Food Allergy False Positives, Maybe, But I Don't Think So.

Just the other day, I was flipping through the television channels when I came across a news snippet about kids and food allergies. For a brief moment they talked about how kids can have false positives and not even be allergic to half of the things that the tests are saying they are allergic to. They were trying to warn parents to be careful with some of these test because half of them don't come out right.

Well, I beg to differ. I have a daughter who has been tested a couple of times and I can say for a fact that she IS allergic to the items listed on her results. I have seen her react to some of the nuts or seeds or even beans. It is not a fun thing to go through when you see your child's facial expression change from happy to sullen. It is scarey to think that can this be the moment when I am going to have to use the epi pen. Now, I don't mean to harp on anybody, but some of these people who are going on the news and saying that "kids and food allergies" aren't real, really piss me off. They don't have to talk to people before their child eats something. They don't have to sit and worry if their child is going to be okay when they are at school. If they had to, I bet they would sing a different tune.

I remember being on the internet and looking at some other people's posts to see what they had to say about food allergies and you would be surprised how many people I found who thought food allergies was just in the brain and not real. Once again, shocking, but true. It really amazes me how this is becoming a topic of discussion. At least, a little bigger than it should be.

Now I have heard of people who have had a bad reaction to food and then went for testing and it came back negative. But I have never heard of anyone who tested positive for a food allergy and then was able to eat it. I know they have different levels of food tolerance and maybe that is what they are talking about. And if it is, they need to say so instead of saying food allergies aren't real. Maybe it is just me, but I know I have enough Twitter/Blog friends to know that food allergies are REAL and not just something that is made up in one's head. Because I am not the only one, who has to worry about themselves or their child and food.

My Child's Attempt With Honey Nut Cheerios

When my daughter was first diagnosed with food allergies she was able to eat Honey Nut Cheerios. It always boggled my mind because it says, 'Honey Nut'. At the time, being new to food allergies, I didn't take the time to figure out what kind of nut it was because it never affected her. Plus I talked to another mother whose daughter had nut allergies and she said her child was able to eat Honey Nut Cheerios also, so, no big deal, right?

Sometime later, I gave my daughter a bowl of the cereal and she said it made her tongue feel funny. I asked her if she was sure. I thought she was fine when it came to this cereal. So I tried a bowl of it myself. I don't know if I was trying to "empathize with her", but it left a metallic taste in my mouth. Just like any mother who is weirded out by stuff, I threw the box out. This prompted me to see just what kind of nut they actually used in the cereal. I know, I know, bad mother. How could you feed your daughter something you haven't fully researched? Well, my daughter never had severe reactions to food like most other kids did and her allergist also told me that peanuts and cashews were the ones I needed to look out for. Not getting much help from her allergist, I realized how serious it really was after doing research on my own.

Now, we jump to the present. I was in the store shopping for cereal when I came across the "new" Honey Nut Cheerio. Well, it was new to me. Apparently they took out the nut and put in almond flavor instead around 2006. I figured we could try it again because the actual nut is no longer in it. So I gave her a bowl and she happily ate it. Halfway through the bowl she stopped eating it and started on her bread. She had a weird expression on her face, so I asked her if the cereal made her feel funny. She said that it did, with a little hesitance. I think she really wanted to finish it, but I didn't let her. This convinced me to pull out her results again and look them over to see what her number had gone down to. It went from a 2.58 (class 2) to a 0.44 (class 1). Now my question is, how is it that when she was listed as a class 2 she could eat the cereal, but now that she has dropped to a class 1, it seems to bother her? Am I the only parent out just doesn't get this whole allergy thing, or are there others?

A Child's Food Allergy Poem

I have a food allergy

So what if that’s true.

That doesn’t make me different

I just avoid certain foods.

You may think it’s funny

To taunt and to tease,

But I also have feelings

So stop and back away please.

Just think how you would feel

If denied all these foods,

Especially at birthday parties

Where you can’t have cake or ice cream too.

