10 Things That Suck About Peanut Allergies
This Andrew and he has a severe peanut allergy…
This past weekend I’ve been thinking a lot about Andrew’s peanut allergy and how I’m praying so hard that Andrea doesn’t develop one too.
Our next door neighbor’s little boy has a peanut allergy and this past week they took a vacation down to Disney World. Upon their return we went outside to talk to them and see how their vacation was. Vince is probably about 6 years old and during his flight down to Disney World he began to swell up.. he swelled up not because he ate a peanut but because the airplane environment is so enclosed that the dust from other people’s peanuts made him sick.
This scares me… will we ever be able to fly anywhere with Andrew? Why can’t airlines serve things other than peanuts? Serve pretzels! Serve chips! Serve peanut free cookies!!
Ugh…
So here is my list of 10 things that really piss me off about Peanut Allergies and why they suck
1. My son will NEVER get to experience simple pleasures like a candy bar
2. My son will NEVER get to trick or treat with his friends and be able to come home and eat his candy because 95% of Halloween candy is made in a plant that may contain nuts
3. My son can’t go to a friends house alone without me worrying about him getting into something with peanuts
4. My son will NEVER get to experience an ice cream cone from a shop like Cold Stone, Baskin Robbins or Maggie Moo
5. My son can’t eat cake at a birthday party unless it was made by someone that I can ask about the ingredients… store bought cake? Most of the time it may contain peanuts
6. I now have to worry taking my son onto an airplane that may serve peanut snacks
7. Friends of ours have a buffet style dinner every so often and invite everyone to come and hang out.. Andrew has to eat dinner at home because we can’t risk any of the prepared foods being contaminated with any of the desserts with peanuts in it
8. My son will never see a chocolate bunny in his Easter basket
9. I have to drill each and every pre school that we are considering for Andrew to assure they handle kids with peanut allergies appropriately then I have to send him off and pray that nothing happens while I’m away
10. The biggest thing that sucks is the fact that we will never have a sense of being safe when dealing with a son with peanut allergies. Andrew’s peanut allergy is at a level of being fatal if he was to come in contact and we have to live the rest of our lives nit picking everything he eats and does to assure he will remain safe. Yes, I understand kids don’t need things like candy or cake etc.. but these are simple pleasures that every one of his friends will be taking part in and he will always feel like he is the one being left out. I hate that he has to deal with it and the day they come out with a full treatment I will travel as far as I have to if it means my son can live a normal life.
As a 15-year old who’s had an anaphylactic peanut allergy since the age of 5, I can tell you your son will be fine. As long as you’re careful about reading ingredients and having an epipen with you, eating will be pretty safe for him. There are a lot of candy bars and cakes out there that don’t contain peanuts, and anything hat says “may contain” is probably safe for him to eat. May contain labels are only there for liability reasons. It’s highly unlikely that they’ve come in contact with peanuts unless it’s a peanut bar. As for flying, you can indicate allergies when you book your tickets and the airline will be very accommodating of it. They don’t want anyone to have an allergic reaction on the plane. I fly frequently and I’ve never had any problems with it. Teach your son to always read labels and to be cautious of what he eats, but it’s not as bad as you think.
I cried while I read this. I’m so sorry that you have to go through this on a daily basis. My best friend’s little cousin just turned 11 and she has a peanut allergy. She is very good at reading the ingredients on EVERYTHING before it goes in her mouth. I came across this post right now because I actually was looking for some peanut free cookies. Every year I volunteer at a Vacation Bible School and I love bringing the kids snacks. And there is one boy who has a peanut allergy and can never eat anything I bring. so this upcoming year I will be prepared! So he can eat as much as he wants!!
