Up and Down

A few weeks ago, we learned from someone in the area that preschools were not accepting children with food allergies. Preschools are private and therefore have this right. I don't remember if it was before Adam was born of when he was a baby, but I know it was before the diagnosing of his allergies that I felt the distinct impression that I need to be prepared to home school my children.

Jason and I are not people that support home schooling in general. If it is necessary due to physical or mental issues, that's one thing, but otherwise we feel very strongly that children should be immersed in either a public or private school atmosphere, in order to develop in the best way possible. Of course there are always really negative parts to public and private schools, but I'd rather have my children face these issues while they are young and in my home, so I can teach them, than have them run free after they leave my home, completely naive about the world.

Previously we have held several discussions with our pediatrician and specialists about Adam and his future in a private or public school. The answer has always been a quick and comforting, "He'll be fine!" that is until today.

Last week, while trying to find ways for our family to become more social and participate in events in the community I called our local YMCA. Part of my reasoning for calling was that I had found out they had free day care available while parents worked out at the gym. A friend had also told me they have a preschool there. I wanted to obtain some information for the future, since next year I will be signing up Owen.

It turns out they can not accommodate children with food allergies in their day care facility. They can accommodate children with food allergies in preschool, to the best of their ability, BUT parents rotate bringing in snacks. Sippy cups and drinks of various kinds are always available and around. A teacher can be trained and always on sight in case of the need to use an epi-pen, BUT they can't guarantee 100% safety.

After speaking with the woman on the phone, I actually felt confident that despite the lack of the 100% guarantee, Adam would be okay there. I can't even give a 100% guarantee in my own home, just because the boys' allergies vary so much.

Then last week came. Baby A had used Adam's bottle nipples while taking some bottles of her own formula. The formula is 75% lactose free, but definitely NOT dairy free in any way. We had washed the nipples thoroughly, or so we thought, but the minute Adam had the nipples touch his face, where ever there was contact, he had a rash. It took me a couple days to figure out what was causing the rash, but when I did I was not a happy camper to say the least.

I sterilized the nipples, boiling them and adding Clorox to the water. Thankfully the rashes stopped coming. But then the reality sank in. If Adam is breaking out over contact with a nipple that had dairy on it, and it had been washed, what does this mean about his allergy to dairy? Is it getting worse in severity too? I called our doctor.

A new sticker was put on Adam's file. It says something along the lines of "allergy to dairy by contact." Today while in the doctor's office with Baby A, the doctor brought up the issue. I explained in detail what had occurred. He kind of laughed and explained that he had been at a seminar last week about food allergies. He had been thinking about Adam. One of the stories (either told by video or in person) was about a little boy with a severe milk allergy. His friends were picking on him at school about his food allergies. One of them decided to throw an open container of milk at him. Instantly he broke out in a blistering rash. Then the doctor became serious. He told me that I NEED to have epi-pens EVERYWHERE I go. And then he said it,

"It may be too dangerous for Adam to go to school."

I know I am in denial about all of this, because I still have milk in my house and really have no desire to remove it, thinking that I can handle this, but then again, Adam broke out because of a spoon used for cereal in the morning just today.

I know there are several other mothers out there with kids who have life threatening allergies that send there kids to school. I ask that you please comment and give your input and experiences.

I know too though that in the last couple of months alone, we've been to the ER over heart monitor stickers. We've been in the doctor's office receiving the tiniest amount of egg in a vaccination causing a whole slew of affects including hives, vomiting, etc... Adam has a lot of allergies and they all seem to be worsening.

It's one thing if it's just milk, but then it's another to have a list that's really long.

So, right now I feel very mixed up inside. But, in the end, what will be will be, and we'll just deal with it. I can teach my kids at home. It will be a lot of work, but I can make it fun right? Secretly I'm going to still hope that Adam will be fine to go to school when the time comes, but if I find some really cool teaching materials, I may just pick them up!

An Allergy Friendly Easter Celebration

I can still remember last year's Easter before allergies were diagnosed. We didn't had a clue what was causing Adam's constant sickness. It's amazing what can happen in a year. This was our first allergy friendly Easter. I must say it was the hardest holiday yet to celebrate without food. Halloween didn't bother me, but Easter I really struggled with. I remember finding the cutest chocolates last year to put in Owen's basket, all race cars and dump trucks. This year there was no candy, not even for Mommy and Daddy. Usually Jason and I do Easter baskets for each other too, but since we couldn't put candy in them, we just stopped.

In the end, I was pretty satisfied with the children's Easter baskets. They loved them.

Owen's Easter Basket: Contents: Diego Gardening Tools & Gloves, The Children's Place Tie, Socks, & Vest for church, No Spill Bubbles (These didn't work. I was really upset.), Thomas the Train Pez Dispenser (I guess this was food, but Owen never used it in that way.), Transportation Stickers and Sticker Book, Construction Vehicle Board Book and 5 Hot Wheels Cars.

