Life With Food Allergies

A Must-Read Article!

2012-01-14T20:20:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent article explaining what exactly happens to the body during anaphylaxis and why Epinephrine saves lives.
http://theallergistmom.com/2012/01/12/the-science-of-anaphylaxis-an-allergic-storm/

Really??

2012-01-12T10:47:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'm just a little overly sensitive due to the fact that a 7-year-old girl died last week at school due to her food allergies, followed a few days later by another death of a 15-year-old girl due to a "severe asthma attack" shortly after eating lunch at school (also nut allergic), but does anyone honestly find this video clip funny? :-(

Recipe of the Week

2012-01-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

I love popcorn for a quick healthy snack, but add this ooey-gooey sunbutter and honey mixture to it and you'll be addicted! Okay, I admit, I have a major sweet tooth!

SunButtery Popcorn
8 cups popped popcorn
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup SunButter (or soybutter)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Put popcorn in a large bowl and set side. Pour corn syrup, honey, SunButter, and vanilla into a saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Stir mixture occasionally with a wooden spoon until well combined. Turn off heat. Pour mixture over popcorn. Add sunflower seeds and chocolate chips. Stir until everything is well coated. Enjoy!

A Tragic Loss

2012-01-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

Last week a young girl died at school from a peanut allergy. For those of us with children with food allergies, this is our worst nightmare come true. What makes this story even more unbearable is the fact that her death could have been prevented had the school reacted differently. If little Amarria Johnson had been given an EpiPen and 911 was called immediately, perhaps this child would still be alive today.

Read her story here: http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-chesterfield-student-death-20120103,0,4150762.story

Click here to sign an online guest book for Amarria Johnson’s family: http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/timesdispatch/guestbook.aspx?n=amarria-johnson&pid=155347143&cid=full

What are some things we can do to prevent this tragedy from happening to us?

- Before the school year starts, be sure to discuss with school staff about your child’s food allergies and give the school a copy of your child’s Food Allergy Action Plan along with EpiPens and any other medications prescribed for your child.

- Ask your local food allergy support group if they are willing to give a presentation to your school district about how to keep students with food allergies safe in the school environment.

- Role play with your child so they know exactly what they should say and do if they think they are having an allergic reaction.

- Sign this petition to urge the U.S. Senate to pass the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act! https://www.change.org/petitions/save-allergic-childrens-lives-in-schools

EpiPen Warning

2011-12-28T15:54:00.001-08:00

Pfizer Canada, distributor of the EpiPen and EpiPen Jr autoinjectors, has issued a warning about the correct way to remove the blue safety cap on the devices.

"It has recently come to our attention that removal of the blue safety cap the wrong way by pulling it sideways or bending and twisting it off may prevent the device from working properly and potentially result in failure to deliver the drug," the company said in a release Thursday.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/12/23/epipen-food-allergy-ana.html

Recipe of the Week

2011-12-26T20:15:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Christmas spent with your family and friends! Here is a delicious recipe for Fabulous Dairy-Free Fudge that is quick to throw together, especially if you have the sweetened condensed milk substitute already pre-made and in your refrigerator just waiting to be used!

Fabulous Dairy-Free Fudge
1 package Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chips or chunks
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk substitute (about half of recipe below)
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup colored mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped almonds (optional of course!)

Line an 8 x 8 pan with waxed paper. In medium microwave safe bowl combine chocolate, sweetened condensed milk substitute, and water. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, repeat until smooth. Stir in vanilla, marshmallows, and almonds. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Chill fudge about 30 minutes or until firm. Cut into squares.

Sweetened Condensed Milk Substitute
1 cup DariFree powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
3 Tbsp melted dairy-free margarine

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Makes approximately 14 ounces, about the same as a store bought can.

Candy Cane Cocoa

2011-12-23T06:33:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a quick last minute homemade gift for someone on your list, how about making a jar of allergy-friendly Candy Cane Cocoa? You can never go wrong with chocolate and mint in my opinion!

Candy Cane Cocoa

1 cup Dari-Free powder
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed candy canes
1/2 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Layer each ingredient in an airtight jar. Makes 1 quart of mix = 12 servings. Create a tag to attach to the jar with these instructions: Mix contents in large bowl. For each serving, place 1/3 cup cocoa mix in mug and stir in 1 cup of boiling water. Store remaining mix in the airtight jar.

It's Birthday Time!

2011-12-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

Happy 12th Birthday to my sweet, funny, talented, awesome, allergic, not-so-little-anymore guy!

One item on Brody's list of "things I really wish I could eat" is a Twinkie! So yesterday I spent several hours attempting to recreate allergy-friendly Twinkies that would taste as close to the originals as possible to surprise Brody with today. Well, that didn't exactly work out as planned since I wasn't thrilled with how the finished product turned out. Just needs some more tweaking, so I'll try again another day.

So this morning I decided I would make some yummy Sticky Buns for breakfast instead. They turned out absolutely delicious and Josh has already requested that I make this for his birthday breakfast later this month also. Sounds like we found a new quick and easy family favorite!

Sticky Buns

2 small tubes of refrigerator biscuits (Pillsbury Flaky Layers are dairy-free)

3 Tbsp dairy-free margarine, melted

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped almonds, optional (since Brody passed his almond challenge we use them in everything possible!)

Spray a fluted pan with non-stick spray. Combine the melted margarine and maple syrup in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts (if using). Place about half of the syrup mixture in the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture on top. Lay the biscuits on the bottom of the pan, overlapping edges closely together to form a ring. Top with remaining syrup and sugar mixtures. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute in the pan, then invert onto a serving platter and enjoy!!

Chef Cards

2011-12-02T11:34:00.001-08:00

A Chef Card can be a very helpful tool in communicating with restaurant staff about your food allergies. Depending on how you customize your personal card, it can list the foods you are allergic to, alternative names for your allergens, and/or how to safely prepare your food to avoid cross-contamination. Of course you should always ask to speak directly to the manager or chef to ensure their full understanding.

Here is a list of websites where you can either make your own Chef Card to print out or order premade cards. One site listed below even has translation cards available to use when traveling.

http://www.foodallergy.org/page/chef-card1

http://www.foodallergygourmet.com/dining%20and%20traveling/chefcard.pdf

http://archive.supermarketguru.com/page.cfm/7512

http://www.selectwisely.com/ (Translation cards)

http://www.allergyfreetable.com/chef-card.aspx

Why Some Egg Allergic Individuals Can Tolerate Baked-In Egg

2011-12-01T08:21:00.001-08:00

Have you ever wondered why it is that some egg allergic people can tolerate baked-in egg while others cannot? How can you be allergic to something in one form, but not in another? I might not understand it, but I'm very happy that Brody happens to be one of those individuals! He has been eating baked-in egg for about a year and a half now and I hope and pray that this means eventually his body will completely outgrow his egg allergy. Apparently many people who are allergic to milk can also tolerate it if it is baked into muffins, cakes, or breads. Of course you should always speak with your child's allergist first to get his/her opinion on this topic! Unfortunately our allergist feels that Brody's chance of passing a baked-in milk challenge is quite low since his last RAST score was still extremely high at 78. Although he'll be 12 in just a couple short weeks, I'm not giving up hope yet!

This article helps explain why some patients can tolerate extensively heated egg or milk...

http://allergynotes.blogspot.com/2011/11/egg-allergic-patients-may-tolerate-some.html

Wisconsin Epi-Pen Law

2011-11-26T16:52:00.001-08:00

School children in Wisconsin are now allowed to carry their Epi-Pens on their bodies! Luckily our school has always allowed Brody to self-carry his life-saving medication, but this new law should help many families whose schools haven't been nearly as understanding!

http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=254110

Thanksgiving Prep

2011-11-08T18:17:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away, so it’s time to get those menus figured out! This will be my 5th year hosting Thanksgiving for our entire family so I can make sure absolutely everything on the table is safe for Brody to eat. It’s a lot of work and I’m usually exhausted the next day, but it’s also completely worth it to see Brody enjoy a food-centered holiday without having to feel restricted in what he can eat.

Here’s my menu plan thus far…all dairy, peanut, and tree nut-free! Most all items are also egg-free, but since Brody now tolerates baked-in egg, the Pumpkin Pie Balls do contain egg. If you are interested in any of my recipes, please feel free to leave a comment!

Appetizers
Zesty Sausage Dip with Ritz Crackers
Bagel Dip
Chex Mix

Main & Sides
Turkey
Stuffing
Dinner Rolls
Mashed Potatoes & Turkey Gravy
Maple Syrup Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Orzo with Spinach and Red Pepper
Ramen Noodle Salad
Pineapple Fluff

Drinks
Raspberry Vodka Slush (for the adults)
Raspberry Slush (for the kiddos!)

Desserts
Sunbutter Bars
Pumpkin Pie Balls
Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

Pumpkin Pie Balls
1 box Duncan Hines Yellow cake mix
1 can of pumpkin
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs
***********************************
1/2 can Pillsbury cream cheese frosting (or make own using soy cream cheese)
***********************************
Dairy-free chocolate chips
***********************************
Sprinkles for decorating (optional)

1. Beat all top section ingredients until blended and bake according to package instructions in a 9x13 pan. Cake should rise and toothpick should come out clean from center. However, since the cake is extra dense, it will fall when removed from the oven.

2. Allow cake to cool enough to handle. Crumble and smoosh the cake together- it will be pretty mushy. Add 1/2 can of cream cheese frosting and blend well.

3. Shape into bite size balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

4. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or over a double boiler.

5. Remove balls from the fridge and individually dunk into the chocolate using a fork to remove from the bowl and a spoon to toss extra chocolate over the top. The use of a toothpick is very handy for replacing the ball back on the parchment paper.

6. Top with sprinkles while the chocolate is still tacky.

7. Enjoy these chilled or at room temperature!

Recipe of the Week

2011-10-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

My boys had their cousin sleep over last night, so I wanted to throw together something easy and yummy for breakfast this morning. These little gems didn't last long!

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls

1/4 cup dairy-free margarine, melted

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup raisins

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp. dairy-free margarine

1 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup

splash of rice milk

Separate rolls into 4 rectangles; press perforations. Brush with melted butter. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins; sprinkle over dough. Roll up each rectangle. Cut each roll into 5 slices. Place each slice cut side down in mini muffin pan. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Combine ingredients for glaze and spread over warm rolls.

Funny, but So True!

2011-10-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

I came across this blog yesterday, and it really had me giggling! The author/artist draws cartoons based on experiences and conversations about food allergies to help spread awareness. Great idea!

http://foodallergyfun.blogspot.com/

Here's a couple of her cartoons that really struck a cord with me...

Folliculitis

2011-10-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

Life is a roller coaster, so hold on tight! I’ve decided this is my new motto. Which is kind of funny because as a family we love thrill rides (especially roller coasters!), but emotional roller coasters are just no fun whatsoever. Dealing with life-threatening food allergies on a daily basis is a never ending emotional roller coaster. And add in flares of severe eczema and folliculitis, random asthma attacks, and a vision impairment that leaves us wondering if our boys will even be able to get a drivers licence, some days I just wish I could tell the roller coaster to stop for a minute and let me catch my breath!

Josh has been struggling with folliculitis (inflammation of hair follicles) for 5-6 years now. It mostly affects his arms and legs, but the sores can show up pretty much over his entire body. We’ve been to several allergists, dermatologists, and even a psychologist after one doctor suggested the itching sensation was all in Josh’s mind. Of course I knew that wasn’t the case and was quite angry that she even suggested it, but in the end we decided to see the psychologist just because we had no where else to turn. And here we are, still dealing with folliculitis. The more he scratches at the spots, the more his eczema then also flares since we all know that eczema is known as the “itch that rashes”. Josh has been tested for all sorts of diseases including celiac, had a skin biopsy done, and even had patch testing done which came up totally negative. Bleach baths do nothing for him. Wet wraps do nothing for him. Antibiotics do nothing for him. Topical steroids do nothing for him. Oral steroids do help temporarily, but then as soon as he stops the medication the folliculitis is back within a couple of days. For a while we had found what we thought was a miracle cure for the folliculitis. About a year ago we started rubbing his entire body down with a washcloth saturated with hydrogen peroxide, and the sores started healing and disappearing. It was amazing! But then for some reason, after several months of having clear skin, the folliculitis reared it’s ugly head again and the peroxide has no affect on it any longer. Why??? We are now trying an antifungal ointment on the spots, but I’m not seeing any improvement with it. I can’t help but wonder if this is something he will have to live with his entire life now. I’m so sad and embarrassed for him. He pretty much lives in long pants and a sweatshirt. I can only imagine what the boys at school think and say behind his back when he has to change in the locker room for gym class. My heart breaks at the thought of him not having a girlfriend throughout high school, because honestly I can’t imagine many teenage girls looking past all the sores covering his skin and seeing what an incredible young man he truly is. I wish and pray with all my heart that we could find a doctor who can treat this skin condition. The eczema is bad enough, but adding the folliculitis on top of that is unbearable. Some days I really hate roller coasters.

