Severe Allergies Are A Disability?

I just finished reading this article on Capenews.net about a school that banned all nut products. The school has already taken precautions of 'nut free classrooms and lunch tables.' I am curious to know what parents think about this?

The ban was very controversial in the article. One parent believed that she was speaking for the majority by asking why her child couldn't bring a peanut butter sandwich to school. Others also agreed that it gives a false sense of security, because ensuring that it is nut free is impossible. I agree with this. I think it certainly does give people a false sense of security. No where will you find a definitely 100 percent guarantee that a place is allergen free. I think it takes away the responsibility from the child, and helps them to believe that in life they will always be in environments where no allergens exist.

Since I have always been the minority, having allergies since I was a baby, and not knowing anyone else with them, I was never raised in an environment with this false sense of security. If my children some day have allergies, I will also want to raise them in an environment where there is no false sense of security, and where they must learn to take responsibility. It is truly up to the parents to empower their children to learn how to take responsibility for themselves. If parents do that, then no matter where their child is, they will be safer knowing how to keep themselves safe, and by knowing what they need to do. Whereas if children are raised thinking they are always safe when they are not, and are not shown how to take care of themselves, then how will they be able to go out in the world one day on their own? Parents can not always be by their child's side every step of the way. They also need to learn to let go.

Educating people about allergies is important, and taking precautions is certainly significant. I think which precautions are taken is what is most important. Education is really the key to helping your child. It is the way to empower them!

One of the woman that was quoted in the article, also commented after another woman commented, how that woman in the article didn't understand. The woman in the article commented back saying, "I learned so much about these disabled kids and the lives they have to live. But I am just a normal person with normal kids, so it took a little bit of time." I have to admit I was extremely offended by this woman. Normal? Am I not 'normal' because I have allergies? These kids are 'disabled?' It doesn't sound like she has learned much since! She is someone who truly needs to be educated about allergies!

When I read this article, I was truly startled by the word 'disability.' I don't feel like I have a disability. Sure, I have something that I have had to learn to cope with, but never once have I felt like I am disabled in some way. I feel very lucky for what I can eat and do. I would never say that I have a disability though! I just don't think that is the right word, because I can still do everything I want to do for the most part. I don't feel any inhibition to do anything. I travel, I live in other countries, I work, I live a 'normal' life. Yes, I can't eat anything I see, but I don't feel disabled by that. Certainly I feel disappointed sometimes, but not disabled, because I know how to take care of myself, and I was given the tools that empowered me to believe that I can do what I want to do, allergies or not!

Back to reality

Last week I was thrown back into the reality of my allergies, as my lip became a bit red and itchy after lunch. There were no hives, I could breathe, and it was only noticeable to me, but sometimes both as an allergic reactor, and as a parent, it is easy to become more relaxed, after not having a reaction for a long time. I do feel like I am always very vigilant and careful, but every now and then I have my eye-opening reminder moments, to bring my back to the severity.

I have talked to parents before about this same problem. When I was interviewing parents for a project that I was working on, I remember one specific discussion. The mom of a son with anaphylactic allergies said, "After a while, if he hasn't had an allergy, I get a bit complacent because it seems so crazy that his allergies can be life-threatening when there hasn't been a reaction. We haven't had a reaction in a while, and I have to make sure that I am always aware, but when he hasn't reacted in such a long time, I start to think that maybe he is outgrowing his allergies."

What are your thoughts on this? I am curious to know if other parents can relate to this feeling! I look forward to your comments

Italian School Lunch

Everyday my school feeds every student and staff member lunch. No one packs their own lunch for school. At first I assumed I probably wouldn't be able to eat anything at school, and would have to pack my own lunch. This was not the case though! School lunch here is very different than in the U.S. They have lots of fresh food. There is salad, fruit, plain pasta, and cheese that are always available. They also make other things each day besides those foods, but I am always able to find at least those foods at school every day.

During our staff orientation week before school started, I went with one of the women who work in the office to talk to the chef and the other people that work in the kitchen. They only speak Italian, so I needed someone to help me communicate. I brought them a copy of my chef card for them to read. I found out that they used to use peanut oil, but stopped last year when one of the students was allergic. Now they only use Olive and Corn oil. They let me take a look at both bottles to make sure they were okay. They also kept my chef card in the kitchen. They were very nice about everything.