I understand that you are scared but you need to change your attitude. My 8 year old son has a severe peanut/ tree nut allergy. He is fructose intolerant and was diagnosed with encopysis last year(an enlarging of the bowels due to fructose). 7 years ago we discovered his allergy at a family gathering as he began to swell, vomit and break out in hives. He was rushed to hospital and after 8 hours, coding once he was released. So began our journey. His allergy has worsened over the years and his moste recent blood test came back at 100. Most kids with nut allergies fall between 5-15. We are very very carefull. Recently after a play date he suffered another reaction from sharing hockey gloves with a boy who had eaten nuts prior to coming to our home and not washed up properly. My son immediately felt funny and came to me …he began to swell, his throat was closing up we administered his epi pen called 911 and he was rushed to our local children’s hospital. 6 1/2 years ago when he coded we almost lost him. I will never take that chance again. Epi pens save lifes. The only good thing about this is now my sons knows how to use his epi pen, he understands it saves his life so the anxiety of the epi pen is gone and he always carries one, has always but now understands the importance of it…hand washing always…here is what doesn’t suck….you are what you eat and we eat so well because we com everything from scratch…he is healthy and stronger because of it…less colds and flu. There are so many nut free bakeries and products out there that when I don’t bake…which is rare we go out for a treat to our local bakery and enjoy ice cream there to! He is becoming more independent which is scary but having had his allergy all his life he is very aware. We have his close friends whom we trust him to travel to for play dates. They avoid peanut butter and nuts in their home the day of and we send snacks for everyone to share so Ryan doesn’t feel singled out and the kids love getting snacks and treats from our home. We have traveled and our airlines with proper notice are always accommodating. We per board to wipe down seats, when available they create buffer zones and they make an announcement to not consume nut products due to a special passenger traveling with them. Disney is the best but we have frequented other well known establishments and they are great. It always takes a little more footwork and we call ahead before booking and speak directly to chefs but Ryan eats like a king. I wish we did not have this as well but there are so many other life threading diseases out there that could impact him more that wee have to be thankful. Ad most important…if you think it sucks so will he…no one gets ahead with a bad attitude…chin up look for the alternatives and solutions and educate your son, teach him how to be safe…empower him and it will get easier…still scary but knowledge is power. Good luck my sincerest regards are with you
Dont worry i’m 15 and i’ve had a very serve nut allergy since i was 3 and have known about it since i was 7… you child will learn what he can and cant eat… i promise your worry will fade and you will let him have candy bars that say “may contain traces of peanuts” although i do not recommend “may contain nuts or contains traces” but if it says may and traces together its VERY RARE that a reaction will acure… you shouldn’t be scared to fly because they serve peanuts… they can actully make arrangements with the airlines for nuts to be banned for that flight… YEAH THEY SUCK…BUT REMEMBER, THEY SUCK WAY MORE FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE THEM, (oh and watch out between the ages of 13 and 17, accoreding to my doctor, thats when reactions most often accure as you become a lot more carefree and a tennager… “hope this kinda helped-ish”
Hi Amanda,
I understand where you are coming from, our daughter had a severe peanut allergy which we are blessed she just outgrew. Anyway I wanted to tell you a few things that might help. Walmart and shoppers carry peanut free Easter bunnies and I have noticed more and more each year. Walmart also now carries peanut free birthday cakes in their bakery – these are the iced ones like most people buy
(just look for the peanut free label) they also carry a wonderful line of school safe products (I can’t remember the name) they come in a small green box and are individually wrapped. They have banana bread, cookies and brownies. When we go to a party we would put icing on the brownies and bring enough so other kids would eat them too and ours wouldn’t feel left out. They are free of preservatives and freeze well. Also made of the same things you would use so they are yummy. The best part is a box of 8 is under $3. I always make sure to thank companies who work at having peanut free products so they keep doing it. Now that we mo longer have the peanut allergy we are still buying many of these products as a thanks. Other great product lines are Dare and Chapman ice cream, as always read labels because not all are safe. Last for Halloween we take her out, we keep smarties in our pocket incase she has to have a treat but she is not allowed in her bag (she does carry it). We replace every item she couldn’t have with a safe one so she still gets the same amount. Also we usually pick up a few bags of peanut free bars like hershys at Halloween to keep for the year. I hope some of these ideas help
Lisa
That does suck! Hang in there momma! Thanks for the follow. Following you back.
Debbie from nofiltermom.blogspot.com
That really stinks Amanda :( I’m sorry Andrew has to deal with that and the constant worry you have, its really not fair. Does the school keep an EPI pen ready just in case?
Hi this is Nicole from Colie’s Kitchen I just discovered your blog and wanted to drop by and say hi. I am now a new follower. I would love to have you stop by Colie’s Kitchen if you get a chance. http://www.colieskitchen.com
Ahhh! Gotta say sorry for any errors and/or clarity problems in my long post, I typed all that out on my phone lol
Hey listen – as the mother of an 8 yer old with a life-threatening peanut allergy (she’s as allergic as a person can be), I’ve been dealing with these things her entire life. While you can look at it in a very grim way, it really not so bad so long as you learn to always plan ahead, even for “everyday” things like flying, dinners, etc.
1. There are plenty of companies nowadays that specialize in 100% peanut-free foods and treats that are even made in completely nut-free factories. Enjoy Life is a very common brand…you can find it in most health food stores and even many grocery stores (usually in the natural food sections). They make cookies and candy bars that are so delicious you wouldn’t know they’re made with rice milk (and if they weren’t pricier than a normal candy bar I would eat them too!). There are also lots of Internet-based companies to look into as well!
