Another peanut allergy rant

[monorailsilver]

I'd be ticked off too. My ds has a peanut/treenut & dairy allergy & I only ask to make sure the kids wash their hands after their snack.

I send in a snack for him if it is a birthday party & I have had a few moms ask me if they could make him something & I just say no.

That this is total BULL! That child is not going to have an allergic reaction because of cheese fumes!

I would love to disagree with you on this one but (and I am not about to debate about it but to inform you of my ds's situation). Anyways, he has a dairy allergy & that one is pretty high on the scale (as is his tree nut one).

Last year some time I made pizza from scratch. I make his with out cheese so he doesn't die on me, what a nice mom I am . So I put my dd's pizza with cheese on it in the oven & I put my ds's pizza cheese less in the same oven.

My ds ate his pizza & he threw up & started to get itchy with hives. I thougth to myself did I goof up, did I not wash my hands after touching the cheese since I know I didn't add any to his pizza. I was baffled.

So a few weeks later it, I cooked the pizza on the grill. I did the same thing, my dd's pizza had cheese & ds's didn't & they were both cooking at the same time in the grill.

He again threw up & got scratchy with hives. I finally put 2 & 2 together and realized that the cheese that was not on his pizza but cooked in the oven/grill got into his pizza via an aroma (not sure how to describe it but in a way it was cooked in it, like if I added a spice to something).

So now I know not to cook cheese in the same oven as his cheese free/dairy free stuff.

So although his reaction wasn't horrid as he threw up, phlegmy & got hives plus he was itchy I still gave him benadryl.

My point, well there is no point but boy do I want pizza right now!

 

[lovetoscrap]

So now I know not to cook cheese in the same oven as his cheese free/dairy free stuff.

So although his reaction wasn't horrid as he threw up, phlegmy & got hives plus he was itchy I still gave him benadryl.

My point, well there is no point but boy do I want pizza right now!

Well thanks! So do I now! I can see that since you were cooking the cheese and the heat in the confined space would release allergy causing ingredients and cause cross contamination. That makes sense.

But if you cook the foods at seperate times and sit down together to eat it then he is fine, correct? And that if he is at the table with someone eating a ham and cheese sandwich and he is fine as long as he doesn't come in contact with it, correct? That is my point.

I totally get the pb gives off oils and particles that get in the air. I have friends that have kids that have pb allergy and I understand that. There is a legitimate reason to make accomodations in the school to a point for that. But I have just never heard of anyone having a life threating reaction because they have a dairy allergy and someone ate a bologna and cheese sandwich at the same table.

But I am willing to change my mind if someone can show me different.

 

[Cindyluwho]

That this is total BULL! That child is not going to have an allergic reaction because of cheese fumes! .

OK, totally off topic, but isn't "cheese fumes" a great name for a rock band??

And yes, I think the school is going way too far!

 

[HelenePA]

Good Luck OP!

 

[Mermaid02]

I would think that they are, I would ask the school for proof from the Doctors. Quite a few of my kids friends are allgeric to eggs & I know form the parents not the school due to Birthday parties. The hard part is most of those things are on the healthy snack list. As for the poppy seeds have you tried any of the Thomas' Mini Bagels? the cinnimon ones are quite good. I know the only yogurt my kids will eat are Strawbery & Blueberry. After seeing that list my kids would be eating alot Golfdish cracker & cheese its, whats left.

Kae

They probably provided the list but I'm not so sure they told the school to ban these foods. In Kindergarten (before our nasty peanut allergy reared it's ugly head) there was a little girl who was allergic to peanuts in ds's class. The school/teacher took it upon THEMSELVES to ban peanuts and then all nuts- this was an ingested allergy(fumes didn't bother her etc.) but the school was so paranoid they outright banned them to CYA.

 

[monorailsilver]

Well thanks! So do I now! I can see that since you were cooking the cheese and the heat in the confined space would release allergy causing ingredients and cause cross contamination. That makes sense.

But if you cook the foods at seperate times and sit down together to eat it then he is fine, correct? And that if he is at the table with someone eating a ham and cheese sandwich and he is fine as long as he doesn't come in contact with it, correct? That is my point.

Yes I he sits at the table with us when we eat with cheese/milk but he knows not to touch it (he will be 4 next week).

It takes me about 2 hours to cook pizza-one for me, one for dh (he likes toppings & I don't plus we eat it for a few days after too) & I divide one dough up for the 3 kids. I put all 3 kids in minus the cheese & when it is time for cheese I take out the 2 non allergic kids pizza & just put in my ds's.

But I have found toffuti frozen pizza so now I just call DaVinci & order a pie for us & my ds gets his & we are all happy, more so me that I am not cooking pizza from 4:15 to almost 6.

I still want pizza BTW!

Oh & when my oldest eats a PB&J sandwich, she as to wash her hands after as well as her mouth. Actually after every meal I make my kids wash their hands.

I had one of my dd's friends over last year or the year before (they were about 4-5 yo) & her friend said to me "my mommy doesn't make me wash my hands before I eat or after". Well, little girl in my house you do! No wonder my friends kids are always sick.

My ds is not allowed to sit on my dd's chair (oldest dd as youngest is still in a high chair) or sit at her place at the table because she still thinks it's cool to spill food!

I can tell you I am more worried about other kids touching my son then I am about him eating something he shouldn't have.

Oh & I took my dd to her t-ball team end of year party at a ice cream parlor & they had pizza. My dh was away so he couldn't come or keep the younger 2 kids. Well, my ds sat at the table where the food is served & touched it & his face was all broken out in hives. I didn't have any chlorox wipes on me (reminder to carry them when we go there again) to wipe the table & chair down & I felt so bad for him. I just wiped him & the table down with wipes as well as soap & water from the sink.