Since then, I always feel comfortable eating the basic foods that are always served. Sometimes they make other dishes with many more ingredients that look good, but I am not sure about them, so I don't eat them. Sometimes I double check and ask about a food they are serving, but the language barrier is definitely difficult, and they are so busy at lunch time. If I want to ask them about a food I need to do it before lunch. The kitchen staff is very nice and helpful though, so I feel lucky that it has worked out the way it has, and I am able to eat at school.

I definitely think that having so many allergies is pushing me to work on my Italian. It is hard to have such a language barrier here. No one in this area of Italy speaks English, so dealing with everyday things is tough, but having allergies to deal with on top of that, makes it an even greater challenge!

School Restrictions

Since I am a teacher and have spent a lot of time in schools, I have noticed how differently each school and district handle food allergies.  Below is a list of some of the guidelines that I have noticed when being in a school.  Does your child have any of these same guidelines?

-Pictures of students on the cafeteria wall with list of allergies
-Specific rules/guidelines in classroom, like everyone wash hands before/after eating
-No food or eating in the hall
-No child can share food with another
-A policy of no food or backpacks brought inside the classroom, and everyone who enters must use a handwipe first. 

-One-on-one classroom aide for the allergic child
-Classrooms with PAL posters on the wall

-Signs outside the classroom that say "Allergy Aware Classroom"

-"Nut-free" lunch tables

How do people feel about these guidelines?  Does it help your child feel safer? Do they feel singled out?  When I was in elementary school, I was the only one in the entire school with any allergies.  My teachers were certainly aware, but it was nothing like the way elementary schools are handling it now.  I have a lot to say on this topic, but I would like to hear what you as parents have to say about it?  I look forward to some comments!

Being the new kid with food allergies

The first time I was the "new kid," I was in third grade. It was a year of many firsts for me. My first time at public school, my first time at a new school since preschool, etc. Yet again, I was the only student in the entire school system with food allergies. Of course I stuck out. Not only did I have allergies, but I also did school choice, so my dad drove me a half an hour to school every morning, then my mom came to pick me up in the afternoon. For the most part, everyone else lived in the same town that the school was in.

It was also the first school I went to that served food in the cafeteria. Most students bought food. I was one of few students who actually brought their lunch to school from home. On field trips and other school trips, I had to be careful of all the peanut butter sandwiches. At that time it was really important that I was my own greatest advocate, since my parents weren't with me all day, and no one else had allergies. I always carried my epi-pen everywhere and wore my Medic Alert bracelet!

What ended up helping with being the "new kid" was forming new friendships and finding a great group of friends who were always there for me! There is a group of five of us girls from elementary school, who are still good friends, even after so many years. These girls were always watching for me and there when it came to my allergies! I was lucky to find such great friends! I think finding lasting friendships are so important to have, especially for this reason! Helping your children to find friends who will be there for them and help them is a great way to feel a lot better about being the "new kid" with allergies!

In the News...

Lately there have been quite a few articles about food allergies in the news.  My friend from college who I hadn't heard from in over a year sent me an article the other day on the allergy studies being done for peanuts.  I guess there are some people who will always remember my allergies and think of me!  

There have been articles lately about Northwest and Delta serving peanuts on their flights and the outrage this has caused (mostly in MN),  articles about the peanut studies being done, and about the prevalence of food allergies and the growing numbers of children being diagnosed. These are the main topics I have seen over the past few weeks.  One article I read this morning caught my eye as I was about to leave for work.

The article is from NorwalkPlus.com, a Connecticut news website, and is about a bill being introduced to create uniform guidelines for schools to manage food allergies in schools.  It is something parents should be aware of.  It is called the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2009.  

You can check out the article at: http://www.norwalkplus.com/nwk/information/nwsnwk/publish/News_1/Dodd-Alexander-Lowey-introduce-bill-to-protect-children-with-food-allergies3249.shtml

I will add more about my thoughts on this later...