Petition to Update FALCPA

2011-10-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

Sign this petition to update the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) of 2004 to include sesame and mustard seeds! FALCPA petition

More information:

We would like to request that the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (Title II of Public Law 108-282), also known as FALCPA, be extended to include labeling of items containing sesame seeds and mustard seeds.

Sesame seed, for example, is sometimes hidden in ingredients, under the name "tahini", "spices", or "natural flavoring". Individuals with food allergies need to know exactly what is contained within a food product, for the sake of their health and safety. Approximately 3 million Americans are affected by sesame allergies and accidental exposures can be fatal, for some.

Food allergies are on the rise, now affecting 1 in 13 children, in the U.S., according to the latest study sponsored by the Food Allergy Initiative.

Recipe of the Week

2011-10-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

We don't have to avoid gluten in our house, but I do work with a little boy who has autism and is on a gluten-free, dairy-free diet. Last week was his birthday so I thought I'd make some safe sugar cookies to decorate with him!

Rice Flour Sugar Cookies (GF & DF)
3 cups rice flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup dairy-free margarine
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together to form dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least an hour. Roll dough into balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Press down on each dough ball with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar to flatten. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire rack and then frost and decorate as desired!

FAI - College Survey

2011-10-03T08:05:00.001-07:00

The Food Allergy Initiative is looking for undergrads to take a survey about living with food allergies at college. The survey will help gain insight on what issues are important to them, how they handle their food allergies, and what others can do to help. If you know any young college students, please send this link to them!

https://www.faiusa.org/collegesurvey2011

Recipe of the Week

2011-09-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh, Autumn! Cooler weather, beautiful colors of the changing leaves, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, hayrides, and of course Halloween...so many reasons to enjoy this season! One of my favorite things about Fall though is the fact that our little fruit trees are full of delicious apples and I can walk right outside my door and pick just the right one for Brody's lunchbox every day!

Easy Apple Dip
8 oz soy cream cheese
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
sprinkle of cinnamon

Cream together brown sugar and cream cheese, then mix in vanilla and cinnamon. Chill for about an hour. Enjoy with apple slices or other fruit!

Epi-Inject

2011-09-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

Epi-Inject is a new concept for epinephrine autoinjectors which are not yet available on the market. I like that these not only are equipped with audio instructions but also include a count down timer to help you through the very stressfull situation of giving yourself or someone else an injection during an anaphylactic reaction.

Epi-Inject Article

"The Epi-Inject is a series of both personal and public emergency adrenaline injectors that provide an easy, non-jabbing method of treatment for even the most inexperienced to administer. The personal injector is a small 3-inch by 2-inch device that can be attached to any bag or backpack using the integrated carabiner. Users simply have to press the spring-loaded button and the adrenaline is administered immediately through the injector. The public injector is a larger device designed to be installed at restaurants, schools, parks or any other place where an allergic reaction may occur."

Something to Think About

2011-09-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I was browsing through a food allergy message board and read a story from a mom whose child had recently had an allergic reaction while at school. While the mom was happy with how the school staff responded and followed the child’s Action Plan (gave EpiPen, called 911, then called the mom) she realized that she had no contingency plan set up for what would then happen regarding her other children.

While we mostly focus our time, energy, and thought into setting up the plan of action for the school to take, do we tend to forget the other factors involved when one of our children has an allergic reaction?

For example…

· Who will pick up your other children at the school, bus stop, or home? Perhaps a neighbor, close friend, or family member? Make a list of people you can rely on to pick up your other children and go over the emergency plan with them.

· Do any of your other children have food allergies? Be sure these friends or neighbors also know what to do in case of an allergic reaction!

· Have all contact phone numbers entered into your cell phone so you aren’t frantically looking through a phone book or trying to remember someone’s number while riding in the ambulance or at the hospital when all you really want to be doing is giving all of your attention to your frightened child having the allergic reaction.

· Give a list of these contacts (with their permission) to the school in case they need to call someone to pick up your other children for you.

· Who will pick you up and drive you home from the ER if you rode in the ambulance with your child? Unfortunately sometimes we are not able to reach our spouses while they are at work.

Can you think of anything else we should be thinking about for an emergency plan? Please feel free to leave a comment!

Wendy's Warning

2011-09-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

Just a warning to anyone who has a child with a dairy allergy and eats at Wendy's...the fast food chain has tweaked some of their recipes and will now be toasting and buttering their hamburger buns. I'm not clear as to whether this is only for one specific burger offered or for all of their buns, but either way, I'm really disappointed with the decision. As it is there are only a handful of restaurants I am comfortable letting Brody eat at, and now I'm no longer feeling safe about this one. Very frustrating!

"Among the proposed changes were some golden nuggets. Tasters said they wanted a thicker burger, so Wendy's started packing the meat more loosely, trained cooks to press down on the patties two times instead of eight and printed "Handle Like Eggs" on the boxes that the patties were shipped in so they wouldn't get smashed. And Wendy's researchers knew that customers wanted warmer and crunchier buns, so they decided that buttering them and then toasting them was the way to go."

http://news.yahoo.com/cant-reinvent-burger-remake-094352326.html

Recipe of the Week

2011-09-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to try grilling pizza but for some reason have been intimidated by it. Not sure if I just assumed the crust would stick to the grill, or worse, fall through the slots. The boys really wanted to see how it would turn out though so we went ahead and finally gave it a try. To my surprise and delight the crust didn't stick, it didn't fall through the grill, and was by far the quickest cooking pizza I've ever made! The crust had a nice crunch to it too! I used refrigerated Pillsbury Pizza Crust just because I had it on hand and didn't have time to make it from scratch. We make homemade pizza often enough and this was an easy last-minute throw-together meal. Next step will be grilling pizza over a campfire!

Grilled (dairy-free) Pizza

Pillsbury Pizza Crust (or homemade if you prefer)

pizza sauce

pepperoni
Daiya vegan cheese
olive oil

Preheat the grill to medium. Unroll pizza crust and divide the dough into how ever many sections you want. (I cut the dough in half so each tube made 2 grilled pizzas). Brush the crust with olive oil, then carefully lay the dough oil-side down onto the grill. Now brush the side facing up with oil. Watch for the crust to start to bubble (like making pancakes) and then flip the crust over with a large spatula. Quickly spread pizza sauce, pepperoni, and cheese onto the crust and then close the lid of the grill to help the cheese melt. Keep an eye on the crust though, because it doesn't take long at all for it to finish cooking! Transfer your grilled pizza to a plate and enjoy the crunchy goodness!!

Smoothie Idea!

2011-09-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

To go along with my smoothie post from a couple of days ago, I thought I'd add a link to this GREAT idea I found on another blog. If you are adding yogurt to your smoothies, you can freeze the yogurt in ice cube trays to easily divide it into appropriate serving sizes! This is one of those times when I really wonder "why didn't I ever think of that?". None of our local grocery stores carry soy yogurt, so I tend to stock up on it whenever I can get to Whole Foods Market...which is about an hour away from my house. And since I buy quite a few at a time, I'm always worried that it will expire before we use it all. This just seems like the perfect solution!

http://www.thetidynest.com/2010/09/freezer-smoothies.html

Recipe of the Week

2011-09-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

Smoothies are a big hit in this house. I make one for the boys pretty much every day, sometimes twice a day...especially since I'm trying to get as many calories into Brody as possible per the endocrinologist's orders. A smoothie beats out water as far as calories go any day! ;-) Plus it's a great way to get a couple servings of fruit into your child's diet!

Strawberry-Orange Smoothie
1 cup OJ
1/2 pkg (16 oz) frozen strawberries
1/2 pkg (3.4 oz) Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding (yes, this is dairy free!)

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings, 1 cup each. You can substitute the pudding mix for a different flavor if you choose...banana perhaps?

That's just a simple quick smoothie I make occasionally, but lately when I'm really trying to get some extra calories into the Ninja Boy I've been making this much more calorie-dense smoothie...

Fruit Smoothie
1/2 pkg (16 oz) frozen strawberries
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 of a frozen banana
2 Tbsp vanilla soy yogurt
1/2 pkg. (3.4 oz) Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 1/2 cup soy milk (I use half soy and half almond milk)

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Add more soy milk if too thick. When I remember sometimes I will also add in 1 Tbsp of ground flax seed for a good source of Omega-3!

After I pour a cup for my older son, then I add a scoop of DuoCal powder and blend again for Brody's portion. Gotta add those extra calories any way I possibly can!

Food Allergy Printables

2011-09-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

Head over to KidsCanHaveFun.com and check out the FREE food allergy labels and posters you can print out. You can print them on sticker paper or laminate them to use as stickers, classroom door posters, or school and lunch bag tags!

Is Your School Allergy Ready?

2011-09-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

FAAN recently sent out to its members this wonderful online training course geared towards managing food allergies and anaphylaxis in the school setting. Check it out and then send the link on to your child's principal and teachers! http://allergyready.com/

Recipe of the Week

2011-09-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try my best to add a new recipe each week that is free of milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, and shellfish. Although now that Brody tolerates baked-in egg, the recipe might include that. We'll see how long I can keep it up between working and being a busy mom...it might end up being a Recipe of the Month instead! ;-)

So the first recipe is going to be egg-free french toast! I'm waiting patiently for the day when Body completely outgrows his egg allergy so we can feast on real french toast every day if we so choose, but for now, this recipe tastes very close to the real deal in my opinion!

Egg-Free French Toast
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup rice or soy milk (now that Brody can eat almonds, we have been using almond milk for most everything!)
2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp vanilla soy yogurt
a dash of cinnamon

Whisk all ingredients together. Dip safe bread into mixture and cook on preheated oiled skillet on medium heat. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with maple syrup or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Yummy!!

Where has the time gone?

2011-09-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

What a busy summer we had! Time to catch up on some blogging! Let’s see, some of the things that have gone on since I last posted include:

• Brody continues to eat baked-in egg. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this means he will eventually outgrow his egg allergy completely…but it hasn’t happened yet.

• Brody passed in-office trials to almonds and hazelnuts!! I still have a hard time believing this one! His RAST for almond and hazelnut has always been quite low and this year when Dr. G did an SPT for each they were negative. I can’t even explain how bizarre and terrifying it was to sit in the doctor’s office and watch Brody eat something that has always been considered poison for his body before! But thank goodness all went well and Brody now eats almonds and Barney Butter (almond butter) almost every day. He wasn’t as impressed with the taste of hazelnuts for some reason, so I guess I’ll have to start sneaking those into cookies once in a while.

• I taught a couple cake decorating classes over the summer for the members of our local food allergy support group, the Food Allergy Association of Wisconsin. I know how frustrating it is to not be able to just order a big beautiful cake from a bakery for my son’s birthday, so I’m more than happy to teach other parents how to make one themselves too!

• Brody had an appointment with a pediatric endocrinologist last month to discuss growth hormone shots because he is so small compared to all of his friends and it really bothers him. Unfortunately we were told he doesn’t qualify for the shots because he is not under the 5th percentile on the height chart. He is currently at the 13th percentile and she is fairly certain that his short stature is mostly due to the fact that he has been on steroids for his asthma and eczema pretty much his entire life. But the doctor was very concerned about his weight and she was worried that if he doesn’t start gaining weight then that might affect his height growth even more. The doctor suggested I basically fill him with as many calories as possible every day and then go back for another appointment this fall for a weight check. She said she is hoping that the extra calories might help him grow taller too. So I’ve been on a hunt for high-calorie foods/recipes! He’s eating lots of hamburgers and bacon and I’ve been making him slurp down a smoothie every day consisting of strawberries, blueberries, banana, soy yogurt, soy milk, almond milk, and DuoCal powder (a tasteless powder that just adds extra calories to whatever food you mix it into). He likes the smoothie, but I think he’s tired of having to drink it every single day. I also add the DuoCal powder to pretty much everything I cook/bake. The only problem with that is that my husband and I certainly don’t need the extra calories, so I try my best to remember to only add it to his portions.

• We found a new restaurant that Brody can safely eat at…well new for us anyway! Red Robin lets you request allergen-specific menu information through their website. For each allergen you ask about, you will receive a list of items that you could safely order. The trick is when you request information for more than one allergen, you have to take the time to cross reference every item from each list they send you. So as I sat on my bed surrounded by multiple pages of lists for milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, and shellfish-free menu items and with my highlighter in hand, I discovered that Brody could order a bacon hamburger (no bun, no seasoning) or a grilled chicken breast (no bun, no mayo) and all you can eat steak fries! Brody decided on the burger (we took our own bun) and he was thrilled! I’m determined to find a couple more sit down restaurants that I am comfortable with Brody eating at because as he gets older he will eventually want to eat out with friends and needs to know how to order safe food for himself and feel comfortable doing it.

