Talking Allergies

My son was just tested; he's allergic to sesame, peanuts, tree nuts and wheat. I'm having a tough time imagining managing life to avoid those things, or explaining it to him as he gets older, and the fear of allergic attack. Any ideas, input?

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DS, toddler: allergic to wheat, eggs, nuts, peanuts, sesame.

Aborden,
You have found the right place for great ideas and support.
DS's reacted anaphylactically since 6 months old to trace amounts of all his allergens. At first I was devestated, literally grieved and was in tears every time I walked past the food court, a cafe, down the grocery isle staring at all crackers that listed may contain sesame. We understand fully what you are going through and ask for any help that you need.

My suggestion, take it one day at a time. Believe it or not, it will get easier and what you need to do each day becomes so routine that you manage without even thinking about it.
Are you in Canada or the US? That would help us direct you to products, stores where specific stores where products can be found.

If you post also under his specific allergens, especially wheat, ask for products other people avoiding these allergens have found.

You ARE NOT ALONE

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

Hi ABorden - welcome to our Forum.

The bad news is the allergies, you'll come to see that it's better news is that at least you know what could make your child sick. That makes life manageable. As BC2007 suggests, there's a learning curve, but hang in there and let people here try to help you along this journey.

Allergies mean a simpler approach to cooking. Packaged foods can be difficult, especially at first. Try just keeping things simple. Some basic meat and veg - a little spice or homemade marinade.

Check out our Recipes section on the green bar, lots of good stuff to get you started.

Neither you or your child are alone. Lots and lots of us dealing with food allergies these days.

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Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

That is SO true. I look back now and all the unknowns were the most scary part. If you are dealing with 1 allergy or 20 it is still reassuring to know exactly what it is you need to avoid. Once you know what you are dealing with you can make a game plan from there. It has taken some time but now I can say I am grateful that DS 'just; deals with allerigies, it really could be worse. Tell me that 3 years ago and I never could have imagined finding such a silver lining.

Oh, another one of the best tips I was given from this forum was not to borrow trouble. I don't know how old your son is but don't think past what you need to cope with right now in the present. I became frantic about school, high school, university, birthday parties etc. and DS was still just a baby. Once I learned to focus on the now it really helped.

You'll be surprised how inventive and creative you will become along this allergy journey. Most of us weren't bakers and now we can rustle up some pretty good grub considering all the substitutions we need to make.

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

Thank you thank you thank you! Such great advice from moms who have been through it...it feels good to know we're not alone. I'm going to stay focused on the now, that will definitely help lower my stress.

Our meeting with the allergist was her last app't of the day and I feel she was in a hurry; we had so many unanswered questions, so getting more knowledge is key, too.

Glad to be a part of this community.

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DS, toddler: allergic to wheat, eggs, nuts, peanuts, sesame.

My DH has celiac disease and he was diagnosed 4 years ago. I eat dairy free too. It was a really huge learning curve and there was very little in the way of products to eat at that time, unless it was homemade. Fastforward 4 years and there is a lot more out there for GF, DF foods.

I just want to let you know that even though it may seem impossible and that there is nothing out there right now, you will learn and adapt. There is a lot more education on allergy and anaphylaxis as well, so that means more products will be available that do not have the top allergens, and I see it starting already.

And this community is great!! A wealth of knowledge and resources.

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Hiebs
Me - Allergic to Dogs, Cats, Dairy, Nickle.
DH - Celiac Disease
DS1 - Allergic to Horses, Cats, Dogs - Asthma, Eczema
DS2 - Allergic to Cats - Eczema, Asthma

I was very overwhelmed at first, and it did gradually get easier. If there's a local support group, that's a good way to meet people in a similar boat and trade ideas. This forum is incredibly useful and supportive! Some allergists are great, so if yours isn't, asking around and switching is sometimes worth it. Try to not put all the responsibilities on yourself. Try to educate other family members, spouse, grandparents, etc, so they can help out and make it less stressful. I think the biggest thing is to always always have your autoinjector with you!