It is scary what kids have to deal with these days but I do think I am lucky because he only has food allergies, yes they can be life threatening but there ar far worse things that he can have in his life.

 

[allblue]

I too think the list is too much. I agree that it is going to far.

My son is 6 and in 1st grade. He has a SEVERE (wears medic alert bracelet and carries epi-pen) latex allergy. It is not only contact but any dust that is in the air. He once had a reaction walking into the playroom at the hospital and at the time he went in he was the only one in there. We have also gone to restaurants and had to leave as there were balloons in there and he started having problems. The only thing the parents in his class have been asked is that they not bring balloons into the classroom unless they are mylar and the toys that are supplied for the treasure chest to not contain latex. I have provided latex free rubber bands for their geo-boards in class and have provided the entire class with latex free erasers as well. I believe that is my responsibility. My son does not eat food at school unless it comes from home so that I know that no one wearing gloves touched his food. So I agree with your DH that the mom of the child should be providing snacks.

I also agree that it is not the world's job to conform to my son's allergy. Trust me, latex is everywhere. Lucky for us that my son's first reaction is to break out around his mouth and nose and his voice changes prior to his stopping breathing, so we do have somewhat of a warning. The school also knows this and have instructions on what to do.

Anyway, I agree with everyone else that the list is too much and I say that as a parent of a child who has a severe allergy

 

[lovetoscrap]

Yes I he sits at the table with us when we eat with cheese/milk but he knows not to touch it (he will be 4 next week).

It takes me about 2 hours to cook pizza-one for me, one for dh (he likes toppings & I don't plus we eat it for a few days after too) & I divide one dough up for the 3 kids. I put all 3 kids in minus the cheese & when it is time for cheese I take out the 2 non allergic kids pizza & just put in my ds's.


It is scary what kids have to deal with these days but I do think I am lucky because he only has food allergies, yes they can be life threatening but there ar far worse things that he can have in his life.

Our best friends have 2 kids with allergies to PB--not the airborne problem but contact is an issue. The did have problems with dairy and a few other things but I think those are better now. My friend always laughs at me because I am WAY more hyper about it then she is. We traveled to WDW together a few years ago and I was calling every restaurant ahead of time, avoiding every one that served PB&J, and really stressing about it. I wouldn't let them touch anything in the restaurants until she cleaned it, or eat it until she approved it. She is way more practical aobut it. She kept saying, "Look, I carry the epi-pen and the ambulance can be there in a few minutes. You can't plan for everything"

She does carry wipes to clean off tables and chairs. She asked questions when we got to the restaurants. She makes practical accomodations. When they come to visit us I clean all nut products out of the pantry and put them out of reach of anyone in sealed bags. In her house pb is on a shelf so her DH and older child can reach it! I refuse to serve her kids anything with cheese or other dairy if she isn't around "just in case", she just rips the cheese off the pizza and gives it to them with crust, sauce and pepperoni. When they lived close to us I made my kids change clothes if they had eaten PB before we visited them. She just makes her older dd wash her hands and face if she chooses to eat a PB&J for lunch.

So I really do respect that there are lengths you have to go to in order to protect kids and am willing to go there and beyond sometimes for their sake, but I am just not willing to paralyize an entire classroom/school for outrageous requests.

Monorailsilver--lets order Pizza for lunch today! I'm buying!!

 

[KerriSue]

After reading all these responses I cant tell you how depressed I am. All these poor kids and parents dealing with allergy issues. I had no idea how hard it is to deal with things like that.

Thank goodness both my kids are complete garbage guts with no food allergies. Im not sure I would be able to deal

 

[Kath2003]

I agree that the list is WAY too much. You can't expect every other kid in the class to keep a record of everyone's allergies and avoid them when the list is that long. I would suggest that his parents either make arrangements to collect him at school for lunch, or that he has to eat his lunch separately (sad as that sounds) if these allergies are that much of an issue.

 

[yeartolate]

I too think the list is too much. I agree that it is going to far.

My son is 6 and in 1st grade. He has a SEVERE (wears medic alert bracelet and carries epi-pen) latex allergy. It is not only contact but any dust that is in the air. He once had a reaction walking into the playroom at the hospital and at the time he went in he was the only one in there. We have also gone to restaurants and had to leave as there were balloons in there and he started having problems. The only thing the parents in his class have been asked is that they not bring balloons into the classroom unless they are mylar and the toys that are supplied for the treasure chest to not contain latex. I have provided latex free rubber bands for their geo-boards in class and have provided the entire class with latex free erasers as well. I believe that is my responsibility. My son does not eat food at school unless it comes from home so that I know that no one wearing gloves touched his food. So I agree with your DH that the mom of the child should be providing snacks.

I also agree that it is not the world's job to conform to my son's allergy. Trust me, latex is everywhere. Lucky for us that my son's first reaction is to break out around his mouth and nose and his voice changes prior to his stopping breathing, so we do have somewhat of a warning. The school also knows this and have instructions on what to do.

Anyway, I agree with everyone else that the list is too much and I say that as a parent of a child who has a severe allergy

Stands claps and whistles for allblue!

The point where you make so many demands on the school/class to accomodate your child --- you so fear for the life of your child that you alter everybody else's life ---you either need some better education from your doctor or (get yer popcorn ready) you need to homeschool your child. That list is unreasonable.

If the list was to say "my son can't eat this crap" it is one thing. If it was meant to say "you can't eat this crap either" it is out of line. My gut feeling is that aside from the peanuts, the class should be able to partake freely.