• Perhaps the biggest news is that I am now the mother of a high schooler and a middle schooler! How did that happen? It just doesn’t seem like it was 9 years ago that Josh was just starting Kindergarten and Brody was only 2. My babies sure are growing up fast! I met with the middle school principal, 6th grade teachers and staff the week before school started to discuss Brody’s food allergies. I’m feeling fairly comfortable with the teachers looking out for Brody…the principal not so much. Anyone who jokingly makes a stupid comment like “I guess I should cancel that peanut factory tour” while I’m explaining that Brody’s allergies are life-threatening is not someone I plan on being friends with. And while my husband was waiting for the lasers to start shooting out of my eyes when the principal made this comment, I held my emotions together for the sheer fact that Brody will be in this school for 3 years and I need to pick my battles carefully so nothing is taken out on him. Very frustrating to say the least!

So that pretty much describes my summer, other than a couple of family trips here and there. Feels like it flew by…again. Hopefully this school year will be fun, productive, and reaction-free!

EpiPen and Inhaler Carriers

2011-05-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

Here is an updated list of EpiPen and/or inhaler carriers I have found on the web. My son's favorite EpiPen carrier at the moment is the Spibelt. He is very active and we have found that this belt not only stays in place while he is running without bouncing around much, but it is also made of extremely stretchy material and can expand to hold 2 EpiPens or an EpiPen and inhaler plus a few Benadryl FastMelts. You can also order an extra "pocket" to attach to the Spibelt to hold an inhaler, cell phone, or other items.

EpiPen Carriers

@RiskRescue
http://www.atriskrescue.com/kit.html

Adorn handbag and messenger bag
http://www.adorndesigns.com/

Allergy Haven
http://www.allergyhaven.com/c/epi-pen

AllergyPack
http://www.allergypack.com/

Ana-Tote
http://www.allstarsales.ca/index.html?lang=en-us&target=d17.html

E-belt
http://www.ebelt.ca/

Epi-Access
http://www.epiaccess.ca/en/single.htm

Epinephrine Mate
https://www.foodallergy.org/

EpiPuppy
http://www.epipuppy.com/

FRIO wallets (keep medications cool)
http://www.coolerconcept.com/pages/prod2.htm

KozyEpi EpiPen and Puffer Pouches
http://www.kozyepi.com/

Medipouch
http://www.medipouch.com/

Omaxcare Leg Buddy & Asthma Pal
http://www.omaxcare.com/

Safety Sack
http://www.safetysack.com/

Peace of Mind Allergy Solutions (Custom made EpiPen carriers)
http://www.peaceofmindallergy.com/index.php

Take In Case
http://www.takeincase.com/

ActiveAide
http://www.activeaide.com/us/

Concealed EpiPen (Waist Pal, Waist Buddy, Leg Buddy)
http://www.concealedepipen.com/index.html

SpiBelt
http://www.spibelt.com/

Allergy Essentials
http://www.allergyessentialsusa.com/

TuffBaggs
http://www.tuffbaggs.com/product/epipen.html

Allergy Apparel (epipen & inhaler carriers)
http://www.allergyapparel.com/

Felted EpiPen Carrier/Case
http://www.etsy.com/listing/15695867/epipen-carriercase-felted-in-dark-pink

Autoinjector Duo Pouch w/ badge
http://www.bluebearaware.com/Black_Autoinjector_Pouch_p/s09-kz06.htm

Epi-Access Teacher Case
http://www.epiaccess.ca/en/teachers.htm

Icy Diamond Totes
http://www.icydiamondtotes.com/

Epi-Ready
http://www.epi-ready.com/

One Spot Allergy
http://www.onespotallergy.com/EpiPen-Holders-E-Belts-For-Food-Allergy-Anaphylaxis-s/20.htm

Protectube (waterproof case)
http://www.achooallergy.com/acc-protectube.asp

Waterproof bags
http://www.rei.com/product/752383

http://www.allstarsales.ca/index1.html

http://www.onespotallergy.com/Waterproof-EpiPen-Holder-p/osa0030.htm

Inhaler Carriers

PuffaPouch
http://www.puffapouch.com/

Respire
http://www.respirecases.com/index.aspx

Forget-Med-Not
http://forgetmednot.com/

Inhaler Wallet
http://www.lifesolutionsplus.com/inhaler-wallet-p-468.html

Inhaler Mate
http://www.inhalermate.com/index.php

The Doser
http://www.doser.com/index.html

Mitzy
http://www.mitzy.com.au/

Airpocket
http://www.amazon.com/Airpocket-Original-Quick-Draw-Inhaler/dp/B003LMB2NI

Med-Ready Puffer Tote
http://www.achooallergy.com/med-ready-tote.asp

A Day In The Life - Video

2011-01-16T10:51:00.000-08:00

This video was created by a group of New Zealand mothers for Food Allergy Awareness Week last year.

Chicago teen dies from allergic reaction

2010-12-20T18:37:00.000-08:00

A 13-year-old from Chicago died Friday after eating something that must have contained her allergen at a school Christmas party. My heart goes out to this family! Please, let's all be extra vigilant about keeping our allergic children safe during the holiday celebrations!

Full article here:
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=7854968

Dairy-free and Delicious!

2010-12-14T10:43:00.001-08:00

I'm really not a fan of soy cheese...or rice cheese for that matter. I don't like the smell, the taste, or the texture. Brody will eat it occasionally, but prefers to just go "cheeseless". Lately I've heard a lot of good comments about a fairly new product. I was hesitant to give it a try though because I'm tired of spending a small fortune on supposedly good-tasting cheese alternatives and then being let down by the taste once we get it home. But for Brody's sake, I'm determined to keep hunting for new food items he will enjoy...especially a great-tasting dairy-free cheese. For us, the hunt is finally over! Daiya dairy-free "cheese" is amazing! It comes in mozarella-style and cheddar-style shreds. This is by far the closest tasting to real cheese that I have ever found in a dairy-free product. So far we have enjoyed Mac-n-"Cheese", "Cheesey" Hashbrowns, Sloppy Lasagna, Pizza, Calzones, and grilled "cheese" sandwiches...and every single recipe was a huge hit with the entire family! Brody now calls Daiya "the good cheese" and asks if he can add some of the shreds on just about everything. Last night he sprinkled "the good cheese" on top of his mashed potatoes. Yum!

Let me know what you think of Daiya shreds if you give it a try!
http://www.daiyafoods.com/index.html

Sloppy Lasagna

"Cheesey Hashbrowns"

Birthday Boy!

2010-12-14T10:32:00.001-08:00

A plateful of homemade donuts for the birthday boy's breakfast! Happy 11th Birthday Brody!!

Milk Allergy Alert

2010-12-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

Tofutti Brands Inc. has announced a precautionary recall of 25 pallets of its 4-Pack YOURS TRULY frozen dessert cones (UPC 0-20188-01500-9) due to possible trace level milk contamination reported for one lot of product shipped which was produced in August of 2010.

YOURS TRULY CONES are labeled as Milk Free and persons who have an allergy or severe sensitivity or intolerance to Milk products run the risk of serious or life-threatening injury if they consume products with milk ingredients. Tofutti Brands uses stringent quality controls to prevent milk contamination of its products and sells tens of millions of ice cream novelty products each year.

The 25 pallets from the suspect lot are being recalled. The bulk of these 25 pallets were sold along the east coast and the Midwest. None of the suspected lot was sold to any west coast distributors or stores.

The product in the above 25 pallets is identified by the labeled Manufacturing facility code 18-497 which will appear printed on one of the two end flaps of the box of the YOURS TRULY CONES along with a production code of either 2330 or 2350, which will follow right after the plant code.

Consumers who may have purchased YOURS TRULY CONES bearing these codes are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. This recall does not involve any of the Company’s other frozen dessert products. Consumers with questions may contact the Company at 908-272-2400, Monday-Friday, from 9:00AM-5:00PM EST, or email us at info@tofutti.com.

http://webnewsvoice.com/tofutti-brands-recalls-frozen-dessert-cones/222929/

Allergy Holiday Video

2010-12-09T05:41:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays!

Why you should carry two doses of epinephrine

2010-11-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

This study looks at the percentage of children with food-induced anaphlyaxis who required more than one dose of epinephrine:

http://www.jpeds.com/article/PIIS0022347610007791/fulltext

Bottom line...Always carry two doses of epinephrine where ever you go. It might just save your child's life!

Urban Ninja

2010-11-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

This is Brody's personal form from the Black Belt Graduation Show.

Congratulations Brody!

2010-11-08T09:09:00.000-08:00

After (almost) 5 long years of hard work, Brody has earned his Black Belt in Karate! We are extremely proud of him for setting his sights on a goal and never even thinking about giving up. Good job, Brody! I-Ya!

Intelliject

2010-09-24T14:55:00.000-07:00

Millions of people at risk for severe allergic reactions to certain foods and bee stings rely on pen-sized syringes that contain a life-saving dose of the drug epinephrine to administer in an emergency.

As lifelong allergy sufferers, twin brothers Eric S. Edwards and Evan T. Edwards,co-founders of the Richmond-based specialty pharmaceutical firm Intelliject Inc., keep their epinephrine auto-injectors close by.

As grateful as the brothers are to have the existing injector technology available, from their own experiences they've concluded there has to be a better injector system.

The 29-year-old brothers and their management team have built Intelliject around the goal of creating a more intuitive, compact and safer emergency epinephrine delivery system.Their result -- a credit card-sized device that "talks" users through administering epinephrine.

Read full article here...
http://www2.newsadvance.com/business/2010/jan/06/brothers_of_invention-ar-216416/

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2010 Food Allergy Awareness Walk Photos

2010-09-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to help raise awareness for food allergies this year!

How Asthma Makes Me Feel - Video

2010-09-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) asked children to tell us—in pictures and in their own words—how they felt during an asthma attack, and how they felt when they could breathe again. What they told us was enlightening—and heart-rending.

We collected their drawings and stories to share in this video. Read more about this project here:
http://www.aanma.org/publication/special-pubs/how-asthma-makes-me-feel/

Cold Urticaria

2010-08-22T12:20:00.000-07:00

The allergy fun just never ends! Brody has developed cold urticaria, or basically an allergy to cold. This started back in January when I got a call from school saying that Brody was in the nurse's office because his face was red, blotchy, and itchy. Sounded like a mild allergic reaction of some sort to me, so I told the nurse to give him benadryl and I jumped in the car and drove over to the school (only 5 minutes from my house) to see what was going on. By the time I got there, the nurse said the redness had already subsided a bit. Mostly at this point his chin was still covered in little bumps and itchy. After giving Brody the third degree about everything he touched and ate that day, we decided that this was probably the result of cross-contamination in his classroom. He is in a nut-free classroom and always eats his own snack from home, but with all of Brody's other allergies, unfortunately it isn't out of the question that something like this could happen on occasion. Especially since many of his classmates eat cheesy-type crackers for snack most days. I discussed this with his teacher and she said she would try to be much more on top of making sure all the kids wash their hands after eating their snacks. And that was that...or so I thought.

In February we took a family trip to Florida where one day was spent at Daytona Beach. The water was FRIGID so we had no intention of swimming, but we thoroughly enjoyed wading in the ocean just up to our mid-calves to pick shells for souvenirs. The boys were also sitting in the cold, wet sand building sand castles. After about an hour I noticed that Brody's legs and hands were looking very blotchy. By the time we got into the car to leave he was complaining that he was very itchy and the blotches definitely looked more hive-like at that point. I think his hands were even slightly swollen. The only explanation we could come up with at that time was perhaps someone with a shellfish allergy and very sensitive skin would react to swimming in an ocean, obviously full of shellfish. I gave him benadryl and the hives completely went away within an hour.
In June Brody and his brother had some friends over. They decided to turn on the hose and take turns spraying each other. Of course water out of a hose is always very cold. After a while Brody came into the house and showed me his hands and feet. They were covered with hives just like when we were at the ocean. At this point it suddenly dawned on me what was going on. I had heard of cold urticaria before, but never gave it much thought. Since Brody was soaking wet and shivering, I told him to go into the bathroom and strip off the wet clothes while I grabbed him something dry to put on. When I walked into the bathroom I realized that most of his body was covered in hives and he was scratching at them like mad. I whipped out the benadryl, called my husband to grab the camera so we could document what was going on, and wrapped Brody in a towel to warm his skin back up. When I spoke with the allergist a few days later, he agreed that it sounded like a case of cold urticaria.

So back to that day at school where his face was hivey...Brody finally remembered that right before this happened he had been outside for recess where he joined in a snowball fight and he ended up with a face full of snow! A-ha...mystery solved!

Here is a blurb from the Mayo Clinic website about cold urticaria:

As strange as it sounds, it's possible to have an allergy to cold temperatures. Doctors refer to this as cold urticaria (ur-tih-KAR-ee-uh). It's also sometimes called cold allergy or cold hives. With cold urticaria, exposure to cold temperatures causes redness, itching, swelling and hives on your skin. As much as possible, people with cold urticaria should avoid exposure to cold air as well as cold water. For example, swimming in cold water is the most common cause of a severe, whole-body reaction — leading to fainting, shock and even death.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cold-urticaria/DS01160

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Food Allergy Action Plan

2010-08-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

FAAN has released a revised food allergy action plan to be completed by your child's doctor. It has separate sections for "severe symptoms" vs. "mild symptoms".

http://www.foodallergy.org/files/FAAP.pdf

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MedicAlert EMIR

2010-08-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

Does your food allergic child have a MedicAlert bracelet? If so, how long has it been since you last updated your child's Emergency Medical Information Record (EMIR)? Have any medications changed? How about dosages and/or frequencies? What about emergency and physician contacts? Any newly developed food, drug, or other allergies? All of this valuable information is stored in your EMIR and can help save your child's life in an emergency. With the new school year fast approaching, now would be a good time to update your child's EMIR because in an anaphylactic emergency every second counts!

www.medicalert.org

New Bisquick - Gluten Free!