Each and everyone of us is different

Our allergies are not the same.

For some it could be dairy, nuts, or fish

And for others soy or wheat is to blame.

Whether young or old

I have to remain safe,

Because cross-contamination

Could cause a devastating fate.

So please learn to read all labels

And my arm bracelet too.

Cause 100% safety

Is the best thing for me and for you.

© 2010 Belladona Creations
QE4J2BJFGA37

Proper Use of an EpiPen

I know most of you probably already know how to properly use an epipen, but for those of you who are new to this, this article is for you.

I use to have a ton of fear when I first saw this plastic tube with a needle on the end. I thought, ‘I have to jam this in my daughter’s leg?’ I did everything possible to avoid the use of one (and still do). But my goal was to become comfortable with it, just incase I needed to use it. So here goes…
First and foremost, whoever has your child needs to know where to find it. Then need to know whether the epipen is in their backpack, around their waist or somewhere high out of their reach. Once that is noted, then it is time to learn how to use it.

First: You take it out of its box. I carry it in the box it came in because it keeps my daughter from opening it up. She is highly curious.

Second: Remove the green or yellow cap off the top. Once you have done that, then you can slide the epipen out of its casing.

Third: Remove the grey safety cap off the back of the pen.

Fourth: Get a tight grip on the pen and firmly jab the black tip part into your outer thigh. Listen for it to click and hold it in place for 10 seconds.

Fifth: Once you have done that, call 911.

If you still aren’t feeling very comfortable with the idea of jamming this into your child’s leg, you can take the expired epipen and practice on a fruit, so that you have some sort of experience with it. For extra precaution, you can print the directions on the back of a plastic allergy information card. That way, when you hand the person the allergy card, you can show then the directions on the back of the card on how to use the epipen.

Food Allergy Conflict

This weekend has been a good one. We haven't had any issues with food, which is good.

Within the next two weeks my daughter's school is going to have a pizza day for lunch. She is not allowed to eat cafeteria food (per school request), which has her feeling left out sometimes. I am going to go up to the school again and see if they will let her participate in pizza day. Technically, I am against her eating food that I haven't prepared, but I think this could be an exception. So starting today, I will have to go to the office and make my way through the chains to find out if it will be okay.

Another thing I have decided to do is call all the local schools in my area and see if they are set up to deal with kids with food allergies. I will also ask (if they are) what protocols do they follow. Then I will put an article in my local paper so that more parents can be informed as to which schools to send their children to.

The only way for our kids to be food safe at school is for us parents, to take the initiative and make it that way.

Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved

Allergy Test Results

I received good news today from my daughter's allergist. Her test results came back with lower numbers. Now when I say lower, I mean way lower. To most of you this may not seem like a big deal, but for someone who has had to watch what their child ingests for the sake of their life, it's a big deal. I thanked her allergist over and over again. I'm sure she could see the smile on my face by the tone of my voice.

First, we talked about her cashew results. This one was the highest number the last time she was tested. The results showed that it went down from a 28 to a 6. She wanted the number to be a 5 or lower, but this was good news for me. See, I had to deal with her having a reaction to cashew butter and it wasn't easy. She fell asleep (her blood level dropped) and then threw up later. I was happy to hear that it was a 6 even though a 5 would have been better.

Next we talked about her peanut number. Originally, it was a 12 and dropped down to a 6 also. This is good news because peanuts seem to be in everything or cross-contaminated with everything. This shows that within the last 3 years, her numbers dropped in half. Just think what another 3 years could bring.

The last thing we discussed was regarding her having a food challenge. I can't say that I am all that keen on this idea. I would love for her numbers to be a lot lower. I still fear that something could go wrong even though she would take this test in a hospital.

When my daughter got out of school I told her the allergist called and gave me good news. I explained to her that her numbers were lower this time which means she is getting better. I told her she still isn't allowed to have the foods that are listed on her allergy bracelet, but one day she may be able to. With a smile on her face, she looked at me and said, "One day I may be able to take this bracelet off and not have to wear it?" I told her maybe. She jumped up and down with joy.

