Allergies
Mamatoga Fall 2012_Layout 1 9/11/12 2:55 PM Page 16
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Living with
Story by Elizabeth Baird
eing the mother of four children is busy. Being the mother of four, with three of them having multiple food allergies, raises the bar just a little bit more. Eating out at a restaurant is a challenge. There is no such thing as “let’s just grab a bite to eat while we are out.” There is also some guilt about my oldest daughter, who has no food allergies. Am I limiting her experiences because of their various needs? The term “food allergy” can be very misleading. Most people think of an allergy as sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, etc. Not food allergies. Food allergies involve swelling, hives, vomiting, difficulty breathing, lowering of the heart rate and potentially death. A better term is anaphylaxis related to exposure to an offending food. I remember the time I first heard that word – anaphylaxis. It was after I gave my twin boys a cracker with a small amount of peanut butter. I sat them carefully next to each other in their high chairs. Mind you, this was after a discussion with our pediatrician, who felt confident there should be no issue. My oldest, after all, had no food allergies, and we have no family history of food allergies. There they were, my twin boys, who always were doing things together – having a reaction to the peanut butter-side by side. I was scared beyond words. After this experience, I learned about anaphylaxis and how to read food labels. I was also trained in how to use and carry epi-pens. Epi-pens are spring-loaded needles that contain epinephrine. This is the medication that needs to be injected into the thigh in order to
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treat an anaphylactic reaction. Of course, any time an epi-pen is used on an individual, the person should be brought immediately to the emergency room for observation and potentially a second dose. One dose of epinephrine does not always work. I asked questions of my doctors and I read as much information as I could when I was pregnant with my fourth child. Do I eat nuts? Do I avoid them? Please don’t let this baby be allergic as well. What I quickly found out is that this particular food allergy is still quite a medical mystery, and no one quite had an answer for me. I nursed my children to try and help prevent all of this. However, the first time that I mixed milk-based formula with his baby cereal, I saw it – the swelling, the wheezing and the vomiting. My son was anaphylactic to milk! I soon learned that he would have to avoid eggs, milk, and peanuts. Again, after re-learning to shop, cook and bake, we have settled on our new-normal. When we are home, things run fairly smoothly. However, out in the “real world,” I am terrified. It makes leaving them off at preschool or putting them on the school bus that much more heart wrenching. Other individuals that don’t deal with food allergies on a daily basis do not know not to share their snack with my children. A well-meaning adult or peer may try to give a dangerous food to my child without knowing the harm it may cause. Education about food allergy is essential, because there is no known cure at this time. My children are learning to read food labels themselves and we are all healthier for it. In the past year, I have formed a food allergy support group for parents and caregivers of those with lifethreatening food allergies. Saratoga Families with Food Allergies meets once a month. You can find us on our Facebook page, or email us at saratogafamilieswithallergies@gmail.com. We will be participating as a team in the Albany Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. This walk raises funds for educating the public, lobbying for legislation related to food allergy, and, of course, funds for researching a cure. All are welcome to join us for the walk and donations are appreciated. According to Dr. Kemp Bundy, who is the medical advisor for Saratoga Families with Food Allergies, “Food Mamatoga.com