Yesterday I was out with another teacher at recess.  She told me that a new student was joining her class next week.  "He has a peanut allergy. I've never had a student with one of those before," she said to me.  I told her I had anaphylactic allergies to many foods, including peanuts (I'm new to this school and many people don't know about my allergies).  Then some students were arguing and she had to run over to them, and then it was time to go inside, and I didn't get a chance to talk to her about it anymore.  I want to tell her to ask me if she has any questions about food allergies.  Many of the teachers seem pretty unaware of allergies.  This is a big concern to me!  Teachers really need to be educated.  As someone in this field, I feel like it is especially important that more education happens for teachers.  If they know how to handle food allergies, then they don't have to be worried about having "one of them" in their classroom!  

To be continued... 

My decision: ITALY!

I came to a job decision!  I am moving to ITALY!  I will teach at an international school there, starting in the fall.  I'm very excited!  Now that I have made this decision, it is only the beginning of all of the details I will need to figure out with my food allergies, before I leave.  It is a country where I do not speak the language.  I will need to figure out how to get around language barriers, and find foods to eat. I have traveled to Italy before, but I will be living in an area I have never been to.  I think it will be a great experience for me to grow on many different levels.  It will certainly be a test of my independence, and will be an even greater test of my ability to find food and adjust to a country where the first language isn't English.  This should be an interesting challenge!  I will write more about my questions, concerns, and how the process is going soon!

The International Job Fair

I have never been to a job fair like this before!  There are around 80 schools represented from many different countries, and around 500 candidates looking for positions.  Usually this ends up being plenty of schools for the number of recruiters, but this year, that is not the case.  The economy is affected world wide, and it is definitely showing here.  There are not very many elementary positions.  I was lucky to get three interviews.  One interview was with a school in Cairo, one was with a school in Italy, and one was with a school in Colombia. I had interest in other schools too, and left recruiters notes in a mailbox with my resume. The recruiters can then leave me a letter of interest and information about their schools in my mailbox.  The interviews went really well, and I was offered a job right away by two of the schools.  Now I have to make a decision...

*I just want to also add what I did for food this weekend.  I stayed with two of my friends at their apartments.  I packed a cooler with food in it, and planned my meals ahead of time.  I didn't want to stress my friends out unfairly, by feeling like they had to feed me.  I was also at the fair for the majority of the day, each of the three days.  I left the cooler in the car (it was freezing outside, so everything stayed cold).  When I had time, I could always run out to my car in the parking garage and grab whatever I wanted.  One of the afternoons, I had leftover beef stew.  I asked the restaurant at the hotel where the fair was, if they would heat it up for me. They were really nice about it, and put it in a bowl for me at one of the tables.  I really appreciated it!  This weekend just showed how important it is to plan food out ahead of time.  I had plenty of food and was never hungry, because I figured out a way to eat my own food, and not have to worry about finding food I wasn't allergic to.  

New Job, New people, New Concerns

I started at two new jobs recently.  I try to usually ease in with my allergies.  I don't want to come off too intense or overly concerned, especially since I'm not either one.  I was pushed into telling my new colleagues about them though at my full time job in an elementary school, when I realized nuts were everywhere.  Many of the people in the room I am based out of, had started a diet for the new year.  In this diet, nuts are a big piece of what you are allowed to eat.  Once I saw everyone eating the almonds, I was concerned.  I told them about my allergies, and explained that they could still eat them, but if they were touching the doors, or papers or anything I also touch, that I would really appreciate them washing their hands.

That afternoon my lips felt a little puffy.  I decided it was probably from touching something that somebody who was eating nuts had touched, then touching my face.  I took Benedryl and was fine.  It did make me even more mindful of washing my hands more frequently, and speaking up about my allergies again if I needed to.  The people I am working with don't seem very knowledgeable about allergies.  I will try to educate them when opportunities present themselves.  I'm surprised that in this school environment, these teachers seem so naive and unaware.    

I know that schools are a big concern to parents.  When I was in elementary school, there were no signs on the door, or pictures of me hanging in the lunch room.  There were no "allergy-free" tables, rooms, or zones.  I was the only one in any of the three different school districts that I went to that had anaphylactic allergies!  Of course my parents were huge advocates for me, but being the only one, made it even more important to know how to take care of myself!  

There is a lot more to say on this topic, and I will continue later...  

How I Chose My Best Friend & My Favorite Cereal

It's the first day of pre-school.  Over in the corner I see a pretty girl with dark brown hair, wearing a blue Alice in Wonderland dress, and decide she will be my new best friend.  I am four.    