2010-07-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

Keep an eye out in your local grocery store for the new Gluten Free Bisquick coming out summer 2010!

The ingredients for the Gluten-Free Bisquick are:

Rice Flour, Sugar, Leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Xanthan Gum

Also be sure to check out the Betty Crocker website for lots of gluten-free recipes!
http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/bisquick/glutenfree.aspx

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EpiPen and Asthma Inhaler Carriers

2010-07-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

August is almost here and that means only about a month is left before the kiddos head back to school again. Before long it will be time to renew all of your child’s medications to be left at school including inhalers, Benadryl, and of course EpiPens! Does your child self carry their EpiPen while at school? My son started self-carrying both his EpiPen and his inhaler when he started second grade. Both he and I felt much more at ease knowing that his medication was on his body at all times. He wears one EpiPen in a MediPouch around his waist while the second EpiPen is kept in the nurses office. His inhaler is either worn in a Med Ready Tote or in a sealable pocket if he is wearing cargo-style shorts/jeans. Of course by no means is self-carrying the EpiPen the same thing as self-administering. Although now at age 10½ I do believe my son could self-administer the EpiPen if need be, adults should always be trained in what signs/symptoms to watch for and how to administer the medication. Having a child know how to administer an EpiPen is one thing, but being able to do it in the face of anaphylaxis is an entirely different matter!

If you are considering letting your child self-carry, you may be wondering what type of carrier to purchase. I’ve been keeping a running list of all EpiPen and asthma inhaler carriers as I find them on the web. I have not, however, checked to see if all of these carriers will be able to hold the newly designed EpiPens as they are slightly larger, so you will need to check into that yourself before placing an order. I hope this list will be helpful to you and your food allergic child as you gear up for the start of another school year!

EpiPen Carriers

@RiskRescue
http://www.atriskrescue.com/kit.html

Adorn handbag and messenger bag
http://www.adorndesigns.com/

Allergy Haven
http://www.allergyhaven.com/c/epi-pen

AllergyKids
http://www.allergykids.com/product.php?proid=11&sub_catid=

AllergyPack
http://www.allergypack.com/

Ana-Tote
http://www.allstarsales.ca/index.html?lang=en-us&target=d17.html

E-belt
http://www.ebelt.ca/products.asp

Epi-Access
http://www.epiaccess.ca/en/single.htm

Epinephrine Mate
https://www.foodallergy.org/shoppingcart/shopwelcome.shtml

EpiPuppy
http://www.epipuppy.com/

FRIO wallets (keep medications cool)
http://www.coolerconcept.com/pages/prod2.htm

KozyEpi EpiPen and Puffer Pouches
http://www.kozyepi.com/index.htm

Medipouch
http://www.medipouch.com/

Omaxcare Leg Buddy & Asthma Pal
http://www.omaxcare.com/

Safety Sack
http://www.safetysack.com/

American Adventure Products
http://www.americanadventureproducts.com/old-backup/epipen.html

Peace of Mind Allergy Solutions (Custom made EpiPen carriers)
http://www.peaceofmindallergy.com/index.php

Take In Case
http://www.takeincase.com/

ActiveAide
http://www.activeaide.com/us/

LivALittle
http://www.livalittle.ca/epi-pouch.asp

Protectube (waterproof case)
http://www.achooallergy.com/acc-protectube.asp

Concealed EpiPen (Waist Pal, Waist Buddy, Leg Buddy)
http://www.concealedepipen.com/index.html

Waterproof bags
http://www.rei.com/product/752383

http://www.aquapac.net/usstore/aquapac-us-store-1-0.html

http://www.allstarsales.ca/index1.html

Inhaler Carriers

Med Ready Tote
http://www.medreadytote.com/buy.shtml

PuffaPouch
http://www.puffapouch.com/

Asthma Pod
http://www.asthmapods.com/

Respire
http://www.respirecases.com/index.aspx

Forget-Med-Not
http://forgetmednot.com/

Inhaler Wallet
http://www.lifesolutionsplus.com/inhaler-wallet-p-468.html

Belt or Pocket Sized Inhaler Case
http://www.redflarekits.com/pc/10030/pac/Belt+or+Pocket+Sized+Inhaler+Case

The Azmate
http://www.theazmate.com/index.html

Glow Cap
http://www.glowcap.co.uk/

Inhaler Mate
http://www.inhalermate.com/index.php

The Doser
http://www.doser.com/index.html

Mitzy
http://www.mitzy.com.au/

Update on baked-in egg

2010-06-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a little over a month since the baked-in egg challenge. We had a bit of a rough start though. The first item I decided to bake was a batch of Sunbutter Blonde Brownies. When I took the pan out of the oven, Brody was very excited to get a taste of this new treat! After cooling slightly (because he just couldn't wait any longer), I cut a small corner piece for him to try. He loved it! I told him we should start out slow to make sure he wouldn't have any type of reaction, so that was all he was getting for the time being. Soon after, Brody started complaining that he had a stomachache. Then it progressed to "the worst pain I've ever felt...like someone is stabbing me in the stomach with a knife". He tried to make himself vomit several times because he was sure he would feel better to get it out, but he never did. I felt so horrible for my little guy and my husband and I were both wondering if this was going to progress to an EpiPen moment. The pain lasted for about an hour and then suddenly it was gone and he felt absolutely fine again.

While this was all happening, Josh decided to dig into the brownies himself. When I went into the kitchen and looked at the pan of brownies I realized that the center had not totally baked through enough and were very gooey. So my guess is that the stomachache was most certainly due to undercooked brownies, even though the corner piece he ate seemed okay. Next time I make that recipe, I will definitely bake them in a larger pan (these were quite thick) and make sure the center is not gooey at all before he eats any of them.

The next day I decided to give cookies a try...letting them bake a tad longer than I normally would. He seemed a bit hesitant to try them at first. Can't blame him after that horrible stomachache the night before! He ate a few bites and said his stomach felt funny. It never progressed past that and the feeling went away very quickly. I think it was probably just his nerves more than anything. He has since been eating cookies containing eggs with no problems.

I have to say, his favorites by far right now have been cinnamon quick bread and homemade waffles (only 1 egg per entire batch) which he eats every morning for breakfast. It will be very interesting to see whether his RAST for raw egg is going up or down at our next allergy appointment!

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U.S. Department of Transportation proposes peanut ban on airlines

2010-06-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/02/1988891/rules-aim-for-better-air-travel.html

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday proposed new rules designed to protect air passengers. One would restrict serving peanuts. The restriction could work in one of three ways:

•Ban the serving of all peanut products on domestic flights and international flights to and from the United States

•Ban the serving of all peanut products on flights where a passenger with peanut allergy requests a peanut-free flight in advance

•Require a peanut-free buffer zone in the immediate area of the passenger with a documented severe allergy to peanuts if a peanut-free flight is requested

The public will have 60 days to comment. Go to www.regulations.gov (Docket No. DOT-OST-2010-0140) and let your voice be heard!

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Children's Benadryl, Zyrtec, Tylenol and Motrin RECALLED

2010-05-06T09:13:00.000-07:00

McNeil Consumer Healthcare Announces Voluntary Recall of Certain OTC Infants’ and Children’s Products

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 30, 2010 – Fort Washington, PA. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is voluntarily recalling all lots that have not yet expired of certain over-the-counter (OTC) Children’s and Infants’ liquid products manufactured in the United States and distributed in the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Dubai (UAE), Fiji, Guam, Guatemala, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, and Kuwait. (SEE RECALLED PRODUCT LIST BELOW).

McNeil Consumer Healthcare is initiating this voluntary recall because some of these products may not meet required quality standards. This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children. Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified; others may contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles. While the potential for serious medical events is remote, the company advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use.

The company is conducting a comprehensive quality assessment across its manufacturing operations and has identified corrective actions that will be implemented before new manufacturing is initiated at the plant where the recalled products were made.
Consumers can contact the company at 1-888-222-6036 and also at www.mcneilproductrecall.com1. Parents and caregivers who are not sure about alternative pediatric health treatment options should talk to their doctor or pharmacist and are reminded to never give drug products to infants and children that are not intended for those age groups as this could result in serious harm

For additional information, including affected NDC numbers, consumers should visit our website www.mcneilproductrecall.com or call 1-888-222-6036 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time). Any adverse reactions may also be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Program by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch website at www.fda.gov/medwatch2.|

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. markets a broad range of well-known OTC products.

PRODUCTS NDC Number

TYLENOL® INFANTS’ DROPS:

CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS’ DROPS 1 OZ. GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-144-01

CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS’ DROPS 0.5 OZ. GRAPE FLAVOR* 50580-144-15

CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS’ DROPS 1 OZ. CHERRY DYE FREE 50580-167-01

CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS’ DROPS 0.5 OZ. CHERRY FLAVOR 50580-143-15

CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS’ DROPS 1 OZ. CHERRY FLAVOR 50580-143-30

CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS’ DROPS 0.5 OZ. GRAPE - HOSPITAL 50580-144-18

CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS’ DROPS 0.25 OZ. GRAPE - SAMPLE 50580-144-40

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® SUSPENSIONS:

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 2 OZ. CHERRY BLAST FLAVOR 50580-123-02

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. CHERRY BLAST FLAVOR 50580-123-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® DYE-FREE SUSPENSION 4 OZ. CHERRY FLAVOR 50580-166-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. GRAPE SPLASH 50580-296-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. BUBBLEGUM FLAVOR 50580-407-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. VERY BERRY STRAWBERRY FLAVOR 50580-493-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 1 OZ. CHERRY BLAST FLAVOR – SAMPLE 50580-123-01

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. CHERRY BLAST FLAVOR – HOSPITAL 50580-123-03

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSIONS:

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COUGH & SORE THROAT CHERRY FLAVOR 50580-247-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COUGH & RUNNY NOSE CHERRY FLAVOR 50580-249-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® PLUS DYE-FREE SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COLD & STUFFY NOSE GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-253-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® PLUS DYE-FREE SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COLD & COUGH GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-254-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® PLUS DYE-FREE SUSPENSION 4 OZ. MULTI-SYMPTOM COLD GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-255-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSION 4 OZ. FLU BUBBLEGUM FLAVOR 50580-386-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COLD GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-387-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COLD & ALLERGY BUBBLEGUM FLAVOR 50580-390-04

CHILDREN’S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSION 4 OZ. MULTI-SYMPTOM COLD GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-391-04

MOTRIN® INFANTS’ DROPS:

CONCENTRATED MOTRIN® INFANTS’ DROPS 1 OZ. BERRY DYE FREE 50580-198-01

CONCENTRATED MOTRIN® INFANTS’ DROPS 0.5 OZ. BERRY DYE FREE 50580-198-15

CONCENTRATED MOTRIN® INFANTS’ DROPS 0.5 OZ. BERRY FLAVOR* 50580-100-15

CHILDREN’S MOTRIN® SUSPENSIONS:

CHILDREN’S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. BERRY DYE FREE 50580-184-04

CHILDREN’S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 2 OZ. BERRY FLAVOR 50580-601-02

CHILDREN’S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. BERRY FLAVOR 50580-601-04

CHILDREN’S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. TROPICAL PUNCH FLAVOR 50580-215-04

CHILDREN’S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-603-04

CHILDREN’S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. BUBBLEGUM FLAVOR 50580-604-04

CHILDREN’S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 1 OZ. GRAPE SAMPLE 50580-603-01

CHILDREN’S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 1 OZ. BUBBLEGUM SAMPLE 50580-604-01

CHILDREN’S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 1 OZ. BERRY SAMPLE 50580-601-01

CHILDREN’S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. BERRY HOSPITAL 50580-601-50

CHILDREN’S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COLD BERRY FLAVOR 50580-902-04

CHILDREN’S ZYRTEC® LIQUIDS IN BOTTLES:

CHILDREN’S ZYRTEC® 4 OZ. BUBBLEGUM SYRUP 50580-721-04

CHILDREN’S ZYRTEC® DYE FREE 4 OZ. GRAPE SYRUP 50580-730-04

CHILDREN’S ZYRTEC® SUGAR-FREE DYE-FREE 0.5 OZ. GRAPE 50580-730-15

CHILDREN’S ZYRTEC® SUGAR-FREE DYE-FREE 0.5 OZ. BUBBLEGUM 50580-721-15

CHILDREN’S ZYRTEC® SUGAR-FREE DYE-FREE 2 X 4 OZ. BUBBLEGUM LIQUID 50580-721-08

CHILDREN'S BENADRYL® ALLERGY LIQUIDS IN BOTTLES:

CHILDREN'S BENADRYL® ALLERGY 4 OZ. BUBBLEGUM FLAVORED LIQUID 50580-535-04

* CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS’ DROPS 0.5 OZ. GRAPE FLAVOR is also included in JOHNSON'S ® Baby Relief Kit.