Even though her numbers are lower, I will still take the same precaution as before. The epipens and the benadryl will continue to go with us everywhere. The avoidance of bakeries, certain restaurants, and potlucks will still stand firm. But the thought that maybe, just maybe one day all of this will be in the past, is all I need for hope.
Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved

Food Allergy Appointment #2

How many people have had to sit and watch their child get their blood drawn over and over again? Well, because of my daughter's food allergies, from time to time I have to go through this process. To think that for the rest of her life she may have to succumb to this just to see if her RAST numbers have changed is daunting for me.

I first had her tested when she was around 3 or 4 years old. The results came out showing she had several nut, pet, and outdoor allergies. What her allergist didn't explain to me was that we had to come back every so many years to keep getting tested. I found this out through the many people I follow on Twitter (thank you fellow twitterers). They were discussing how they were taking their children back in to get tested. So I decided to set up an appointment and talk to my daughter's allergist.

After viewing her old test results, her allergiest came to the conclusion that her numbers weren't as high as I assumed they were. Her allergist then said that she may actually outgrow them. I previously read, once you have a peanut allergy, you have it for life. I thought this was how her life was going to be forever. Knowing that she could actually outgrow them makes me believe that she has a chance to have a "normal" life after all.

Now began our RAST number conversation. First and foremost, a RAST (radioallergosorbent test) test is a blood test that measures the level of allergen-specific IgE (immunoglobulin E) in your blood. She explained to me if your RAST numbers are very high (level 5 and above) then chances are you will not outgrow them. Or more importantly if you are an adult and get diagnosed with a peanut allergy, you will not outgrow it either. Seeing how her peanut RAST number is a 12.80 (level 3), her allergist wants to test her again and see if they have gone down. If her RAST number for peanut is 5.00 or below, her allergist would like to conduct a food challenge.

Right now I am just waiting for the blood test results to come back. And once they do, it will determine where we will go from here.

 

Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved

Homemade Corn Dogs

I have found another good recipe on the internet (Cooks.com). No I can not come up with them myself. I am just learning how to cook. I never really cared before, but with my daughter wanting different things more and more, I am having to learn how.

Homemade Corn Dogs

2/3 c. corn meal
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. oil
1 lb. hot dogs (I used Loma Linda Linkettes)
1 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk (I used Soy Silk milk)
1 egg, slightly beaten
8 sticks (I was able to make 10 w/batter left over)

Mix corn meal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add milk and cooking oil, mix well. Add egg. Dry hot dogs; insert sticks and dip in corn dog mixture. Cook in hot oil at 365 degrees until golden brown.

*One thing that might help is if you put the batter in a jar and dip the hotdog in it. Also if you put flour on the hot dog first, it might help the batter stick to the hot dog.

Vegan Carrot Cake

Recently I decided to start making allergy free foods for my daughter (instead of buying the same foods for her all the time). We usually eat desserts that she cannot eat due to her food allergies. I hate her being or feeling left out because she cannot have what we are having. So, the first thing I decided to work on is desserts. Surprisingly she loved the cake. She wasn't to keen on the icing. She thought it was too sweet (she has never been big on sugar).

Crazy For Carrot Cake
(1,000 Vegan Recipes - Robin Robertson)
(makes 8 servings)

2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain or vanilla soy milk
1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 recipe "Cream Cheese" Frosting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy milk, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla, then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir in the carrots and raisins until just mixed.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

5. Let the cake cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. When completely cool, frost the cake with "Cream Cheese" Frosting.

"Cream Cheese" Frosting
(makes about 2 1/2 cups)

1 (8-ounce) container vegan cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. vegan margarine
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and margarine together with an electric mixer on high speed until well blended.

2. Add the sugar and vanilla, then beat until light and fluffy. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.