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DD 2004 Allergy to peanuts, egg, sesame, and new: lentils and chick peas
DS 2006 Allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, kiwi fruit, eczema

Im sorry about your news! It is really hard at first as everyone has said-especially when they are little-they need constant watching when out and about.
It is-as others say too-much easier to KNOW what you are dealing with as far as allergies go-we always find it hard when having reactions but not knowing what they are to.
With regards to the wheat allergy-you probably already know this, but just remember that wheat-free and gluten free are not the same. Gluten is but one protien found in wheat, barley, rye (among others)-wheat contains many other protiens as well...so what may be gluten free may still have other wheat proteins in it (eg some icecreams).....and something that is gluten free may also still be good for you if the gluten is from say rye flour only. (we have the same issues with barley-but at least wheat MUST be labelled if its in a product-not so for barley here at least)
So good luck-it will get easier.

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twin boys-
c-eosinophilic oesophagitis
j-avoids peanut, sunflower, pineapple all ana-sensitised to maccadaemia.pecan.Passed barley (previous ana) last year...out grew egg ana and peanut at 3 years..became re sensitised with ana at 6 years to peanut.

aborden, it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed at first, we've all been there! Anxiety is natural and even beneficial at this stage as it helps you to retain information. You are adjusting to a new world and it's a bit of a culture shock at first.

Be kind to yourself. If you have a partner, enlist their help, don't try to do it all yourself.

Allergists are quite busy and it's often a long wait for an appointment for allergy testing. That doesn't mean that you have to wait a whole year until you can see the allergist again.

Call the office and ask for an appointment for a consultation. This can often be done in his office while other patients are waiting for their skin prick test reactions to occur (or not). Diagnosing is only part of what they do, educating is another.

I asked our very busy allergist for a consultation and was surprised to get one two days later! Prepare a list of questions and leave space for the answers.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Hi aborden, I wanted to offer my welcome to you as well. We all know how tough it is in the early days, but you will definitely be able to manage this as you learn, learn, learn! This forum was my lifesaver. Our allergist is fantastic, and her nurse is too, but the visit seems all too quick. This group has been amazingly supportive, full of ideas as we each approach a new stage with our child. I love all the food finds when someone is walking down an aisle and discovers a "new" safe food - depending on the allergen(s) you are avoiding. The adjustment to this new way of life isn't always easy, but just tune into this group and you will feel empowered to do your best for your child. Our family believes in making the best of things, so once we made it through the adjustment period, we were able to focus on what CAN we eat, what CAN we do (as in activities that are safe for our family) rather than the negatives. We're all here for you!!!

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14 yr old daughter: no health issues
11 yr old son: allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, sesame, sunflower, mustard, poppy seeds, green peas, some fruits, instructed to avoid all other legumes (except soy & green beans), pollen, cats, horses

Is that what that was?!
It really does get better, aborden....and now you have this forum.

Michele

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Myself - Seasonal, cats
dd-asthma (trigger - flu) anaphylactic to eggs, severe allergies to bugspray and penicilin,pulmicort
ds-Seasonal, cats and OAS
dh-allergy cats, bugspray and guava, outgrew egg allergy

Emotional tool box:
Anxiety = information retention
Anger = energy to act
I'm working on the others...

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Thanks to everyone who posted. It's been a couple week since our allergist visit and with your support and some more information, I'm feeling better than I was before.

Someone suggested a follow-up with the allergist to ask my questions: I can't believe I didn't think of that and had just assumed we'd have to wait a year to see her! That appointment is scheduled for next week

Thanks again. I admire all of you for your strength and look forward to being on the boards with you! Anne

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DS, toddler: allergic to wheat, eggs, nuts, peanuts, sesame.

Glad you got a follow up appointment, Anne.

Now is the time to make a list of concerns.
In your original post, you wrote:

Right now, you don't need to worry about everything. Depending on how old he is, you need to know:
1. Specific allergens-alternative names for them. (You can search these out if need be but your allergist will have this info)
2. Get a Dr's note indicating the allergens and the recommended treatment (avoidance). This is a handy paper to have when dealing with schools, daycares or programs.
3. Prescription for an auto-injector (I assume you already have this).
4. Auto-injector: how to, when to and how to follow up afterward.
5. Plan regarding introduction of new foods.
6. List of recommended resources (maybe your allergist has some good ideas!).

Bring a pad of paper and write down notes. It's a lot of info to absorb.

If possible, bring your partner or a good friend. They can help to remember what was said, keep you on track regarding the questions. It's a very emotional situation and it's easy to get overwhelmed. Having someone there is a great support.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Excellent ideas! Especially asking about introducing new foods. In short, I've been afraid to! Hopefully the appointment will help with this.

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DS, toddler: allergic to wheat, eggs, nuts, peanuts, sesame.