Thursday, December 31, 2009

PIZZA HUT is not peanut and tree nut free

In an earlier post I was excited about PIZZA HUT. But I have learned more from other bloggers since that post. Unfortunately PIZZA HUT does not guarantee that they are peanut/tree nut free. Go HERE to learn more! You will see this statement at the bottom of page 2 "*=Peanuts and tree nuts are not used in Pizza Hut restaurants. May be used in common manufacturing plants."

I am grateful to the other mother bloggers who share what they have learned. Also, grateful to have found this out the easy way and not because of a reaction! I have learned the importance of going to restaurant websites and in reading the fine print!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

some new things

I learned some new things while reading last night:

Studies suggest some newborns and infants can already be allergic to peanut because of exposure in the womb.

Peanut protein can be found in breast milk for up to 8 or more hours after the nursing mother eats even the smallest amount of peanut.

Studies suggest you are more likely to be allergic to peanut if your sibling is, not if your mom or dad is.

Interesting information. I wish I had known long ago. I hope they can help others.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Preschool

L, 3 years old, attends preschool twice a week. He loves preschool. He loves his teacher and his classmates. The class has four children. They stay for a two-hour block. I have seen L's self-esteem blossom as he has attended for the past three months. I told his teacher about L's food allergies and medication at our first meeting. His teacher is amazing. She got to work researching peanut allergy as well as the others. She has really worked hard to create a safe environment for L. There are of course risks, like typing on the computers in the community room and then eating a snack. But, L's teacher has all the children wash there hands several times, especially when coming in and before snack time. Things are going well. I am really grateful to his teacher for creating an environment of learning and fun for L.

The Peanut Allergy Answer Book: 2nd Edition

The Peanut Allergy Answer Book: 2nd Edition (Paperback) I am reading this book. It came highly recommended from several websites and other bloggers. It is blunt, easy to read and hard to swallow. My husband is reading along too. We can both only handle a few pages at a time. Peanut allergy is really the most severe food allergy around. I find the book helpful, but WHOA! Read it with a box of tissues.

Ginger Bread Houses


Tonight we had friends over for GINGER BREAD HOUSE making. It was so fun. My friend, who understands and takes our families food allergies serious, made a great frosting from corn syrup and powdered sugar. No eggs, milk or nuts involved. We used nut free candy and had a great time. The boys snuck a few graham crackers and candy. When I put them to sleep there was no sign of any type of reaction. Fun times! PS this was the first Ginger Bread house our family has made...as you may have already guessed.

Wiping off Contact Hives

I recently heard a great tip. When your child gets a hive from contact with an allergen, such a peanut butter, a milk spill, etc. If you first try to wipe it off with a regular old wet wipe it may disappear without Benadryl or Anti-Histamine. I tried it the other day when L got 2 little hives on his leg. It worked. MAGIC! I hope this trick will help when L and B get hives in the grocery store from touching so many things, despite my best efforts. Hope this tip works for you too!

Out To Eat

Going out to a restaurant makes me nervous. I wonder where there maybe hidden peanuts/tree nuts. I wonder if our chairs and table are covered in peanut dust. I wonder if the guy who made my kids hamburgers had a Reese Cup on his last break. But, then I remember FAAN says "don't live in fear" and I remember the Lord said "if you are prepared, you shall not fear." So I wipe down the tables and chairs with sanitary wipes. I tell the manager "hey my kids have food allergies, specifically peanut, treenut, milk and egg. It's serious. I need to make sure there food is safe." They don't have peanuts/tree nuts...at least at the McDonalds we go to most frequently with the boys. They open new packages. They tell the grill team. They are very, very careful. They sort of have to be with me staring them down, watching a little too closely:)

When the meal is over, I remind myself not to over examine every red mark on my boys thinking it might be a hive or some sort of reaction. I try to be discreet because I still do look for all those little signs of a reaction. I don't want my boys to be anxious and live in fear. I take a deep breath. I say a prayer in my heart. We pray over our food. And in the end I do try to do the cooking mostly at home.

The other night we went out to eat. My oldest son was ill and I did not feel like cooking. We got the boys hamburgers from McDonalds. My husband and I had Pizza Hut. I went in to Pizza Hut and picked up the pizza. I said my boys have peanut/tree nut allergies blah blah blah. Two out of three of the workers said I don't know if we have anything that contains peanuts, etc. One of the three (the youngest one actually) went around the corner for a minute, came back and said "Actually nothing we serve contains peanuts or tree nuts." I say "how did you know that." He says "we have a sheet with the top 8 allergens listed for all of our menu items." I say "can I see that?" He says "sure." WOW! I was impressed by the sheet and it's details. I felt safe if LJ or BJ want to have some pizza or breadsticks, without cheese of course, in the future. I don't always mention to the restaurant milk and egg allergy because they are not as severe in LJ. For BJ egg and milk is severe. I need to start mentioning it when we eat out.

I still have to fight my anxiety about peanuts, tree nuts, and other allergens in our food or cross contaminating our food when we are out to eat. But, I have read in paperwork from the allergist that if you warn the restaurant and are careful that it's okay. What do you think? Do you take your kids with food allergies out to restaurants? Do you secretly watch them for signs of a reaction? Sometimes I even sneak in there rooms after they are sleeping just to make sure all is well.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

When it first hit me...

When my oldest son L was diagnosed with a peanut allergy. I didn't want to know more. I thought "okay no peanuts. no big deal." I carried his epi-pens and benadryl around with me, but I thought no big deal. I was so comfortable wrapped up in my little blanket of denial about the significance of a peanut allergy. After way too long my neighbor said "Kathleen this is serious. You need to research and understand this peanut allergy more. This is life changing." Thank you Neighbor! You were so right. I reasearched and researched. And then I began to cry and cry. I was so sad and anxious. I prayed. I talked to my husband. I found a new allergist. I educated myself and those who care for my boys.
I finally stopped crying every night and learned that this is our life. It is a good life. God has a plan for our family. He knows each of our children and he loves them. He knows what's best for them. Now I feel like I have shed the nice cozy blanket of denial, I have dried the tears, I am better educated on food allergies, and now I want to keep learning and networking with other mothers and caretakers who love and care for children with life-threatening food allergies.