Finding Halloween treats without nuts is like looking for a needle in a hay stack. I never buy baked goods from the bakery section, so I don't know why I thought today would be any different.

It was the beautiful display of all the colorful cookies and cupcakes that drew my attention. I read every single label and could not find one that would be safe for Amanda to eat. She doesn't eat anything that says may contain peanuts or processed on a plant that processes peanuts. It's just too risky.

Shocking article about a school teacher

Did you read the article about the teacher who tried to give an autistic student something that contained peanuts so he would have an allergic and not be able to go on the field trip? You can read it here.

Allergic reaction to peanut butter at school

Got a call from the school nurse today because Amanda was in her office. Apparently, another student, who had just finished her peanut butter sandwich had touched Amanda. It affected both of Amanda's arms which was taken care of by taking Benedryl.

Amanda is anaphylaxis when she ingests peanuts. If someone touches her with their hands which have been contaminated by peanut butter, she will get the hives and itching, but will not go into anaphylaxis.

Can someone really have anaphylaxis from touching a trace of peanut butter? I know about anaphylaxis from ingesting peanuts, but potentially dying from touching it? I'd love to hear from someone who has this bad of a peanut allergy. Is is possible? I can't imagine.

Parents who don't want peanut butter banned from schools

You can read the article here.

When a school is not peanut free

Amanda just started 4th grade. Our school does not have a peanut free table for lunch and there are no limitations in the classroom as far as what children can bring for a snack.

Last week Amanda came home and said "Mom, every one at my table in class eats a peanut butter sandwich for their snack".

The next day I was in the nurse's office discussing why my child has to be exposed to something she is severely allergic to. "It's not a peanut free school". The school doesn't even try to put all the peanut allergic in one class so as to alleviate a lot of children in the class bringing in peanut products as a snack.

Accommodating students with allergies tall order

This is an interesting article recently published in the StarPhoenix. It's about asking students to not consume peanuts 2 hours prior to going to class and to only use unscented deodorant, shaving cream and no perfume because a student is very sensitive to these products.

As a mom of child with severe peanut allergies I disagree with asking students to not consume peanut butter. Yes I disagree. You can't ask people to not eat peanut products and you sure can't trust that they will. The deeper issue for me is that all children with peanut and tree nut allergies have to learn to manage their allergies and to be careful not to consume it. But they will always be around people who do eat it which gives the peanut-allergic child a choice to simply move to another spot. Think about airplanes. Many airlines do not ban peanuts on their flights and even if you call ahead and request that they serve an alternate to peanuts, someone can still walk on with a Reeces Peanut Butter Cup or something similar that is loaded with peanut butter.

As far as being sensitive to cologne, perfume, shaving cream and deodorant, well I think we are at one time or another sensitive to these allergens and again the student can simply move to another spot or take an over the counter medication. Being sensitive to perfumes is not life-threatening like being allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. It is simply an annoyance.

You can read the article here:

Accommodating students with allergies tall order

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A mild allergic reaction to peanuts

Amanda went to one of best friend's home for the afternoon today. Everyone in the home in fully aware of her peanut allergies. My husband picked her up and when she walked in the door she said Mom I need Benedryl I'm getting hives all over. I noticed her eye was also swelling. I gave her the Benedryl then asked her what happened. She said that her friends little brother had eaten a peanut butter sandwich on the table and it hadn't been cleaned up and that she thought it hadn't been cleaned up. She of course didn't know it was there.

This was a mild reaction, but it just goes to show you that even in "good friend's homes" our peanut allergic child is never safe in a home where peanuts are eaten.

Another post on Please don't joke!!!

It just happened again this morning.  Amanda spent the night at a friends last night.  The parent knows the drill.

I called this morning to see how she was told "yea, I just gave her a peanut butter crunch cereal".  

Me speechless.  "Oh I'm just kidding!" the parent said.

Well it's not funny.  It made me feel kind of sick and then I was a little down waiting for her to come home, feeling anxiety not being able to go about my day.  All I could think about was every scenario that could possibly happen to Amanda - a child who is anaphylactic to peanuts.

Scary.  I pray every day for her safety.

Canada - such a great country!

Why Risk It?

And they take peanut allergies seriously.  They print on the front of cereals and snacks that the product is peanut free.  Not in tiny print on the back that is hidden in the ingredients section.

Why Risk It - a great Canadian website

I found this great website for peanut and food allergies.  It is called Whyriskit.ca   Check it out.  It has good information and horrifying information for any parent whose child could die from eating a bad food.  Bullying scares me.  Kids can be mean.  Hey, if parents have joked in front of Amanda that the ravioli or whatever she wants to eat contains peanuts, then we can only guess what kids are thinking about to make fun of a child who has peanut allergies.

I say nay to peanuts on Southwest Airlines

I just got back from Los Angeles and now need to regroup and make a post about peanut allergies.  The only thing I can think of right now, because I'm exhausted with the 2 hour time change, is that while flying Southwest Airlines home from LAX to SAT I was offered peanuts by the flight attendant.  I declined because I knew that the first thing I was going to do when I got home was hug and kiss Amanda and I did not want to give her hives.  I didn't need them and didn't miss them.  I say nay to peanuts.  Nice snack - if you are not ANAPHYLAXIS to peanuts.

