat daily, a large painful hive/welt sprouted above his upper lip. I freaked out. Probably much more than that lonely old hive warranted. But  . So I called our allergist to see if she was on call. Thankfully she was and validated my freak out. She thinks it's all related and that he's still twitchy today. She advised Benadryl which made me a little nervous (Just the whole "is this going to mask something, make me less likely to notice" thought process).

So....Thoughts? Was yesterday likely an epi moment? If he hadn't just been involved in activity that accounted for all of the symptoms, I would not have hesitated to do so. Does contact ingestion seem the most likely culprit (cup to hand to pizza to mouth)?

[momma2boys]

I would say that sounds likely. It is so hard to know for sure, especially since he had been running around and getting over a cold. I don't know if I would've been thinking epi either. Like you said though, if no other circumstances and the throat thing then yes.

I'm sorry this happened. It is just so hard to go do.normal kid things without dealing with stuff like this.

[TabiCat]

  I think I would have done as you did given that his symptoms were consistent with a cold as well. My daughter will get a sore throat from a lot of activity while congested because she  breaths through her mouth and her throat drys out. However given the situation a contact ingestion is very likely as well. I think the watchful vigilance is what I would have done. Had the hive appeared yesterday I would have epi-ed.

[Macabre]

Oh yikes. That is scary.

I probably would have done what you did and if the symptoms persisted then epid. But it's hard to know.

Why can't people realize the rules apply to them?

[CMdeux]

 


I'd have done the same thing.  Take care of yourselves today, okay??



Why can't people realize the rules apply to them?

Oy, that IS the sixty-thousand dollar question, isn't it??   

[TabiCat]

But it's not really food it's a candy bar 

[rebekahc]

I'll bet the exposure was more direct - simply cup to mouth.  I suspect she touched the rim of the cup with her peanutty hands or peanut crumbs fell into the drink as she poured.

I agree with the others - you handled it the same way I would have.   

[becca]

Agree with the rest, but just want to offer 

Pulverizing it and eating it like that?  Really???   

[MandCmama]

I have to say, if there has been a silver lining to any of this, it has been the school's response.

I've been in a bit of of a mmhmm...sparring match with the PTA over healthy snack excluding the children with food allergies as they are distributed in a manner that basically ensures cross contamination. I was told by the head of the PTA that this was a voluntary program to encourage healthy habits and my son didn't have to participate. I told her she was excluding my child, I wasn't driving to the school with the item in question each month so he didn't come home all upset, and his 504 backs me up as she/the program was sanctioned by the school. The principal has supported me and is changing procedure.

In light of this especially (though I would have made the school aware anyway), I emailed the 504 team and outlined the simple chain of events that occurred regarding M's reaction this weekend. I sent a more detailed email to the nurse and M's teacher. Before lunch I had a call from M's teacher, the part time nurse and the principal. I had emails form the guidance counselor and the full time nurse. All were expressing concern for M's well being as well as a thank you for the reminder of how easy it can happen. As many times as I feel defeated and like the road ahead is long, winding, and uphill, I'm very thankful for these moments where I feel like I have a village and that village is supporting us 

Now granted, next week I may be on here ranting on how the village needs to burned down 

[momma2boys]

That is great! I remember when my ds had the reaction when he went by ambulance to hospital, it was at home on a Saturday. When the school found out, I think it really hit home. I saw one of the teachers at the gym and he said they were all going over what went on Friday because they were so worried they did something to cause it.

[CMdeux]

What a lovely way of putting into words my feelings about life in the, um... village.