The Letter

So my peanut allergic son is 4 and in sunday school. In my day, sunday school was a bible lesson, a few songs and thats it, maybe an hour's worth of time. These days kids need variety (so I am told, I am also the 5th & 6th grade sunday school teacher). Not surprising Sunday school, includes the occasional snack, candy rewards and surprise! birthday treats.

How do you impress upon a teenage teacher the importance of a food allergy? so I wrote this letter.

(CHILD'S NAME): Peanut & Orange Allergy; Asthma

Extreme Peanut (possible life-threatening) allergy:
Products containing peanut/peanut butter/ peanut oil / peanut flour should not be in classroom or used for snack, game prizes, rewards, or in craft/art projects. Please check all food labels and ok with us when we drop him off, if possible. Please do not give him any product stating "may contain peanuts or traces of peanut".

No M&M's of any kind (not even plain).

(Child) may not have a non-peanut product if it was packaged with or stored in the same container with a peanut product or made following the peanut product on the same work surface or even sitting on the same tray as a peanut product or if the person handing out the snack touched a peanut product prior to handing (Child) a non-peanut product. He may not pick out peanuts out of foods and the peanuts should not be scraped off of a product and given to him. Examples of this are: Assorted donuts or cookies, caramel corn, Cracker Jacks, trail mix/GORP or other snack mixes that contain peanuts or peanut flour. Cross-contamination is a significant cause of accidental exposure!

I have found that even non-peanut varieties of items such as a few brands of ice cream (including vanilla), jelly beans & Jelly Bellies, Chex & Cheerio snack mixes, Granola Bars & Strawberry Chex cereal has or may have peanut flour in it. Other nut products such as cashews are sometimes roasted in peanut oil. Please check labels!

Also, please check items that other student's parents may bring in for snacks or birthday treats. All homemade treats from other parents should be shown to us for approval before he is allowed to eat anything. Christmas candy bags are handed out as the kids leave the gym from the Christmas Service, (Child) should not be allowed to eat anything from the bag until we arrive to pick him up. We will try to remind you at the Christmas Service.

A few suggested safe treats are most varieties of animal crackers, Teddy Grahams, Graham Crackers, goldfish crackers, Fruit Snacks (that do not contain orange juice concentrate), twizzlers, skittles (good substitution for M&M's), and smarties and many others. Ask me for suggestions if needed. However, since manufacturers change formulations occasionally, please check the label on every package.

NOTE: Products labeled “manufactured in a plant that processes peanuts" are OK if the ingredients do not list peanuts.

Please make sure all teachers, helpers & substitute teachers are aware of his allergy!!

If after eating, should he feel ill for any reason, break out in hives or eyes swell up, please assume it may be peanut-related (accidental or cross-contaminant) and contact us immediately! In case of accidental exposure (known or suspected), we must be notified immediately & he may not be left unattended for any reason (even if he is throwing-up in the bathroom) until we are able to get him. We do have an Epi-pen for him and other medication that needs to be given right away.

If he cannot breath, is passed out or is gasping for air call 911 immediately, notifying them that it is an allergic reaction and send classroom helpers to find my husband or I. The Epi-pen we carry could save his life before 911 emergency personnel arrive.

Orange Allergy: (Child) should not have oranges or anything containing orange juice including punch drinks ( such as McDonald's Orange Drink, Hawaiian Punch & its generic equivalents, Hi-C & most varieties of Capri-Sun), Please note some fruit snacks, popsicles & cereals -such as Fruity Cheerios contain natural orange flavor or orange juice concentrate. This does not appear to be a life-threatening allergy but it causes extreme irritability and uncontrollable itching for many, many days after ingestion, please have a substitution available for him if serving something containing orange.

Asthma: an inhaler for uncontrollable coughing or wheezing will be available from his Mom or Dad, contact us immediately if a problem develops. The inhaler does not need to take before activity. Attacks are usually spontaneous and many times caused by airborne allergens and not usually caused by moderate activity.

Please feel free to post this in the classroom.

Did I miss anything?

So I'm allergic and so is he... now what

Allergies have been a part of my life forever. I got tested about age 5. Peanuts (severe), peas, oranges, walnuts, raw egg, pollens, cats & dogs allergic, allergic, allergic. Allergies and asthma run in my family. Two of my uncles have severe allergies, many of my cousins, even my grandma died from complications of asthma. Its been part of my life forever.

So as I had kids, I did everything I could to prevent my children having the same fate. I breastfed them past a year. Withheld, eggs (less cooked and straight) until age 2 & nuts until age 3.

1st son made it free & clear (except a mild dust allergy), 2nd son not so lucky-- he accidentally ate a peanut m&m at a party and the next morning awoke with a swollen eye. The eye got worse throughout the day and we ended up at the ER for a "just in case" treatment plan of steroids and epinephrine. We also pieced together that his frequent itching was related to any orange he ate including a sip or two of Mt. Dew, Fruity Cheerio's, and a bunch of other things we eventually eliminated from his diet.

2nd son is preschool age but I just don't feel confident with the snack situation so he is not attending this year. I am so nervous about Kindergarten next year. Ughh!!

My turn

It's been about 6 months, since I started reading other peoples blogs and here I am writing my own blog. A better way to vent that in the status on my facebook page!!

I'm mommy & wife. I have 3 boys and 1 girl. Stepson (ss) is 10, older son is 7, middle son is 4 and daughter is 1.