*CONCENTRATED MOTRIN® INFANTS’ DROPS 0.5 OZ. BERRY FLAVOR is also included in JOHNSON'S ® Baby Relief Kit

New Video from FAI

2010-05-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Team Cyclone

2010-04-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of Team Cyclone (Brody plus 2 others from his karate school) performing at the Capitol City Open Karate Tournament held in DeForest earlier this month. Unfortunately they were disqualified when one of the team members dropped his weapon at the very end of the routine...but they looked awesome!

The Egg Challenge!

2010-04-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago Brody underwent some allergy testing with hopes of an egg challenge! His egg RAST numbers have been dropping by about half for the past several years. He started somewhere in the 60s I believe, but as of last RAST (June 2009) he was at 8.24. I didn't really expect him to pass raw egg quite yet,however, a recent study has shown that 70% of people with egg allergy can safely eat "baked-in" egg (350 degrees for at least 30 minutes) as this will break down the egg protein enough so that the body doesn't recognize it the same way.

So we started with the skin prick test (SPT) to raw egg. Actually, Dr. G also had us bring in some boiled milk to do a skin test with that too because some kids can apparently tolerate fully heated milk or baked-in milk just like the baked-in egg. They did the boiled milk and raw egg SPT at the same time and his skin bubbled immediately from the milk. In fact the nurse made the comment "whoa, and we still have 14 minutes on the timer before we measure it!" Then the raw egg wheal soon caught up to it. In fact at this point Dr. G wasn't even sure if he wanted to go ahead with the baked-in egg challenge. Brody was obviously feeling very defeated. You could just tell by his body language. One minute he had been so excited to get on with the test, and then after seeing how his skin reacted he was extremely sad looking. The doctor finally decided to take a small piece of the bread I had made and mix with water to make a "slurry" that they could use to do a SPT with to see how his skin would react to that. Luckily it only created a very small bump on his arm, so it was decided to go ahead with the challenge. He was a bit hesitant to take that first bite, but he loved the cinnamon bread I had made so it made the rest of the challenge go that much more smoothly. Good thing I didn't take the hockey puck blueberry muffins I had initially made! :) After 4 hours, Dr. G finally declared that Brody officially passed the "baked-in" egg challenge!!

I'm so happy and relieved the challenge is over! It definitely feels weird to feed him things with egg in them but also know that he will still have a severe reaction to egg that isn't baked long enough! I have quite a list of things I want to make now (brownies, angel food cake, lemon bars, etc...still dairy-free, but full of egg!), but I have to keep reminding myself that we need to start out slow and keep an eye out for any subtle reactions his body might show.

Dr. G also told us that because Brody had such a strong skin reaction to the boiled milk, that he is most likely one of those individuals who will never lose his milk allergy. I've always assumed this, but it's sad to actually hear it from the doctor. :( But on the bright side, after waiting 10 years, it sure is nice to at least have a little bit of good news regarding the food allergies!

This is a picture I took during the SPT. This is actually after the welts had started to diminish a little bit. In fact, the morning after the test he still had a small hive where the milk SPT had been placed!

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Allergic Living's 5th Anniversary Contest

2010-04-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

Test your allergy knowledge by taking the Allergic Living Quiz. You could win one of 4 copies of Cybele Pascal's The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook!
**Contest closes Friday, May 7, 2010**

http://www.allergicliving.com/contest/

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Hippity, Hoppity, Easter's on its way!

2010-03-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

If the Easter Bunny is looking for ideas about what treats would be safe to bring your food allergic child this Easter, tell him (or her) to hop on over to the Premium Chocolatiers website! This company specializes in milk-free, egg-free, nut-free, and gluten-free gourmet chocolates. These delicious goodies are hand crafted using a signature blend of roasted cocoa beans along with the finest ingredients!

http://www.premiumchocolatiers.com/easter-fun-c-21.html

Happy Easter to all!

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Valentine's Day Treats

2010-02-12T10:27:00.001-08:00

Valentine’s Day is just a few days away, and what better way to let your friends and family know how much you love them than to make allergy-friendly Valentine treats! Whether you make heart shaped pancakes for breakfast or just frost sugar cookies with pink icing, your little ones will be excited and feel extra special! But if you’re looking for some new ideas, maybe you’d like to give one of these recipes a try…

Lemony Love Potion
12-ounce can of pink lemonade concentrate
1 cup raspberry sorbet (I use Whole Fruit brand, available at Woodman’s)
12 ounces lemon/lime soda

In a pitcher, prepare the lemonade concentrate with recommended amount of water. In a separate pitcher, combine the sorbet, soda, and 1 cup of the lemonade. Stir, serve, and enjoy!

Easy Oreo Truffles
1 (16 ounce) package Oreo cookies
1 (8 ounce) container Tofutti soy cream cheese
1 package Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Crush cookies in a food processor or resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin. Place in a medium bowl. Add soy cream cheese and mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Place balls in refrigerator or freezer for about an hour. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. Dip the balls in the chocolate and place on a wax paper covered baking sheet. Decorate with sprinkles or colored sugar if desired. Refrigerate until firm. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

Variation: Use Golden Oreos in place of the chocolate Oreos and add a couple drops of red food coloring to the cookie/soy cream cheese mixture to give the truffles a nice pink color for Valentine’s Day when biting into them!

And of course you can never go wrong with…

Chocolate Covered Strawberries
1 package Enjoy Life chocolate chips
2 Tbsp shortening (optional)
1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Carefully dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture and place on wax paper to cool. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.

Walt Disney World Rocks!

2010-02-11T08:50:00.000-08:00

We just returned from our week long trip to Orlando, Florida a few days ago. The entire trip was wonderful and I wish we could go back to stay! I’ve always heard that Walt Disney World is the place to go with a food allergic child. And after experiencing it ourselves…I couldn’t agree more! Several months before our trip I had contacted Special Dietary Guest Services at SpecialDiets@DisneyWorld.com to request information about how food allergies are handled in the parks. I quickly received a wealth of information in the form of several documents including a Guest Dietary Letter, a Guest Allergy Dietary Request Form, a Food Allergy Dietary Reference Sheet, and Allergy Menus for Epcot. Along with this, the contact person (Lee Brady) also gave me a list of quick service locations that would be able to accommodate our special dietary requests. He also gave me a “heads up” about a potential concern in Animal Kingdom. Apparently the animal keepers roam the park throughout the day and at any given time could have nuts in their pocket to use for demonstration and educational purposes while handling birds and that birds are located in just about every area of that park. In his words…”Be mindful that these keepers would have nut oil on their hands and remnants in their clothing”. Very good to know! Luckily this wasn’t an issue for us though since we weren’t planning on going to Animal Kingdom anyway. We decided it would be a lot like going to a huge zoo, and since the boys have a hard time seeing the animals at zoos because of their vision impairment, it didn’t seem like something we wanted to pay a large chunk of money to do. So instead we spent 1 day at Hollywood Studios, 2 days at Magic Kingdom, and 1 day at Epcot.

Although we only ate at 3 restaurants (2 quick service and 1 table service) during our visit (we brought in our own sandwiches and snacks to help keep the cost down), below I will list some of the very helpful information Lee Brady sent to me…

Prepackaged Snacks
Divvies Chocolate Chip Cookies, Caramel Popcorn, and Jelly Beans are made without milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts and can be found in the following locations:

Magic Kingdom – Main Street Bakery
Epcot – Liberty Inn & Electric Umbrella
Animal Kingdom – Kusafari Bakery & Tusker House Restaurant
Hollywood Studios – Starring Rolls Bakery

Quick Service Restaurants
Ask to speak to a manager upon arrival and they will be happy to go over an ingredient list with you. The following locations have menu items or products that may meet most dietary requests:
Magic Kingdom
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café (located in Tomorrowland)
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café (located in Fronteirland)
Main Street Bakery
Toontown Farmer’s Market and Liberty Square Market
Pinocchio’s Village House (Fantasy Land)

Epcot
Liberty Inn (located at The American Adventure in World Showcase)
Sunshine Seasons (located in the Land Pavilion)
Electric Umbrella

Animal Kingdom
Restaurantosaurus (located in DinoLand USA)
Flame Tree Barbecue (located between Asia and DinoLand USA)
Harambe Fruit Market

Hollywood Studios
Rosie’s All American Café at Sunset Ranch Market
Backlot Express
Studio Catering Company
ABC Commissary
Toy Story Pizza Planet

Additional Information
The following is a list of specific products and where they are located:

Many of the above mentioned quick service locations offer:
Allergy Free Chicken Tenderloins (top 8 free)
Fresh Fruit Cups
Hamburger on Tapioca Roll (Ener-G)
Hot Dog on Tapioca Roll (Ener-G)

I found Frozen Coca-Cola and Silk Soy Milk at The Launching Pad in Magic Kingdom.

Also available at several locations within the parks are Gluten-Free Brownie (contains egg), Rice Milk, Tofutti Frozen Dessert, Rice Dream Frozen Dessert.

Table Service
It is best to make reservations for a table service restaurant several months in advance so they can be fully prepared for your visit. However, even though I had made reservations for Chef Mickey’s at The Contemporary Resort, when we arrived to check in I was told that there were no reservations under our name. I have no idea how this happened, but the hostess reassured us that there would be absolutely no problem with the chef accommodating Brody’s allergies. In fact when Chef Matt came to our table, he told us that he handles 40-50 food allergy families every single day! Chef Matt walked Brody and I through the buffet and explained what was in every single item and what would be safe for Brody’s allergy set. Once Brody decided what he wanted to eat, the chef went back into the kitchen and made up Brody’s plate himself so there would be no chance of cross contamination. Brody enjoyed chicken strips, ribs, rice and steamed broccoli. And for dessert Chef Matt brought out a large bowl of Tofutti “ice cream” and a safe cupcake loaded with sprinkles! Brody was thrilled with his first experience eating at a table service restaurant and I honestly think this might have been the highlight of our entire trip for him!

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Dr. Oz talks about food allergies

2010-01-21T08:54:00.001-08:00

A little bit of hope!

2010-01-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

At Brody's last check-up with the allergist, we discussed the possibility of Brody being able to tolerate baked-in egg given the fact that his RAST numbers for egg have been consistently dropping over the past few years. Studies have shown that many egg allergic individuals are able to consume foods containing extensively heated egg. The reason for this is that the higher temperatures used for these baked goods destroy the egg proteins enough that the allergic antibodies are not able to recognize them.

So we are very excited to announce that in April of this year Brody will be undergoing an in-office food challenge for baked-in egg. And if he passes that test with flying colors, he may also test for raw egg! I have a very good feeling that the baked-in egg challenge will go very smoothly with no reactions. The thought of once again being able to bake cakes, muffins, and cookies with eggs as an ingredient actually makes me giddy! Please send us good vibes for the April challenge!!!

New Auto-Injector Now Available

2010-01-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

Sciele Pharma, Inc., has introduced a new auto-injector for emergency treatment of anaphylaxis. Adrenaclick is a single-dose epinephrine auto-injector and will be available as a single unit or a convenient two-pack. It is available in two dosing options (0.15 mg and 0.3 mg).

Check out the website to see a picture of the new Adrenaclick and to learn more about it!
http://www.adrenaclick.com/

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Peatnut Free Planet

2009-11-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

Anyone who attended the November support group meeting had the opportunity to pick up some samples that Peanut Free Planet was kind enough to send us, including packets of Sunbutter, Doctor Kracker spelt crackers, and Honey Nutz which are honey roasted soy nuts. After visiting the website I was very pleased to find a one-stop shop which carried such a large variety of allergy friendly manufacturers and products. It was also nice to see that they strive to go the extra mile to reassure customers that they are getting a personalized shopping experience such as being able to shop by specific allergens, brands, or even price. And of course all products available from PFP are manufactured in facilities that are peanut free and tree nut free!

This would be an excellent site to keep in mind with holidays fast approaching!
http://www.peanutfreeplanet.com/

Here's what another member of our group had to say about Peanut Free Planet:

"Peanut Free Planet is a terrific company. Ordering from them is a breeze and I am never dissatisfied. Twice a year my friends and I group an order together and easily place it online. It is a joy to find such a plethora of peanut and nut free items that look and more importantly TASTE the same as the nut contaminated ones we have locally. Our favorite is the Quaker Oats chocolate chip granola bars. Others are the mass number of candy bars that are allergy friendly, too. Peanut Free Planet is one of the only places I can order Kit Kat candy bars for my daughter...and they are peanut/nut free, which is what she needs. My non-allergic son can go to the local store and eat any candy bar off the shelf. My daughter can't. What is so 'big' about a sugary, sweet candy bar? To me, not that much... but to my daughter, it's everything. Just to have the same as all the other kids, especially her brother.
Just to be the same, that is where I fell in love with PFP! They have the exact same allergy-friendly items that I need. Last year my daughter got a Kit Kat in her stocking, she knew right away....Santa shopped at Peanut Free Planet!"

