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.

Mixes from the Heartland Reveiw #2

This is my second review for Mixes from the Heartland. I really enjoyed the food that they sent me and implore everyone to go to their website and try some of their food. It makes mealtime very quick and delicious. And if you have any food allergies it is perfect because they are a facility that is free of wheat, soy, barley, oats, rye, eggs, nuts, and by products (which is listed on the back of their packages).

The last time I posted a review, it was regarding their Beef Skillet Dinner and their Sweet Potato Brownie Mix (which was to die for!!). This week I am going to be reviewing their Italian Bean Soup, Corn-n-Tomato Salsa, Strawberry Dip, and Tex Mex Spaghetti Meal.

Like most of their packages, all the ingredients are inside. I just added some chopped tomatoes and Italian sausage and the meal was good to go. You put it on the stove and boil it for a while and then it is ready to eat. I will be honest, I hate soup, but this one I really liked. I wasn't sure if I was going to, but I did. The variety of beans and the added sausage, makes it a quick meal in one soup.

Their Tex Mex Spaghetti meal was really good. I added the browned beef and tomatoes and mixed everything together for a Texas flare to the spaghetti. It was really good. And everything again came right in the bag. All of the meals that I made produced enough for a family to eat. I was able to actually share most of everything that I made with my sister's family. They said they really enjoyed it also and would buy from Mixes from the Heartland (and none of them have any food allergies). Once again, people probably think that this food might not taste as good because it is allergy free, but it does have flavor to it.

The Corn-n-Tomato Salsa was really good as well. I put the mix in sour cream and made a chip dip with it. It gave a great twist to the plain chip.

If there is something that I think you should try, it would be the Strawberry Dip. I had people asking to take some of it home (not trying to be selfish, but I didn't want them to). This was a major hit in my house. It was amazing!!! All I had to add was some cool whip and cream cheese and it made an incredible dip for fruits. I used strawberries and bananas. It tasted great with both. My niece was eating it plain out of the bowl. That is how good it tasted. I have to say I was surprised by this dip.

Once again I have to say that I really think that this is a company that you should shop through if you have food allergies. It is something that everyone can eat and the person with the allergies will not feel left out because everyone is eating the same thing. So go out and buy some of their products. Their food will be in my cupboards!!

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

Mixes from the Heartland Review

I have been lucky to be able to do a review for Mixes from the Heartland. They sent me a variety of different items to try and review. They are a facility that is free of wheat, soy, barley, oats, rye, eggs, nuts, and by products (which is listed on the back of their packages). If you click on their name above it will take you to their website.

The first item I tried was their Beef Skillet Dinner. It came in a sturdy plastic pouch with the noodles and the seasoning mixture. How much more convenient can you get than to have an all-in-one dinner packet? This makes last minute meals very quick and easy. I know a lot of people may think all natural food lacks in taste, but this didn't. It was really good. And there was enough in one packet to feed a whole family for dinner. This is perfect for someone who has a gluten intolerant. The noodles are made out of brown rice instead of wheat.

The next item I tried was their Sweet Potato Brownies. These were AWESOME! I usually don't eat anything that deals with sweet potatoes (not a fan), but I was glad I ate these. They have turned over a new leaf in me. These are a quick bake also. All you do is pour the packet contents into the bowl, add butter and eggs and you are done. They bake up nice and soft. My house smelled so good! When my sister stopped by I asked her if she wanted to try one, she did and enjoyed them.

So, if you are a person who has is gluten intolerant or has a nut allergy, this would be a perfect company for you to get food through. My daughter has nut allergies and was able to eat everything that I made. I didn't have to worry about what was in the food for once. I also have a mother who is gluten intolerant and she was also able to eat everything that I made. She has a difficult time finding food to eat and this turned out to be a perfect place for her to buy food that she loves and tastes good. I will start buying from them and urge you to also. Their food is really good.

Over the next couple of days I will be writing reviews on their Tex Mex Spaghetti Meal, Italian Bean Soup, Corn-n-Tomato Salsa, and their Strawberry Dip. So come back and read my reviews on those items.

Disclaimer: I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Asian Food Made Allergen Free

Every Saturday our whole family gets together and we have lunch. Yesterday I decided to do something different. Maybe we should start having at least one ethnic day thrown in there. Not that typical American food is bad, but a little change is always nice. Of course this can cause some kind of a problem with my daughter not being able to eat everything.

