So, our 2-year-old has his first peanut butter sandwich. Consequently, we had the paramedics, some firemen, and a police officer at our house shortly thereafter.
Two ambulance rides, an overnight stay in the hospital, and a prescription for self-injecting epinephrine pens.
It's not like my being allergic to cats, tobacco, or pollen. I'll just get a headache or a runny nose. He'll die. I'm pretty sure I never understood how serious a peanut allergy was until it was my kid in the ambulance, covered from ankles to forehead in a red, hivy rash -- knowing that his throat, stomach, and lungs were having the same reaction simultaneously.
More than 1 in 20 kids have a food allergy that causes anaphalaxys, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphalaxys Network. And now my kid is one of them.
I fell a little bad saying this, but I wish he had just broken his leg like I did as a little kid. I eventually got over it. But this poisoned-peanut affliction? It will actually get worse with time. You can't develop a resistance to it. You just learn to stab yourself with the epi-pen and pray.
He'll never eat a Butterfinger. He'll never get to shape peanut butter cookie dough ith a potato smasher. He'll never shell peanuts at the ballpark. And the kicker for me is, he might not even get to be near people who do those things depending on his sensitivity.
I realize it's not the end of the world, but it's kind of hard to wrap your head around something that will last him longer than I've been alive.
Argh.
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7 comments:
Out of curiosity, did the doctors mention why it seems to be getting so much more common? I literally knew 1 kid that was deathly allergic to bee stings and that was it. I didn't even know that this kind of reaction to common foods was even possible in the general population until like 5 years ago. Maybe I was just oblivious to it but it seems like that kind of potential reaction would be a well known thing.
Matt, you're right so far as I know. There have been studies that show a dramatic increase in peanut allergies and allergies in general from when we were young. I recently read a National Geographic article on the subject of allergies - it was very interesting. It basically said similiar things as this article below.
What's interesting is that the NG article said studies show that kids that grew up on farms (i.e. around farm animals, in the dirt, etc), didn't have as many issues as the kids who grew up in clean, A/C suburbia. So, it's either that we aren't exposed to things we should be to build our immune system or we are exposed to much more things living in the "city", or a combo of both. I don't think anyone yet know why.
http://www.foodallergyinitiative.org/section_home.cfm?section_id=3&sub_section_id=1
Studies show that there has been a sharp increase in peanut allergies over the last 5-10 years, particularly in children, not only in the US but in Australia and the UK. A common question is why? Although no definitive answer is available, there are several theories: that we introduce peanuts to children too early; the increased use of soy in formula and other processed food (soy and peanut are both beans); and the use of roasted peanuts in food (heating changes the protein which the body is more likely to react to), rather than raw/boiled peanuts. Another common theory is the hygiene hypothesis which believes that our immune systems have little to fight anymore because we live in a cleaner, healthier, antibacterial world and therefore, the immune system reacts to certain food proteins and mistakes them for a threat. A lowered immune function due to increased antibiotic use, vaccinations, high processed food and pesticide use are also factors to be considered.
p.s. I forgot to mention that sometimes when I eat peanuts or peanut butter, my scalp tingles. Very weird, but at least I get the best of both worlds: peanut butter and a cheap buzz!
Wow! I am sorry to hear about your son's allergy. My 19 month old son is allergic to soy,peanuts,eggs,wheat and dairy, so I know what you are going through.
I started a website that you might be interested in www.spewdfree.com
There are lots of recipes that are free of soy,peanuts,eggs,wheat and dairy.
Thanks,
Heather
Argh, indeed. Rest assured though, I am already working through my recipes to find peanut/nut/nut-processed-free treats for Thanksgiving and Christmas! Aunt Manda must still be allowed to bake goodies.
UGHH! I am so upset about this! I'm so sorry you had to see your sweet Clark in that state. How terrifying! And the frustrating this is you guys waited to give him peanut butter even. I'm sorry that you and that Clark will have to deal with this the rest of his life. Just know that we will do everything we can to be sensitive to this... when we are back in town we want him to be able to hang out with Cam! We will need your help in educating us on it, but don't hold back!
How about styrofoam penuts, I understand they can be as tasty as some "safe" foods for children with allergies? Or there is always circus peanuts - but they are probably manufactured in a plant that process peanuts or tree nuts.
In all seriousness, this has already made Amanda and I more aware of what we purchase, what's in it, and where and how it was made. Keep us updated and let us know what we can do.
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