Milk protien contact allergy- Where to begin

[candacewi5]

Hi all! I am hoping some of the more experienced members can help. My family is taking our first vacation ever and we are going to Disney World 9/15/12-9/23 and staying at POR. My 5 yo DS has severe food allergies to milk, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. He is also extremely contact sensitive to milk protein. His contact reactions have happened from things such as hand lotion residue, food residue, etc. We have built safeguards into our every day life to help manage the severity of his allergy and also have a service dog trained to check for milk and peanut residue. The one major problem staring me in the face right now is the drippy ice cream all over the parks. Is there a way to minimize the risk? He will already be wearing long (but lightweight) shorts to protect the backs of his legs on rides, long sleeve t shirts (very lightweight) to protect his arms and torso, gloves during the rides only, and closed shoes (no sandals). How do we reduce the risk of other people not touching him or dripping on him? I know this is not common, but it is our reality. The service dog works very well for surfaces, rooms, items, etc. He cannot, however, protect DS from the drips and accidental contact with others. Any ideas are welcome. Is there any other areas of concern anyone else can think of? I keep going through this trip step by step to find any areas we need to plan for, but I am certain I haven't thought of everything.
Thank you in advance for your help and advice! My boys are so excited to take a real vacation and I want it to be just that.
Candace

 

[deegack]

Maybe ask for a VIP cleaning of the room before you get in. This may help get anything that might be left from previous guests. I would also do another quick wipe down before you let him in, just in case.

Would he use a stroller? It may keep him away from people, although I have never had someone else drip ice cream on me. I guess its possible though.


Last, if you haven't call special diets. They can help you with any ADRs you may have.

Good luck! We are arriving the day before you depart.

 

[candacewi5]

Thanks deegack! I will definitely request the VIP cleaning before we get there. I also always clean the room again before my DS is allowed in. I also cover any upholstered furniture with flat sheets because we have had problems with furniture in rooms causing a contact reaction. I don't know what exactly was on the furniture that caused the reactions, but I think somethings are better left unknown!
As far as the dripping ice cream, I also don't remember this ever happening to me. However, my son seems to be a magnet for every drip, spill, and sticky hand. He had been hospitalized for 4 days once because someone tripped at Target and spilled an iced mocha all over him. He was a swollen, wheezy, itchy mess and not too happy about it. The swelling took 3 days to go down enough for him to open his eyes. I will talk to him about using a stroller during our trip for extra protection. He is a very independent child and doesn't like to be different from the other kids, but he can be very reasonable. Thank you for your suggestions. If you think of anymore, please share.
Candace

 

[DVCDawn]

He'll probably be happy to get in the stroller after a while. WDW is exhausting! It's more walking than you think. In WDW you see all kids of all ages taking a break in a stroller, even if they don't fit anymore. Trust me.

I have kids with food allergies (peanut, tree nut, lentils and chickpeas), but not contact-sensitive. After thinking for a bit, I think you'll have to be most vigilant in crowds -- waiting for a parade to start, walking down Main Street, etc. Here's where the stroller will come in handy and, by all means, bring your own stroller -- the WDW rental ones are likely to be covered with all sorts of allergens. Simply by being in his own space, your son will be better protected. If your stroller doesn't have a "roof", I would recommend buying an umbrella that you attach to the stroller. I bought one years ago from Right Start for sun protection when one of my kids was an infant. This could help prevent things from dripping down. Also, to protect the stroller itself, I have also purchased "rain covers" for my strollers. In fact my family spent a very wet day in WDW and the only one who was dry was my DD who was 3 at the time and spent the whole day riding in the stroller, under the rain cover.

I'd also avoid places where they serve mostly ice cream. Yes, there are carts all through the parks that sell ice cream so you can't really escape it. But, there's no reason to sit outside the ice cream parlor on Main street in MK. Those areas I would think have more allergen reside than others.

Also, as a PP has said, contact Special Diets. I've read on other threads that WDW is changing a lot of their suppliers for the allergen-free foods they offer and they seem to be geared more for the gluten-intolerant than the food allergic.

Have a great trip!

DVCDawn

 

[Fuhnuh]

I don't know how much help my post will be, but I can share my personal experience. Our daughter has severe milk, tree nut and peanut allergies and a less severe allergy to egg. Her contact allergy has been less reactive from what it sounds like your son has, but we have made 4 trips to both Disneyland and 3 14-day or longer trips to Disney World without incident. We have always asked for and received a allergy grade cleaning. Although I do remember being somewhere (maybe not Disney) where she had a slight reaction on the bed spread and we requested a clean replacement. She has had way more reactions and mishaps at public playgrounds, play dates and school.

Her contact reactions have lessened over the years (she's 11 now and was only 4 for her first visit), but we did use a stroller for the first visit to give her a little better protection. We also had her wear sunglasses because any dairy contact with her eyes is way more problematic than other skin contact for her. My wife and I still walk with her in the middle in areas where milk contact is foreseeable. Like you, we have been vigilant and on always on the lookout for potential contact. These are some of the things that have worked for us: proper attire, hands off railings, hand washing, wipes, look for obvious residue, extra vigilant in quick service dining areas,stay clear of ice cream eaters or stand between them and your child.