One Christmas when she was about 1 years old we had Chinese food. That didn't go over very well. She was very lethargic while opening her gifts and wound up throwing up later on that night (this was before we definitely knew she had food allergies). So, in order for us to enjoy a nice variety of food and having her join in, I would have to figure out how to make everything instead of buying it.

My older sister made the Chow Mein (she is a great cook) and white rice. I decided to make the Lumpia and Beef and Broccoli. As your mouth waters I will let you know that I am a vegetarian (which works out well when my daughter tells people she is allergic to meat), so everything has veggie meat in it. Surprisingly, everything can taste just as great with veggie food instead of meat. You just have to find the right products to supplement. At times it can be hard. I spent half a day trying to find veggie beef for the Beef and Broccoli!

To make the Chow Mein food allergy free, I had my sister put some aside for my daughter and used olive oil on it instead of the Asian sauce she uses. For the Beef and Broccoli, I took a portion of it out before adding the Asian sauce. She will just eat the beef tossed with some broccoli in it without any type of seasoning. And for the Lumpia, I took a portion of the mixture out and set it aside. I left out the soy sauce, egg, and cayenne pepper.

So, she can join in with us when we eat different foods. We just have to tweak it a bit so that it is safe for her to eat. I use to just make her separate food, but as she gets older, she wants to eat what everyone else is eating. So I have to learn how to substitute!

p.s. ~ All she ate was the lumpia and some of the veggie beef! Picky, picky, picky!

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

Why Can't Schools Care More?

I went to my daughter's school sometime ago to talk to the nurse about her safety there. Would you belive it, she was not in. The school nurse is only there one day out of the week. How am I to feel safe if the "school nurse" is only there one day out of the week?

This is a big irritation of mine. I would like to drop her off to school and feel as though she is in good hands. I can't feel that way knowing that the nurse can only attend to her one day out of the week. What if something were to happen on one of the days that she isn't there? Who would take care of her? Much to my chagrin, it would be one of the staff members in the office. Part of me doesn't agree with this. And the reason being is because I don't believe they have taken the class that the nurse needed to correctly administer the epipen to my child.

Another surprising thing is that the nurse had never taken the class before. There are other kids that attend the school that apparently have food allergies also, but she wasn't told to take the class until I started nosing around. Whether there are kids on the campus with food allergies or not, I believe she should be trained in this matter. Call me crazy, but you are a school nurse, right? I know most people are probably saying, 'Why take a class if it is not needed?' Well, so you will be well prepared when it comes about.

When I enrolled her into preschool it didn't matter as much because she didn't eat lunch there. She also had a wonderful teacher who asked me on the mornings of parties if certain foods were appropriate. And when she graduated to kindergarten it was okay because that teacher was awesome with her also. She would call me up at home and ask me if certain foods were okay. She would also keep frozen popsicles for her if parents showed up with cupcakes unannounced.

This brings us to her first grade teacher. Bless her heart, she is a beautiful woman. But I don't think she understands food allergies. The first day of class I explained to her that my daughter had food allergies. She looked very puzzled, so I decided to make up an example for her. She looked at me and said, 'If I have a mango at my desk, what should I do?' Well, if you want my honest opinion, put it back in your lunch. No matter what I said to her she just didn't get it.

Last week they had an impromptu party and had cookies that came from a bakery. It shocked me when my daughter told me that she had some cookies. Unfortunately my daughter is starting to want to eat what the other kids are eating and I am having to hound her a little more than I use to. So when she told me about the cookies I confronted the teacher. All she said was, 'Okay.' Can you believe that is all I got out of her. I didn't get a sorry or I will ask her the next time. I just got an 'okay'. And to make matters worse, she let my daughter take home some food that she was allergic to. Why would you do that? I know it was wrapped up in a napkin, but come on!

Oh, it gets even better. They will not allow her to eat cafeteria food either. They say that it doesn't state where the food is made and they don't want to take any chances. I even asked to look at the packaging so that I can determine if it is safe, but they will not allow it. In a way it is good. I don't really want her eating cafeteria food anyway. But sometimes I don't feel like making her a lunch and wouldn't mind her eating a cheese sandwich or a bean burrito from the school. And when it comes to kids sharing food at lunch, all they do is tell them not to share food because some kids have food allergies. As you can see, this school does not have food allergy free tables.

I'll be honest, I am not happy with my daughter's school or the administration members either. It is hard to drop your child off and wonder if you are going to get a phone call stating that they either gave them an epipen or called an ambulance and they are on their way to the nearest hospital.