Happy Halloween 2009!

2009-11-01T16:32:00.001-08:00

This year for Halloween Brody was Ninja Boy (of course) with his trusty sidekick the Kungfu Pup and Josh dressed up as Dr. Josh, Pediatric Allergist!

Notice the black belt...don't cross the Kungfu Pup!

We had a great time at the annual Food-Free Fall Carnival put on by the Food Allergy Association of Wisconsin!

The Blizzard Wizard and Tinkerbell stopped over to say "Hi"!

Movin' On Up (Karate Style!)

2009-10-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month Brody participated in a promotion test and earned his brown belt in Karate! It's amazing to think how far he has come over the past 3-4 years and how dedicated and determined he still is to earn his black belt. Brody has always been the kind of person who sets his mind on something and won't stop until he achieves that goal.

Congratulations Brody! We are so proud of you!!

Brody's favorite part of the graduation ceremony was breaking a board. Watch the action in this video!

Preparing to Spar!

Sparring Mr. Griffey

Brody and Mrs. Hyke

Brody with his former instructors, Mr. Griffey and Ms. Genrich

Brown Belt Ninja Boy!

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Coupons, Discounts, & Special Offers

2009-10-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Many children (or adults) with food allergies also have environmental and/or seasonal allergies, asthma, and eczema. Which usually translates into lots of different medications! For example, both of my sons and myself suffer from all of the above ailments, so between the three of us we use about 20 prescription medications consisting of inhalers, nasal sprays, antihistamines, medicated creams/lotions/ointments, etc...which really puts a dent in the wallet. However, I have found that many medication websites offer great money-saving coupons! So next time you're given a prescription, be sure to check the affiliated website for special offers before heading to the pharmacy!

Here are the special offers that I have found so far. If you know of any others, please leave a comment!

~Nasal Sprays~

Nasonex:
https://www.nasonex.com/nasx/application?namespace=coupon&event=coupon&event_input=
Save up to $15 per refill.

Veramyst:
https://www.veramyst.com/optin/savings.jsp
Up to $25 off your prescription and refills. Can use up to 6 coupons per year.

~Inhalers~

Ventolin:
http://www.ventolin.com/coupon_special_offers.jsp
Offer limited to 4 prescription refills per year.

Advair:
https://www.advair.com/asthma/coupons-and-special-offers/coupons-and-special-offers.jsp
The coupon states it is for the Advair Discus (which contains a milk ingredient!), but I have verified with the company that the coupon is also good towards the Advair HFA inhaler. This coupon can be used monthly.

Xopenex:
https://secure.xopenex.com/xopenexPromos/xopenex-offer.cfm
Not a coupon for the actual medication, but sign up here for a free Xopenex inhaler holder.

Proventil:
https://www.proventilhfa.com/phfa/application?namespace=coupon&event=coupon&web_program_id=00000304
$15 instant savings coupon

~Antihistamines~

Zyrtec:
http://www.zyrtec.com/econsumer/zyrtec/utility.view?body=/zyrtec/pages/special_offers.jsp
$2 and $4 coupons

Xyzal:
http://www.xyzal.com/patient_resources/freetrialoffer.aspx
5 day free trial prescription

Allegra:

http://www.allegra.com/rebate.aspx

$24 rebate

Claritin:
http://www.claritin.com/claritin/offers/index.jspa
$2 coupons

~Autoinjectable Epinephrine~

Twinject:
http://www.twinject.com/allergy-treatment-resources/injector-rebate.asp
$20 rebate

~Antileukotriene~

Singulair:
http://www.singulair.com/montelukast_sodium/singulair/consumer/r/for_adults/savings_offer_for_singulair/index.jsp Save up to $20.

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Nick News online

2009-10-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

The entire Nick News show, "I'm Allergic to my World", is now available to watch online!

Description:
What is it like to have a deadly allergy? Nick News investigates.

http://www.nick.com/videos/clip/nick-news-allergic-to-my-world-full-episode.html

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I'm Allergic To My World

2009-09-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

On September 27, Dr. Robert Wood of Johns Hopkins will appear on "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee" to talk about kids living with food allergies.

Learn more here: I'm Allergic To My World

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Here We Go Again!

2009-08-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

It’s back to school time again which means purchasing new school supplies, backpacks, clothing, shoes, etc… But for those of us with food allergic children it also means renewing all emergency medication to be kept at school such as EpiPens, rescue inhaler, and Benadryl and just as importantly, it means meeting with our children’s new teachers and making sure they fully understand the seriousness of food allergies, including how to handle an allergic reaction should it happen while your child is at school and hopefully how to prevent an allergic reaction from happening in the first place!

Linda Coss, author of several food allergy cookbooks, has written an excellent article about why it is important for schools to implement food allergy policies to keep our children safe. It also is written in a way so that parents of “all the other kids” can hopefully understand why these safety measures are needed rather then simply telling the food allergic children “just don’t eat what you’re allergic to”. I personally plan on forwarding this article to the principal at my son’s school in hopes that she will send copies home with all of the children in his class to pass on to their parents.

Click here to read "Attack of the Killer Peanut Butter Sandwiches" :
http://www.foodallergybooks.com/Media_Files/attack_pb_sandwich.htm

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Pictures from the Food Allergy Walk

2009-08-11T08:37:00.001-07:00

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the 2009 Food Allergy Awareness Walk on Saturday! We all got a little wet (okay, a lot wet), but it was well worth it!

UW Marching Band

John Stofflet showing off his own EpiPen!

Epi-Man was there to save the day!

Brody's Team!!!

The kids enjoyed face (and body!) painting.

Food Allergy Association of Wisconsin logo.

Silent auction table

The bounce house was a hit...even in the rain!

Walking in the rain!

Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Coupons

2009-07-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

Betty Crocker now offers four gluten-free products which include a brownie mix, cookie mix, devil's food cake mix and a yellow cake mix. To request a coupon for one free gluten-free mix, simply call 1-800-446-1898.

Preparing for the Worst

2009-07-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason, Brody’s mind has been on anaphylaxis lately. I’m thinking it may have to do with the fact that summer seems to be slipping by too quickly and another year of school is fast approaching. A couple of nights ago as I was tucking him into bed, he started asking me question after question about his allergies. Some of these included questions about past reactions he has had, scenarios of future reactions he could possibly have (especially at school), questions of how epinephrine actually helps stop an allergic reaction, what to expect during an ambulance ride to the hospital, etc…This went on for 2 hours. At one point he told me that he wishes that he had already experienced using an EpiPen so he would know what to except as far as pain from the needle and how quickly the medicine would help make him feel better. I couldn't agree more. There have been 2 times in Brody’s life that he absolutely should have received an EpiPen shot for a serious reaction, but unfortunately he never did. The first time was when he was only 13 months old. After grabbing his brother’s peanut butter sandwich and taking a nibble, he began projectile vomiting within minutes, but at that time we didn’t even know that he had food allergies yet and therefore no EpiPen. The second time was about 3 years later and was by far one of the scariest moments of my life. This time the poison to his little body was a tiny amount of milk when he accidentally took a sip out of his cousin’s cup instead of his own. Within 30 seconds he was clawing at his tongue because it “burned”, he was coughing and wheezing, he felt sick to his stomach and weak, and his face was flushed and broke out in hives. It was a terrifying experience. But yet we didn’t give him the EpiPen. Why? Because unfortunately up until that point we were very ill-informed from our allergist. He had told us that the EpiPen was to be used if Brody was ever exposed to peanuts again. He never once told us that some kids do have anaphylactic reactions to foods other than nuts, such as milk. In fact we were told that most children outgrow milk and egg allergies by school age and that these were most likely not very serious and would probably only cause a flare of his eczema if he was to accidentally ingest them. So in my mind at that moment of the reaction all I could think was “What in the world is going on? This shouldn’t be happening!”. I was completely overwhelmed and mentally unprepared for the whole experience. Thank God (!) the allergic reaction started to calm down after a dose of Benadryl and a couple puffs from his inhaler. But when I spoke to the allergist the next day about what had happened, he said “you’re lucky he’s alive”. Those words are forever burned into my memory. I still replay that night in my head over and over and beat myself up about it constantly, but I also know that because of that experience I will never hesitate to use the EpiPen again when Brody has another severe reaction. Notice I said when, not if, because odds are that Brody will experience more life threatening reactions throughout his life as unfortunately accidents are never planned.

The day after Brody asked me all those questions about his allergies, I decided we should dig out one of his expired EpiPens and practice injecting it into an orange to refresh his memory of how it all works and then we used an EpiPen trainer to do some role playing. He seemed to feel much more at ease and satisfied after we did this. As parents it is up to us to educate and prepare our children for how to keep themselves safe and healthy, and for Brody that includes knowing how to save his own life with an EpiPen.

Researchers Find New Way of Reducing Symptoms of Anaphylactic Shock

2009-07-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

A team of researchers from the University of Glasgow have pinpointed a molecule (IL-33) which plays a key role in the development of anaphylaxis.

"Our study showed that IL-33 plays a pivotal role in hugely increasing the inflammation experienced during a period of anaphylactic shock and led us to understand how to intervene to reduce its impact.

An anaphylactic shock prompts a massive inflammatory reaction which often is so severe that it constricts breathing. In our study we found that the severity of the shock is linked to the IL-33 molecule, which acts as an amplifier to the inflammatory reaction. This can lead to a fatal constriction of the airway and, ultimately, death.

Our study suggests that patients with the most severe anaphylactic reactions have very high levels of IL33 in their system.

In basic terms, without the IL33 molecule, the allergic reaction experienced would be far less severe, greatly reducing the risk of death."

Read full article here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158771.php

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Kiss The Cook!

2009-07-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

Apparently I was in the mood to spend some time in the kitchen today! I woke up and decided I would tackle the challenge of coming up with a dairy-free ice cream that Brody would actually like for once! He has never been a fan of any of the soy, rice, or coconut milk ice creams on the market and would much rather eat a bowl of sorbet, preferably orange flavored. I decided to give it yet another try anyway since I have the ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid just sitting and collecting dust. Since Brody is a big fan of mixing Sunbutter and chocolate chips together for a treat, we decided that it might be good with ice cream too!

Sunbutter Chocolate Chip "Ice Cream"

(Milk-free, Egg-free, Nut-free)

2 cups Coffee Rich (or Rich Whip)

1/8 cup canola oil

2 tsp vanilla

1/3-1/2 cup sugar

Mix these 4 ingredients together and pour into your ice cream maker as per directions. This makes a very soft ice cream, so I let it mix for an extra 5 or so minutes until desired consistency. During the last 1-2 minutes, add in a scoop of Sunbutter and a handful of chocolate chips. I didn't measure these amounts, just whatever looked good at the time!

I personally think it turned out very yummy...Brody's still not so sure. Guess I'll be making some more sorbet soon, too!

While I was in the kitchen, I figured I better do something about all the zucchini from my mom's garden that is taking over my counter space. I've been trying to use it up by baking zucchini bread and lots of veggie bakes, but felt like doing something a little different today. My mother-in-law makes a wonderful chocolate zucchini cake, but it's full of eggs. I came up with this recipe not too long ago as a way of using up some my zucchini surplus and treating my chocolate craving at the same time!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

(milk-free, egg-free, nut-free)

4 Tbsp. flaxseed meal + 1/2 cup water, mixed well

3/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini

1 box chocolate instant pudding mix

1 dairy-free chocolate cake mix

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix flaxseed meal and water and let sit until thickens. Add oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add zucchini and chocolate pudding mix and mix thoroughly. Add cake mix and cinnamon and blend until moistened. Mixture will be very thick. Pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Mix together the topping ingredients and sprinkle all over the cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool completely on a rack before cutting.

2009 Food Allergy Awareness Walk

2009-07-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

It's time again for the annual Food Allergy Awareness Walk! This is our yearly fundraiser so that FAAW can continue to help families with food allergies. If you are unable to attend but would still like to donate to the event you can visit Brody's fundraising web page http://www.firstgiving.com/brodysteam and donate.

Walk for Children, Teens, and Adults with Food Allergies
Saturday, August 8, 2009
9:00 A.M. Registration
Warner Park
2930 N Sherman Ave
Madison, WI

Join Us & Walk For A Child, Teen or Adult With Allergies!

Build Your Team or Register!

Six Easy Steps:
1. Go to www.firstgiving.com/foodallergywis
2. Click on "Register for an Event"
3. Select "Food Allergy Walk"
4. Select your registration type.
5. Log in or create an account.
6. Find a team to join or create a new team.

Or Contact:
Food Allergy Association of WI
2722 Union Street
Madison, WI 53704
Phone: 608-575-9535
E-mail: sheree@foodallergywis.org
Fax your registration and credit card information to:608-249-5215

Let your creativity run wild!
Create a t-shirt with your child's picture or show your allergies with signs, posters, and team shirts.