I don't think it should be too crowded the time you are going. We have found it pretty easy during slower times to shield our daughter from skin contact from others. Of course accidents do happen. Your experience with the spilled mocha has been a fear of mine for the 11 years that we've been living with our daughter's allergies.

Special diets was helpful for our first trip, but I have been disappointed since then, but they are a good place to start. We have been very happy with both table and quick service help with DD 11's allergies. Disneyland, not so much. The chefs and managers are usually really good at steering you to food your son may have, but be watchful here. They sometimes can sometimes can get confused and remove one of your allergens and replace with another (I'm talking to you Gluten). I hope you have a great trip and your son's allergies get more manageable with time.

 

[Piper]

If you do use a stroller, you can get a GAC to take it in lines with you. Then it will be handled just like a WC. That will probably be very helpful in The Land pavilion since strollers are not usually allowed in there.

 

[candacewi5]

Thank you Fuhnuh & Piper! I am so happy another parent with a milk contact allergic child has experienced Disney! Thank you so much for your advice and sharing your experience. Severe contact allergies are rare and then tobe able to locate each other is even rarer. We take the usual precautions for contact allergies and shield DS as much as possible with our own bodies. We carry a lifetime supply of cleaning wipes anywhere and everywhere we go. My DS is excellent about not touching anything and always asking before he sits anywhere. The sunglasses are a great reminder. We are all too aware that a contact reaction can become anaphylactic if the allergen is exposed to a mucous membrane. The mocha incident went from contact to anaphylaxis because it splashed his face.
We have contacted special diets to request menu information and have been told they are currently revamping their menu items and will be sure to send it once it is completed. We are very concerned about the menu changes. I wonder if it will become a less allergy friendly place to visit? If so, we may just end up scrapping the trip. It is sad but if we are dropping that kind of cash for a trip, we want to enjoy it and make it a memorable experience for all of the right reasons!
Thank you all again for all of your help!
Candace

 

[Mrs K]

My DD now 16 has severe contact allergies to peanuts, treenuts and seafood. We also carry the life-time supply of wipes. I wipe the room, tables, chairs, doorknobs,etc,etc! I've never asked for a VIP cleaning, basically because I do't trust anyone else to be as careful as I am. I'm a little crazy, but better than I used to be. My DD is alot less reactive now, but I used to carry disposable pads, like puppy pee pads for her to sit on. I also covered her part of the table with napkins after I wiped it down. I also give my DD Zyrtec every day on vacation, it seems to help. She has broken out in hives, but never a trip to the hospital! Good luck, and I hope your son's reactions lessen over time.

 

[NotUrsula]

I don't deal with this myself, but have you considered having him wear a dental hygienist's face shield when he is in crowds? That would seem to be your best bet for making sure that nothing such as the Target incident happens again. (Although I would think that one was really just a very odd freak accident.)

The other thing that might be useful is something that we've done in our family because of extreme sensitivity to sunlight: a cloth poncho that is meant to shield from the sun. If you make them in white they are a lot cooler than long-sleeved pants and shirts, but quick and easy to remove if someone does spill on it. If you make it out of pretty tight-woven fabric like broadcloth it should be water-resistant enough to give you time to pull it off before the liquid soaks in, especially if he could tolerate have a water-resistant coating added.. (And having that length could be used as a quick shield in a pinch, perhaps.)

Honestly, the surfaces that he is most likely to get ice cream residue on are the soles of his shoes and his hands, because kids put their sticky fingers on the rails and ride parts after they eat (how many parents make kids wash their hands AFTER they eat?)

You can buy archivists' disposable white cotton gloves by the box, just like medical gloves. (But a lot more comfortable.)

PS: As to what was on the furniture to cause a reaction, it was probably just skin cream. A lot of brands have caseins in them, including the majority of the ones that are billed as "non-greasy".

 

[Fuhnuh]

NFCEagles has posted a great synopsis of the meals they received for their dairy, egg and nut allergic child here. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2871861
It sounds like it is still manageable, but some of the lapses remind me more of my Disneyland experiences than my DisneyWorld ones. It seems like the change in products is going to take a bit for the chefs and servers to get used to. On our trips to Aulani and Disneyland this year we noticed a desire to provide the new gluten-free products to those without gluten allergies, but with allergies to other ingredients in those products. It seems that paying careful attention and asking questions when in doubt helps. DD11 likes things plain, so I think we should be okay with these changes, but I am not happy about them. I read somewhere else on this forum where a family printed up cards with their child's allergies on them to great success. We may try this for our next trip.

I really appreciate all the reports we get from other Diser's. It help's those of us who deal with severe allergies to decide whether Disney is still for us and if it is how we should prepare for the trip.

Also, there is Whole Foods on Turkey Lake Rd not to far of a drive from Downtown Disney (easiest route). We get our DD11's preferred snacks, "milk", and sometimes meals there. If a visit their is possible for you, I would strongly recommend it. DD11's eyes really light up when she can go pick out some of her favorite snacks to carry around the parks with us.