NO JOKES PLEASE!

Please don't joke about something  a child that is about to eat or will eat or is eating, that the food contains peanuts in any way.  Not Funny!

Enough Said.

Loving your child, hating their peanut allergies

Does your child's peanut allergies ever make you feel overwhelmed, stressed or down?  I've felt all the above and I'm not afraid to admit it.  I just get plain scared sometimes.  I can't be there or protect her all the time.  And I Never will be able too.  It saddens me and scares me to think something could happen to her.  Of course cynics could say, well she could get hit by a car or die in a car crash or whatever.  But we are talking about the sustenance to life here.  We all have to eat.  And not all of us will potentially die from eating something that our body thinks is harmful and then attack itself by sending the immune system into anaphylactic shock.  Most of us can enjoy eating anything we want - only having to worry about calorie and fat intake.  If that's all I had to worry about with Amanda I would be giddy-happy.  But calories don't concern me at all.  I encourage her to eat fattening foods and all different kinds of foods because I want her to enjoy eating healthy - yet safe food.  She does remain on guard on doesn't eat anything unless I've made it or it's from McDonalds, or Red Robin.  She won't eat anything at other people's homes and NEVER eats cake, donuts, brownies or cookies outside of our home.  Hmmm...is that why she is so petite?  

Does anyone else see this in their child that has a food allergy?

This person apparently has NO clue what he is talking about

Obviously the writer of this article does not have a child with a food allergy.  If he did, he wouldn't go anywhere near implying that life-threatening food allergies are because we as parents are not letting out children get dirty.

First all, speaking from experience, my daughter Amanda has grown up just like any other child - playing at parks, in sand boxes and rolling around in dirt and mud (literally).  I have never shielded her from dirt.  What I have shielded her from is peanuts and tree nuts which will send her into anaphylactic shock.  Dirt never has.   Here is the article.

This is what I DON'T like to hear about

This is an unbelievable story.  Makes me think a lot about the camp Amanda just went to in June.  How safe are our children really when they have a life-threatening peanut allergy?

Peanut Allergy Death

Blue Bunny Ice Cream

My mom bought some Blue Bunny Ice Cream for she and my dad to have. Amanda was there for a visit and asked for some ice cream. Thank God Amanda reads every label because here it was it said it may contain: walnuts, cashews, pecans and peanuts. What was the flavor? Banana Split. Although the ice cream may not have contained any nuts, the point is, is that is "may have". And may have is a reason to not eat it.

Are sweet rolls safe at McDonald's?

On the way to the swim meet on Thursday, my husband stopped and bought the kids sweet rolls from McDonald's. He didn't think anything about it. Well Amanda did and she wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole. I found out about this when I met up with them at the Natatorium right before the meet started. I told Amanda she did the right thing in not eating them despite how starving she was. I asked Phil about the rolls and he confessed that he didn't ask anyone if the rolls had peanuts or contained peanuts. Aargghh!! Scary mistake!!!! A lot of breakfast pastries contain nuts or tree nuts! That scared me out of my mind that our daughter could have gone into anaphylaxis. Thank God Amanda is so cautious. She really is. I can't say enough about her diligence in not eating a crumb unless she can read the label. But regardless of how good she is about checking labels etc, etc, I'm still a nervous nelly because of mistakes and mislabeling and whatever else can go wrong.

xoxo

Swim Meets and Protecting children with Peanut Allergies

Amanda had her last swim meet last Thursday in a chaotic environment where the kids have to sit so close to each other between events that they are practically on top of each other. At swim meets the children get to eat snacks that the parents provide. They have to stay with their team the entire time. Not a big deal if your child doesn't have a peanut allergy, but it is if your does.

I provided healthy snacks for Amanda. She had the cooler with her and could get something to eat whenever she wanted. Every other child was there too with their snacks. So what's the most popular snack to give a child who is not allergic to peanuts? The peanut butter sandwich of course! And lots of kids had them. This was an uncontrolled environment. No rules can be set for over 300 kids ranging in age from 5 to 18. Amanda did what she needed to do as a responsible 9-year-old and walked away from anyone eating that "poison" sandwich.

There was another incidence where she got a little afraid because her best friend was eating a granola bar next to her. If you have a peanut allergic child, you know that your child can't stand even the slightest smell of peanuts. They also can't stand the thought of someone eating something containing peanuts next to them.

I Spy a Dragonfly

My book is for sale here.

Sean spied a dragonfly

It's a miracle - with San Antonio in a severe drought (we've had the least amount of rain ever since 2007) and with a record just set of weeks of 100 degree plus days, Sean saw a dragonfly yesterday at our pool. He tried to get it to land on his hand, just like in the book. We are thankful for any dragonflies we see under this very hot, dry season we are in.

I love dragonflies and have written a book called I Spy a Dragonfly.

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