Create a Fundraising Page!

Build your own online fundraising web page at www.firstgiving.com/foodallergywis
Send your friends, family members, and co-workers messages asking them to support your own fundraising efforts. Ask your company if they have a program to match your donation.

***************See you at the walk!***************

Needle-Free Epinephrine Autoinjector

2009-07-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

LONDON, 1st July 2009-- "The Medical House PLC (“TMH”), (AIM:MLH) the specialist drug delivery company, announces that it has now supplied Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, with an advanced needle-free jet injector system specifically designed and manufactured to their specification. The system, known as “cool.click?” incorporates a number of features not previously associated with needle-free devices, such as an innovative dose display. In addition, an enhanced security system allows for safe injection while the level of noise associated with the injection has been minimised..."

"In October 2008 TMH announced a non-exclusive development, licence and supply agreement with Catalent Pharma Solutions and Stallergenes to develop and distribute a variation of the company’s core disposable autoinjector technology for use with epinephrine. Under the terms of this agreement, TMH will customise its proprietary, patented ASITM disposable autoinjector device technology, according to an agreed specification and will be combined with epinephrine supplied by Catalent to create epinephrine autoinjectors for both adult and paediatric use.

These epinephrine autoinjectors are intended for the emergency treatment of anaphylactic shock, mostly due to hymenoptera venom or food allergies and for the use by patients themselves or by a person close to the patient in the event of an emergency. The newly-created product will be distributed exclusively by Stallergenes who are a European biopharmaceutical company, with annual sales in 2007 of ?? million, dedicated to desensitisation therapies for the prevention and treatment of allergy-related conditions. The Agreement covers 13 European countries, including the United Kingdom and incorporates provision for extension to additional territories."

Read entire article here... http://www.pharmalive.com/News/index.cfm?articleid=637156&categoryid=54

Thrill Rides at the Theme Park

2009-07-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week my family took a little mini-vacation to Illinois. We enjoyed one day at the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago (where the boys thoroughly enjoyed The Harry Potter exhibit!) and the entire next day was spent at Six Flags Great America. Other than a possible mild reaction to what I believe might have been food residue on the rides, which resulted in one large angry hive on Brody's cheek that lasted most of the day, we had a wonderful fun-filled time!

Although no outside food is allowed in the park, if you mention to the park attendants when you are entering that you have a child with special dietary needs, they will okay it. I was also told that all of the restaurants in the park have a book listing all ingredients and food allergy info. Also, because of the boys' Ocular Albinism, I stopped in at Guest Relations right inside the entrance and asked if there would be any accommodations they could offer us as the boys are extremely photophobic (their eyes are very sensitive to bright light/sunlight) and I explained that it would be hard for them to stand in long lines in the sun for extended periods of time. The person behind the desk was very understanding and gave us a Ride Accessibility Pass (RAP) which allowed us to set up a time to get on each ride without having to stand in line. Instead, we could wait elsewhere out of the sun and then enter the ride through the exit and get on almost immediately. We actually only ended up needing to use this pass a handful of times though since we were at the park on a Monday and the lines were not terribly long to begin with.

All in all, we had a great time and the boys are already planning a return visit next summer!

Video of Allergic Reaction to Peanuts

2009-07-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

This is a very disturbing video of a man having a severe allergic reaction to peanuts. He decided to record himself during this reaction in hopes of informing people what a reaction can look like, however, this could have ended very badly for him and I certainly hope that anyone else having a reaction like this would use an EpiPen and call 911 immediately!

I'm also bothered by the fact that he states in the video that this would be considered a "mild reaction". According to the Anaphylaxis Grading Chart , this reaction would absolutely be considered anaphylaxis. Luckily this man recovered and now we can use his video as a teaching tool for ourselves and others.

Maybe, Possibly, Hopefully???

2009-06-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

Last week Brody had an appointment for his yearly food allergy testing. I've been very hopeful that he will eventually outgrow his egg allergy, and according to the results from this year's RAST, it looks like that may indeed be happening! In fact the allergist believes that in another year or two we may be able to do an in-office food challenge! Whoo-Hoo!!

Unfortuantely his milk score is still >100...and always has been. I personally don't believe he will ever outgrow this allergy. It's just pure poison to his little body. Such a hard one to deal with considering just walking into a grocery store means that over 75% of everything on the shelves contains some form of milk or could be cross-contaminated with milk (not to mention all of his other allergies), but for now I'm choosing to focus on the good news of possibly outgrowing egg! Can you imagine my excitement of possibly some day making a cake with eggs again?!!!!

We didn't bother re-testing tree nuts or shellfish this year, but oddly enough, Brody's peanut score dropped quite a bit. I'm in no way getting myself excited about that one because A) the number is still high, and B) only 20% of children outgrow peanut allergy by school age...and Brody is already 9. (How can he already be 9?!) If I could choose, I would much rather he outgrow milk than peanut any day! At this point though, I doubt either will happen.

I just have to keep reminding myself to focus on the positive, focus on the positive, focus on the positive...

Swine Flu Vaccine Safe for Egg Allergy

2009-06-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Novartis is making an H1N1 vaccine in cells that should be safe for the egg allergic according to the following article.

"...the cell-based method "eliminates the rare but vexing problem of egg allergy" that means some people can't take a flu vaccine."

http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/SwineFlu/14684

Talent Show Ninja

2009-06-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

Watch the Ninja Boy in action! Brody participated in the school talent show today. He was a nervous wreck this morning, but cool as a cucumber by the time the show started. I volunteered to be the backstage manager, so unfortunately didn't get to actually see much of his performance until watching the video afterwards.

By the way, my darling husband did not realize that if you turn the digital camera vertical while recording video, it will show up sideways when you play it back. So if you get a kink in your neck, it's Shane's fault!! Brody on the other hand, thinks it looks like he is doing karate on a wall...kind of like Spider-Man! LOL Anyone know how to rotate a video?

Free Asthma Storybook for Kids

2009-05-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

Follow this link to receive a free asthma storybook for elementary age children from Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) and Schering-Plough!

https://www.asmanex.com/asmanex/application?namespace=coupon&event=storybook

Book Give-Away!

2009-05-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Be sure to stop by the Food Allergy Association of Wisconsin blog for your chance to win a new children's food allergy book! The Bugabees was written by a local author who wrote the book for her daughter who has food allergies.

The 20th person to leave a comment at http://foodallergywisconsin.blogspot.com/ will win a free book!

Blueberry Muffins

2009-05-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

Each year our elementary school celebrates Mother's Day by inviting all the mom's to join their child for a quick breakfast at the beginning of the school day...otherwise known as "Muffins For Moms". Brody was very excited to have me come to school with him for this event, so I asked what kind of muffin he would like me to make for him to bring along. It was a tough decision between Banana, Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon, etc...but he finally decided on Blueberry!

Blueberry Muffins (milk, egg, peanut & tree nut free!)

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour (I like to use 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat)

1/2 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 cup rice milk

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup frozen blueberries

Topping:

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp dairy-free margarine, room temperature

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups. In large bowl combine 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, lemon juice, rice milk, and applesauce. Mix until thoroughly combined. In small bowl toss blueberries with remaining 2 Tbsp flour just to coat (prevents from sinking), then fold them into batter gently. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling half full. Set aside.

To Prepare Topping: In separate small bowl, stir sugar, margarine, cinnamon and nutmeg with a fork until crumbly. Spoon evenly over each muffin before baking.

Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden brown.

Top 10 List

2009-05-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week, food allergy author Linda Coss has released her list of the top 10 things that parents of children with life-threatening food allergies want:

#10: Delicious and Easy Recipes - For those who must eliminate multiple and/or common ingredients, cooking can be an enormous challenge.

#9: To Be Able to Easily Dine Out - We understand that it is not easy to prepare allergen-free food in the typical busy restaurant kitchen. But it would be nice if we could easily get correct answers regarding what's in the food.

#8: Nut-Free Flights - Airlines cannot control the food brought on board a flight by their passengers, but why must they serve little bags of peanuts? How about crackers, pretzels, raisins, licorice, tortilla chips, or just about any other popular snack food?

#7: Empowered EMTs - In many parts of the country emergency medical technicians do not carry - and are forbidden from administering - potentially life-saving shots of epinephrine. This is ridiculous.

#6: Appropriate ER Protocols - Because up to 40-50% of severe reactions are biphasic, those who go to the hospital for treatment should always be kept under observation for at least 5 hours. Unfortunately many emergency rooms discharge these patients as soon as they first stabilize.

#5: Understanding - We want the people in our lives to understand that we are not a bunch of paranoid hysterical oddballs who are making all of this up for the purpose of calling attention to ourselves and our children. Life-threatening food allergies are a very real condition. And yes, we really do have to take a lot of precautions to keep our kids safe.

#4: Knowledge - Currently the only treatment for life-threatening food allergies is complete avoidance of the offending allergens. Since food, and food residue, is everywhere, parents want to know exactly how to accomplish this seemingly impossible task. What steps do they need to take? What hidden dangers do they need to avoid?

#3: Clear Labels on Packaged Food Products - If there is a chance that a product may contain an allergen that is not included in the ingredient label, the package should say so. But if not, companies should not put "may contain" verbiage on the package.

#2: Safe School Environments - Our kids are not learning disabled and do not need "special education." But they do need a school environment that is not covered with allergenic food residue, and teachers who are prepared to recognize and treat an allergic reaction.

#1: A Cure - Most of all, we want a cure. A real cure - the type of cure that would result in our children being able to eat whatever they wanted to eat, without any risk of an adverse reaction.

Ms. Coss is the author of "How to Manage Your Child's Life-Threatening Food Allergies," as well as two popular food allergy cookbooks, "What's to Eat?" and "What Else is to Eat?" - both of which provide recipes for cooking without dairy, egg, peanut or tree nut ingredients. All three books are available at www.FoodAllergyBooks.com, at Amazon.com, and at various retailers nationwide.

Ninja Boy- The Ups and Downs

2009-05-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Brody graduated to his red-stripe belt in karate last week! Only 3 more belts to go until he gets his black belt!!

Obviously that was the Upper, now for the Downer...We were just told a few days ago that Karate America Portage was closing it's doors for good this week. Brody and the other kids from his karate class are all brokenhearted, yet determined to keep working towards their black belts. We are looking into our options at other karate schools, but unfortunately it will mean traveling farther than Portage. Luckily Brody is busy practicing hard for the school talent show try-outs (karate form to music), so that is keeping him focused right now. Hopefully we will find a good fit for a new karate school soon!

Bleach Baths for Eczema Treatment

2009-05-08T07:05:00.000-07:00

Recently a study was done looking at the role of bleach baths in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema). Click HERE to view the entire article.

"The treated group had improvements in several eczema scores compared to the untreated group, with improvements only seen in the body (submerged in the bleach baths) and not the head and neck. For example, compared to baseline, after three months the treated group had on average 24% less of their body affected by rash compared to a 3% improvement in the placebo group."

When Brody was younger his eczema was so out of control that his entire body was red, scaly and constantly itchy. Both our allergist and dermatologist suggested adding bleach to Brody's bath water twice a week to try to help kill the bacteria on the skin to reduce the chance of infection. Also, swimming in a chlorinated pool weekly was recommended. At first the thought of adding bleach to my little guy's bath water seemed like it would be torture on his already extremely sensitive skin, but actually we found it to be quite soothing for him. Luckily Brody's eczema is under much better control now, but next time an eczema flare rears it's ugly head we definitely won't hesitate to pull the bleach out again!

Vote for Trixie!

2009-05-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

Last month the boys wanted to enter Trixie's picture into the Hotel For Dogs Cutest Dog Contest at our local Family Video store...and she won! Now her picture is automatically entered into the National Cutest Dog Contest. Online voting begins today and will end May 8th.

There are lots of cute doggie entries (about 430 I believe!), but we would really appreciate it if you would vote for Trixie! http://contest.familyvideo.com/entries#3421

Thank You!

Sunbutter Banana Bread

2009-04-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

I love making quick breads. Pumpkin, Zucchini, Banana, Apple...it's all good! There's just something very satisfying about quickly mixing together the dough and then having the wonderful aroma from the oven fill our house while it's baking. And of course the excited anticipation from the boys asking over and over..."is it done yet??".

Yesterday I came across a recipe in a magazine for peanut butter banana bread with a gooey layer of chocolate running through the middle of the loaf. Obviously that's not going to happen in this house! So I tweaked the recipe to fit our needs and the result was absolutely delicious! In fact, I may need to bake another loaf today. =)

Sunbutter Banana Bread
(milk, egg, peanut & tree nut free)
Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Sunbutter (soynut butter would also work)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Batter:
1/2 cup dairy-free margarine, softened
1 pkg (8 oz) soy cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal mixed with 6 Tbsp water (to replace 2 eggs)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp calcium powder (optional)
1 1/2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips

In small bowl, stir the topping ingredients together until crumbly. Set aside

In large bowl, cream the margarine, soy cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flaxseed/water mixture and beat well. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture just until moistened.

