It’s been awhile, I know. But we here at Food Fight have an exciting announcement: We’re moving!!
You’ll be able to find my food allergy posts (and I promise to start doing more!) over on our new Smart blog.
And the best part is, you’ll not only get food allergy news, but you’ll have access to the following:
Basically everything a mom in Southcentral Pa. needs. Check it out.
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One area mother might not think so.
Lately, I’ve been writing about sending Ava off to preschool and the (slight) anxiety that can arise when thinking about someone else managing her food allergies.
Along those lines, I received a call from a mother whose son has a peanut allergy and was given peanuts at a day camp near Dover Township.
Thankfully, her son didn’t go into anaphylaxsis. But it was upsetting, nonetheless.
Here’s what happened …
TweetThe little boy featured suffers from FPIES and can only eat 5-6 different foods. In the video, he has yogurt, strawberries, blueberries and avocado. That’s it.
Can you imagine? Certainly puts things in perspective.
I posted this before, but it’s so moving, you should watch it again.
Tweet I’ll be sending Ava off to preschool in the fall. Very nice place 1 mile up the road at Grace Fellowship Church on Seven Valleys Road.
We went in a few months ago to have a look around and talk to the director. I mentioned her food allergies at that point and breathed a small sigh of relief when she said they had a peanut-allergic child in the school.
I haven’t thought about it too much since then but for some reason the reality of it hit me the other night: This will be the first time I trust people outside family to take care of her.
And while my rational self knows that precautions will be in place and I’m only 5 seconds down the rode, that first day is going to be nerve-wracking. And I have a feeling it will be like that every first day of school.
Does anyone have any tips for me? Anything you wished you would’ve said? Any extra planning you wished you did? Any unexpected situations arise during the year?
Leave your advice in the comments or email me at ejones@ydr.com. I’ll compile your responses in a future post.
I feel like every time I turn around, Ava has some sort of hive or irritation on her skin that I can’t explain.
She bumped her chin on the edge of the kitchen table the other day, and a big white hive formed — see picture at left.
But it didn’t itch. It didn’t bother her. And it went away within 10 minutes.
Same thing happened on her knee. I noticed it when we got into the car. It was gone by the time we got to Giant.
So according to kidshealth.org, hives can happen for any reason, which is often unknown.
KidsHealth.org lists other reasons for hives:
I got a comment from FAAN itself on my post back in June about MTV’s “I’m Allergic to Everything” True Life video.
If you missed it, here’s the comment:
FAAN is getting questions on MTV’s True Life “I’m Allergic to Everything.” Please remember: 1. There is NO cure for food allergies. Avoiding allergens is the only way to prevent reactions. 2. Epinephrine is the first line of defense for anaphylaxis. For those with food allergies, it’s important to always carry epinephrine. Antihistamines and inhalers can’t reverse anaphylaxis. 3. Food allergy requires constant attention to ingredients that can bring fear of reactions. Anyone with anxiety about food allergies should get help from a mental health professional.
And here is the full episode for ya’ll. I haven’t watched it yet (darn Flash player!). What did you think?
Susan Costley and her daughter, Jessica, are local coordinators for ECI (Echanges Culturels Internationaux), a French non-profit cultural exchange group based in Aix-en-Provence.
Students are set to arrive in Lancaster on July 11, but Susan is scrambling to find a host family for 15-year-old Mathilde, who is from Les Andelys, France and has some allergies, which include peanuts.
Here’s an excerpt from an email I got from Susan:
And here is the road block that is making it difficult for me to find just the right family to make Mathilde’s dream come true – Mathilde has a peanut allergy. The medical information portion of her application lists “nuts, peanuts, nut oils, vinegar, dogs, horses, and raw eggs” as things she must stay away from. I need to find a family familiar with this type of situation.
My students arrive on July 11 in Lancaster. They will go to DC for a day trip on the 20th and enjoy a family picnic/softball game/poll party on the 24th. They leave on July 30 for a two day stay in New York. They fly home from Kennedy on the 31st.
I have a few other students still needing homes. But, I need a really special family to host Mathilde.
Anyone interested in hosting Mathilde can reach Susan at 717-615-5353.
Kima’s Konfections on North George Street in York is running some July 4th specials. Here are the
details I got from an email:
Kima’s Konfections will be open on Monday from 10 a.m. to noon for 2 hours to arrange cake/ cupcake pick ups for the holiday! All cake/cupcakes order must be in by Saturday July 2nd! You can email me or call. 7inch cakes will be $40.00 and 8 inch cakes will be $50! Cupcakes will be $20 for a dozen! All flavors are listed on the website:www.kimakonfections.com.
Food allergy friends — tune in to MTV at 10 p.m. Thursday to watch the latest edition of the ‘True Life’ series. This on focuses two kids who have life-threatening food allergies.
Here’s a snippet from an MTV news release:
TRUE LIFE: I’M ALLERGIC TO EVERYTHING
Living with severe, life-threatening food allergies can feel like traversing a minefield. In this episode viewers will meet two young people who are trying to lead normal lives in spite of the potential danger they face every time they eat. They are exploring new and complicated medical treatment in hopes of overcoming their extensive allergies.
Some ramblings from around the interweb:
Earth Balance launched a new organic coconut spread and MindfulMayo. The coconut spread is only available at Whole Foods (there is one in the Inner Harbor).
Earth Balance also has a website that talks about the benefits of plant-based eating at MadeJustRight.com.
Interesting article on the ‘may contain’ labels we all run into. What do you think? Would you still completely avoid the product?
There’s no denying that food allergies are a growing concern in the US. With about 3 million children affected -- 1 in 17 under age 3 -- it’s likely you know someone dealing with food issues.
My 2-year-old daughter, Ava, is part of that 3 million. But while her food allergies seem to bring never-ending challenges, I always remind myself that “having less may bring you more.”
Join me, a wannabe foodie, in my quest to make my daughter’s food experiences positive ones while trying to save time, money and my sanity.