It's funny how you make decisions when you're a child.  I picked my best friend since I was in pre-school, based on my fondness for Alice in Wonderland.  That friend though, and her family, have been a part of my extended family ever since that first day of school.  They learned and knew my allergies inside and out.  They, among a few other families, who I also consider part of my extended family, were people I felt I could trust with my allergies growing up.  These were people who knew how to use the Epi, understood I couldn't eat any foods or have cross contamination.  These people "got it."  They were comprehenders.  They understood and helped me.  These people are the ones who made me feel like I was just a normal kid, because when I was little, I felt like I could trust them with my allergies.  I didn't have to worry that they didn't understand, or would feed me something I couldn't eat.  

Having friends and people like that for your child is HUGE!!!  It is one of the most important things my parents did for me, because those people never made me feel singled out.  I was singled out in school, in camp, and in just about any other group activity or program, but when I was at my neighbors, or at my friend's, I never felt singled out.  

My favorite cereal was introduced to me by my best friend's mom.  I can still picture that day.  Sara and I were outside playing on the swing-set in her yard.  It was after school, and her mom came out and called us on to the porch.  In her hand was a box of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios.  I remember being amazed I could eat them!  To me, all those pieces of apple cinnamon, stuck on the cheerios, looked like nuts.  I remember reading the ingredients with Leslie, Sara's mom.  There were no nuts!  Even to this day, they are still a favorite!

I just want to reiterate the importance of finding friends you can trust with allergies.  Now, in my twenties, I trust myself when it comes to my allergies.  I recognize the importance though, of finding people for children to trust.  People who truly "get it," are hard to find, but important to recognize, because those are the people who can make a child with allergies feel like a normal kid.

Hostess Cupcakes & Birthday Parties

I was driving down the East Coast from Massachusetts to Florida and back last week.  In the beginning of the drive, I had nice, safe, healthy food packed.  As the drive wore on, I started getting tired and desperate for snacks.  At one of the rest stops in Virginia, I went in, and there on a rack were Hostess cupcakes.  I can't remember the last time I had a Hostess cupcake, and decided that would be my unhealthy snack.  

As I opened the Hostess cupcake package and took my first bite, memories of birthday parties when I was a child flowed back.  In my hands, placed on top of the birthday present for my friends, there was always a pack of Hostess cupcakes.  By doing this, I would always have my own safe cake to eat at parties.  I can picture walking in to a birthday party with my dad.  I was five years old, dressed in this green, sweatshirt type dress.  We walked in, holding a present, two epi-pens with Benedryl in a plastic bag, and a pack of Hostess cupcakes.  My dad walked over to the parent of the child whose birthday it was, showed them my medicine and the Hostess cupcakes, as well as making sure I knew the parent, and where my medicine and cupcakes were being kept.  I would then go play with my friends, like every other child.  

When it came time for cake, and everyone would sit down at the tables with plastic or cray-paper table cloths, I would go get my cupcakes, place them on the paper plate in front of me, wait for everyone to get their cake, then I would eat the cupcakes.  Sometimes I felt jealous of the other kids. I was always the only one with allergies.  Everyone else could eat the cake with colored sprinkles, while I ate the Hostess cupcakes.  

I never fought it.  I always knew what I needed to do to keep myself safe.  This understanding of was mostly due to my parents.  From a very young age they were both showing and telling me about my allergies.  I understood and listened to them, because I knew I had to.  

Sometimes I felt like I stood out, which is something I have felt my entire life.  That is certainly not to say that standing out is always a bad feeling. Sometimes it can be nice to have the attention, but other times it can feel isolating or lonely.  This is why, in a way, that the growing allergies among children, help kids with allergies feel less lonely, because now children know others with allergies.  I was 16 years old before I met someone with severe allergies like mine.  This means I went through the majority of my growing up feeling like I was the only one who had these crazy allergies!  The only one who had their own "special" food.  The only one who had to ask about the ingredients in anything I put in my mouth.  The only one who was often singled out accidentally in school to go get my special snacks or come up and check ingredients. I knew (sort of) that other kids existed with allergies, but I had no proof.  I had never met them!

This is an important topic that I will continue to discuss...