Divide half of the batter between two greased 8 x 4 inch loaf pans; sprinkle with half of the topping. Top with chocolate chips. Repeat layers of batter and topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Asthma Medication Resource

2009-04-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

This page from eMedicine.com is a helpful resource for anyone who deals with asthma, whether in yourself or a loved one. Not only are there pictures and information about all of the different asthma medications, spacers, and nebulizers available, but there are also diagrams demonstrating how to position a patient for dosing, and even a list of advantages and disadvantages of each type of medication and delivery device.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1413366-treatment?src=emed_whatnew_nl_0#CFC

Overall, a great resource for asthma medication information!

Table Topper

2009-04-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

Parents of food allergic children know what it's like to worry about the possible cross-contamination from a table where their little one is eating. Well worry no more! Neat Solutions For Children has a great product available called the Table Topper. This new disposable adhesive placemat provides a barrier against food contamination, germs, and dirt that may be unseen on a table surface and is stationary so kids can't easily push or throw the placemat to the ground. And even better yet is the All-In-One Meal Kit which includes a sip cup, table topper, bib with crumb catcher, fork & spoon. Just grab and go!

Visit www.tabletopper.com to view all of the convenient products available. And check out this YouTube video for a demonstration of the all-in-one kit!

Elementary School Art Fair

2009-04-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

Brody's school has an annual Science and Art Fair that the students can participate in if they so choose. This year Brody decided to submit an art project. He ended up making a paper mache replica of Trixie!

Apparently Trixie wasn't so sure what to think of her long lost twin though!

Allergen Labeling Study

2009-03-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

A study at the University of Nebraska found that peanut, milk, and egg proteins were found in products labeled with "may contain", "shared equipment", and "shared facility" warnings. Even more unnerving were the results from a separate study showing that a handful of products with no warnings whatsoever did indeed test positive for milk and/or egg protein.

The Nebraska study found that milk was commonly present in products with a variety of labeling terms:

23 of 50 labeled as "may contain milk"
13 of 57 with "shared equipment" language
9 of 40 with "shared facility" language
16 of 29 with milk listed as a "minor" ingredient
1 of 3 with other labeling terminology

In order to keep our food allergic children as safe as possible, we should all remember that if there is *any* type of may contain warning on a package to assume that it could, in fact, be contaminated and avoid it.

You can view the article in its entirety here: http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAAAI/13318

Why have you forsaken me Sara Lee?

2009-03-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest pet peeves of all time is when a specific brand of food that I have grown to trust over the years to be safe for Brody suddenly reformulates their product and adds one of his allergens! Arghhhhh!!!! For many years I have been buying Sara Lee Honey Wheat bread, and considering the fact that Brody takes a sandwich in his lunch box to school every single day, we have gone through countless loaves during this time frame. Just recently Sara Lee has now started adding milk to every variety of bread they make. Why??? Why fix something that isn't broken? I'm betting that adding that small amount of milk will not change the taste whatsoever...so what was even the point? I'm irritated for myself and all the other families with milk allergic children who will now have to try to find a new brand of bread that they trust. Thanks for nothing, Sara Lee.

If you would like to take the time to contact this company and let them know how much this change will affect your friends/family with milk allergic children, you can do so here: http://www.saralee.com/contactus.aspx

Here is the message I sent:
As the mother of a severely milk allergic little boy, I am very disappointed that you have now begun adding milk to all of your breads. I have been buying Sara Lee Honey Wheat bread for many years because it was one of the only brands I felt safe with for my son, but unfortunately I am now left trying to find a new brand to trust.

On behalf of all milk allergic children and their families, I ask that you reconsider the new formula and bring back what was once safe for these children.

Trixie Pics and an Uh-Oh Moment!

2009-03-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post a few more cute puppy pictures. Trixie certainly has been a welcome addition to our family and she keeps us laughing! Those sharp little puppy teeth sure do wake you up though! The boys like to call her The Little VamPoodle (vampire poodle) when she gets overly excited and tries to gnaw on any body part she can sink her teeth into! LOL

The boys love to take Trixie for walks every day now that the snow has finally melted. Her legs are so little though that she gets tired out and ends up getting carried back to the house. =)

We did have a bit of a problem last week though. I keep telling Josh not to let Trixie lick his face and to always wash his hands after playing with her. Josh was upset about something, so Brody picked Trixie up and put her by his neck so "Trixie could give Josh some love". Of course she got excited and started licking Josh's neck. A few minutes later he came out into the kitchen by me and the entire right side of his neck was covered with hives! I had him jump in the shower, rubbed some hydrocortisone ointment on the hives, and gave him his nightly dose of Zyrtec. He was itchy for a while, but by the next morning the hives were completely gone. So obviously we now know that Josh is definitely allergic to Trixie's saliva, but he hasn't had any other problems whatsoever since we brought her home. When the boys see the allergist in June we will definitely be talking about those allergy shots. But as long as Josh doesn't let Trixie lick his face he seems okay for now and he certainly has no desire to give up his little pup. I hate to think what would happen if he wasn't on antihistamines twice a day though!

The Karate Kid Strikes Again!

2009-03-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday Brody participated in the Capitol City Open Karate Tournament held in DeForest. This turned out to be a very intense competition because Brody ended up tying for first place in his division and had to do a face off! And once again he walked away with a First place trophy!

When I asked him what was going through his head when the judge explained there would be a face off, Brody said he was thinking "yeah, now it gets exciting!" and he was happy that he would get to show off his form again to the judges that he has been working so hard on.

Way to go Brody!!

Living With Food Allergies news clip

2009-03-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

Great job Sheree and Diane!

Puppy Love

2009-03-05T06:26:00.000-08:00

We did it. We adopted a puppy. And we are all head over heels in love with her! I can't believe just how much I have missed having a dog. She is the sweetest little thing and her tiny face just melts my heart. So far so good with Josh! No signs of any allergy symptoms rearing their ugly head yet. Of course that could have something to do with the fact that Josh is already on antihistamines twice a day anyway for other allergies, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all will be okay.

So this is Trixie the Wonder Pooch! Isn't she absolutely adorable? She is a Silky Poodle which is a mix between a Silky Terrier and a Toy Poodle. Her parents were only 5 pounds each, so she will always be a tiny little thing. Little is good! Little means less dander to set off allergies. Little also means less mess to clean up...I could really do without the whole potty training aspect! But then she looks at me with her insanely cute puppy face and my heart melts all over again, so I forgive her little accidents.

Hypoallergenic Dog?

2009-03-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

The boys have been asking (more like begging) for a pet for years. Specifically a dog. I want so badly to let them have some normalcy in their lives. Along with all of Brody's food allergies, he is also allergic to cats and has several seasonal & environmental allergies. Josh tested positive to cats and dogs, along with seasonal & environmental allergens. I myself grew up with lots of pets...cats, dogs, bunnies. I honestly can't even imagine what my life would have been like if I had been told I couldn't have a pet when I was a little girl. They were such a huge part of my life back then. For the boys, we have tried fish and hermit crabs...neither of which give you the warm fuzzy feeling that you get when snuggling with an adorable puppy. We did have a small dog many years ago when we first had the boys tested for allergies and found out Josh was allergic. However, we never saw any evidence of Josh reacting to Sasha whatsoever. This could certainly have a lot to do with the fact that Sasha was a small older dog at the time and the boys didn't interact with her much at all. On the other hand, I have seen Josh get very congested in a short period of time just from being in the same room as a large shedding dog. I asked Josh over the weekend how badly he wants a puppy and if he'd be willing to go through allergy shots if that is what it took for us to have a pet. To my surprise, he said he would "happily take weekly allergy shots for the rest of his life if that is what he needed to do".

So my husband and I have been giving this a great deal of thought lately. Although there is no such thing as a "hypoallergenic dog", there are supposedly certain breeds that seem to create much less symptoms in allergic individuals. A few of these breeds would include Poodle (including cross-breeds such as Labradoodle), Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier, and a Portuguese Water Dog. Apparently the latter is what the Obama family has chosen as their family pet since one of their daughters is allergic to dogs. I personally always wanted a toy poodle when I was little because I thought they were cute little puffballs! And since a small dog equals less amount of dander to interfere with allergies, this seems like a smart choice for us. So after we talk with the allergist and get his thoughts on the situation about whether allergy shots would be a good idea for Josh, we are leaning towards possibly bringing some type of a toy poodle mix into our family. I have found there is a breeder about an hour from our home that raises SilkyPoos (Silky Terrier/Toy Poodle mix). Is this not the most adorable face you've ever seen?

Of course my fear is that we will bring a puppy into our home and totally fall in love with it, and then the boys will start having allergy symptoms and we would have to decide whether to or not to give the dog up. I really hate feeling like allergies rule our lives! Between the food allergies, pet allergies, seasonal & environmental allergies, asthma, eczema, and a vision impairment...Is it so much to ask for my children to experience a little normalcy once in a while?

Cookie Fun!

2009-02-23T06:56:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I was looking at a magazine and Brody happened to look over my shoulder and saw an ad for Pepperidge Farm Verona Cookies.

Brody: "Mom, those look so good!! Are they safe for me?"

Me: "No, honey, I'm sure they probably aren't safe for you, but we can certainly try to make our own!"

Brody: "Awesome!!!"

So over the weekend my little assistant baker and I made our own dairy, egg, and nut-free version of the PF Verona cookies...and boy where they a hit! Just a warning, the cookies do seem to be dry and crumbly when they first come out of the oven, but they will soften up nicely after sitting for a while.

Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

1 1/2 sticks dairy-free margarine

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream margarine and sugar. Add vanilla and salt. Gradually add flour until mixture is a soft dough. Roll dough into small balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the balls slightly and using a rounded measuring spoon or your thumb, make an indentation in the center of the dough. Fill each indentation with a small amount of strawberry jam. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the edges.

Variation: Fill with any flavor of jam you like or even chocolate chips!

To Fly or Not To Fly

2009-02-18T16:38:00.001-08:00

Walt Disney World Planning -- Part 1

My husband and I have finally decided that it is time we take our family to Walt Disney World! We have been avoiding this topic of conversation for several years, but now that our oldest is 12 we just can’t put it off any longer. Where has the time gone?!

Traveling with multiple food allergies is quite the adventure in itself what with cooking/baking/packing enough food to feed an army for a week (seriously my youngest son has a bottomless pit kind of a stomach!), but when you add flying into the mix, I can’t help but wonder how will this possibly work? Granted, I have heard that WDW is very allergy aware and many of the restaurants will be able to accommodate my son’s food allergies as long as we communicate with them in advance. However, I still have no intention of eating out more than a couple of times while we are there. I just feel much more comfortable making my son’s food myself, especially being so far from home in case he did experience an allergic reaction from eating something a well-meaning WDW chef created for him. So for this reason we have decided to rent a house during our stay in Orlando. This way I will have the convenience of a full kitchen at my fingertips.

But back to the flying…The thought of being 30,000 feet in the air with my anaphylactic child while people all around us happily munch on their beloved peanut snacks terrifies me! Eek!!! So how do we know which airline will be the safest bet for our situation? I found this chart on AllergicLiving.com that shows what each airlines policies are regarding peanut allergies. I have to say it all makes my blood pressure rise a bit to realize that there really is no completely safe airline option to choose from, but I also know that allergic people fly everyday without incident. Still…maybe driving 20 hours with 2 super excited/anxious/crazed boys wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all.

Breathe In, Breathe Out

2009-02-17T06:39:00.001-08:00

Brody's asthma has been acting up since October. Several doctors have tried switching his asthma medications, prescribing a short burst of oral steroids (which did wonders for his eczema!), trialing medication for reflux, and even suggesting that what Brody really has is VCD (vocal cord dysfunction). Yesterday Brody had an appointment with his pediatric pulmonologist who wanted to have him do an exercise treadmill stress test to see if this would trigger an asthma attack with pre- and post-exercise PFTs (pulmonary function tests) which evaluates how quickly you can move air in and out of your lungs. Of course Brody loved running on the treadmill and the nurses were quite amazed at how well he did. I tried to explain to them that Brody is an extremely active child and this test wasn't really going to show much or even trigger an asthma attack because he usually pushes himself much harder than they were allowing him to run on the treadmill. He's quite the competitive little boy I must say!

As I expected, the test did not trigger an asthma attack and his PFTs looked great, but luckily Dr. Guilbert agreed that they probably hadn't pushed him hard enough during the test to get to his trigger point. The doctor suggested that Brody start pre-treating with his Albuterol inhaler before any strenuous exercise (gym class, karate class, just running nonstop like the crazy child he is) to see if that helps stop him from developing the chest tightness, shortness of breath, etc. Dr. Guilbert does still think that Brody might have a component of VCD along with the asthma and thinks he should see an ENT specialist to look into that possibility. Unfortunately diagnosing VCD involves spraying a numbing solution into the nose and then threading a tube with a small camera attached at the end up through the nose and down into the throat to actually visualize the vocal cords while making various sounds. Not something Brody has any intention whatsoever of agreeing to! For now we'll see how the pre-treating with Albuterol goes and then decide where to go after that.