2. My daughter goes trick-or-treating. Of course, this totally is dependent on your personal comfort level…but we have rules in place (like no reaching into the bag or opening candy until I sort through it). Sure, she can’t have 75% of the candy she gathers, but she can have some, and really…the fun part of Halloween is dressing up and seeing everyone else in their costumes walking around the neighborhood.
3. The only thing you can do about this is be sure anybody you leave him with undertakes the severity and consequences, won’t serve anything with nuts while your son is there, and also you should always personally pack snacks for him. The real issue is only leaving your child(ren) with people you trust, which I would do anyway…peanut allergy or not!
4. It stinks, but think of it this way: he doesn’t really need the junk food anyway! Also, lots o ice cream shops sell wrapped popsicles, slushies, and more which are great alternatives.
5. A minor downside. However, it’s easy enough to bring a special snack just for him (maybe an Enjoy Life candy bar?). :). Or, if you’re close family or friends, you an do what I do and offer to bake the cake for the occasion.
6. This has always been a concern for us, but thankfully we prefer to Rossetti anyway and don’t fly often at all. But the times we have flown, the key I to call, call, call. Bug the crap out of the airline. Most will make accommodations an serve a snack instead of nut if you let them know ahead of time. Some airlines don’t even serve nuts anymore at all. Call before you reserve a ticket to ask if they do or if they will accommodate you. Call again after you reserve tickets to let them know your specific flight information. Call again a week before your flight to remind them. Call again the day before to make sure their plans are set. Then, after you’ve gone through security ask the airline rep at the gate. Request that they also announce on the loudspeaker that there is a passenger with life threatening food allergies, and that they need passengers to avoid eating any nut snacks they may have brought aboard. Sometimes the attendants will tell the while plane not to open nut snacks, sometimes they just ask the 3-4 rows ahead if you and behind you to refrain. Bring a sheet to cover your son’s seat. We’ve never had any problems following this procedure. Sure, it doesn’t make us the most favorite passengers, but it’s better than risking an emergency up in the sky.
7. My friends and family know better than to use nuts in their cooking for gatherings. If people won’t do this for your son if you remind them and ask them nicely to not use nuts…well, they aren’t good friends. Sorry to be so harsh, but it’s true.
8. Not sure if there are peanut free chocolate bunnies as I’ve never looked for them, but I’m sure there are! :)
9. Nothing you can do about this either, it’s just how things are. But I Wouk suggest ensuring your school has a full-time nurse, and if not, try switching to one that does. You CAN do this, even if the other school technically isn’t for your neighborhood. Peanut allergies are included under the Americans With Disabilities Act and I a doctor gives certain recommendations, the school district MUST honor them.
10. It’s true. It does really suck. But you need to try to have a good attitude about it. With minor adjustments, your son can live a perfectly normal life! You do need to be much more cautious, take ridiculous precautions sometimes, and annoy others (lol) but you just gotta do what it takes to keep him as safe as you can while still letting him experience life.
Get him a little bag to always have his Epi-pens and a bottle of Benadryl with him (my daughter has a mini backpack for her things). Take it everywhere you go. He’ll be fine!
You can always email me if you have questions or need support :)
I am sorry about the allergy. I am lucky mine can eat anything except the little one breaks out to blueberries , maybe he will out grow that.
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Happened upon your blog and remembered seeing a post from someone on my mom message board about peanut allergies. She shared this link… http://www.vermontnutfree.com
She was able to buy holiday treats from there. I haven’t looked at the site myself (no allergies in our family). She mentioned they were a little pricey, but worth it so her little one could have holiday treats too.
Hope this helps!
oh Wow. This does suck and I”m sorry you have to deal with it! I complain that my kid is allergic to cats because I want a kittie. Reading this I realize it could be SO much worse.
I make a lot of food and baking from scratch here. Home made cakes and I think making home made chocolate Easter bunnies would not be hard either. So he can come to parties here! lol
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That really does suck! I’m sorry your little guy and you have to deal with that. I have been on planes that serve pretzles instead of peanuts…so at least it is possible….Im thinking it was American Airlines? I was young so hard to remember. Also as far as the easter basket, See if you can find a chocolate mold and chocolate that is not processed in a plant that processes peanuts, and make your own? Is he allergic to all nuts or just peanuts?
Hi Amanda,
Returning the follow!
Have a great Sunday1
nancy
Newest follower from the hop. And that really stinks. One of my gal pals is allergic to corn. Which is in toilet paper!
Pam aka momma at mommacan.com