Adam's Easter Basket:

Contents: Sesame Street Children's Silverware, Cars Board Book, Frog Beanie Baby, The Children's Place Tie, Socks & Vest for church, No Spill Bubble Blitzer, Road Rockin Rids musical race car, and 5 Hot Wheels cars.

We have an 8 month old foster baby girl living with us right now. She will be living with us for quite some time. Since we can not post her name on the Internet, she will be referred to as Baby A.

Baby A's Easter Basket:

Contents: Butterfly eggs filled with Velcro barrettes for hair, Tonka Bug Car, Shoes for church, Bonnet, Ladybug plate, bowl, & cup, Disney Princess silverware, and her first sippy cup.

Easter is the one holiday that we invite ALL of my extended family. I am so pleased to say that the entire menu was allergy friendly. Click on the titles for recipes, if recipes don't follow.

Tortilla Chips with Fresh Tomato Salsa or Bean & Corn Salsa

Frozen Fruit SaladPasta Salad with Turkey Pepperoni

Ingredients:

allergy friendly pasta of choice

turkey pepperoni

green pepper

olives

cherry tomatoes

allergy friendly Italian dressing

(You can add more veggies, but these are the only ones safe for both of our boys. Normally I would add cucumbers, celery, and cubed sharp cheddar cheese too.)

Stuffed Red Peppers

Ingredients:

4 Red bell peppers with cores and seeds removed

1 pound ground turkey or ground chicken

1 cup uncooked rice

1 can diced tomatoes, or diced fresh tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1/4 c diced onion

salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground meat and saute the onions. Cook the rice while the meat is cooking. Combine meat, rice and canned tomatoes. Season to taste. Put mixture inside the peppers. Top with tomato sauce. Bake at 375 until peppers are tender.

Honey Chicken Skewers (We didn't have the corn with it.)
And for desserts:

Banana Cupcakes

To make cupcakes, alter cooking time to about 15 minutes.

Peach Cobbler

(I cooked this a little too long, but it was still REALLY good!)

We also served allergy friendly turkey hot dogs for the younger kids. Instead of candy for guests at their seats and as table decor we used flowers and seeds. Extended family members brought gifts for all the kids instead of candy, which was really nice.

And the Easter Egg Hunt...

We purchase those miniature plastic animals of all kinds. They fit very well in the larger plastic eggs. My boys were thrilled, so much that they opened each egg, left the eggs on the ground and only collected the animals.

Next year I'd like to come up with some Easter activities and goodies to make before the big day, just to get in the spirit of the holiday, but that will come next year. I'm just grateful both boys had fun on yet another holiday.

Daddy's Birthday Treats

My husband's Wii/Cars Birthday Party was a hit! For more details about the actual party go here. But I must say the allergy friendly food turned out wonderful! Adam LOVED everything and so did my husband.

Dinner: Herb & Chicken Pasta

Owen won't eat pasta, but if he did I could have easily substituted rice pasta.Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (optional) I omitted this
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and reserve.
Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper, basil, rosemary, Cajun seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken from skillet and stir in garlic and onions; cook and stir until clear.
Return chicken to skillet over onion mixture and add broth. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside; spread mixture over pasta and serve.

Dessert: Banana Cupcakes

One of my most favorite recipes that is served to everyone that comes to our home is Banana Cake. I've not been able to adapt this recipe, but it dawned on me a couple of weeks ago that perhaps if I made the boys' allergy friendly banana bread in cupcake holders and then frosted them, they would taste similar. Well, my experiment worked extremely well. The cupcakes were a HUGE hit and the best allergy friendly ones I've tasted so far. For the banana bread recipe click here. The cupcakes ended up cooking for about 25 minutes each, but I'd suggest starting at 15 minutes depending on your oven.

Another birthday successful!

Crazy Idea

So tonight I was thinking a lot as I was washing the dishes and got a crazy idea. After running it past Jason, I think it actually might be a crazy idea that's a good idea, but wanted to get more input. After Halloween I realized how incredibly difficult holidays are having kids with food allergies. Christmas and Easter are just confirming this. I had already decided that next year I would throw my kids a Halloween party that was allergy friendly where they could invite some friends, but now I'm wondering if I should rethink my plans.

What if I threw an allergy friendly Halloween Party for the community? If I combined my kids' food allergy lists together, it would be quite friendly for a lot of kids, who otherwise may not be able to enjoy the holiday. I could advertise through doctor's offices, schools, the paper, and many more places, asking for a donation to help cover the costs of foods, prizes, games, decorations, etc.. It would be a party where parents and children alike could really relax and enjoy themselves. If it was successful for Halloween, why not do one at Christmas and Easter too? I'm sure I could get help from other parents I know.

I'm really liking this idea and am definitely up for the work that would be involved. Knowing myself and just how much our lives have changed because of the allergies, if I saw something advertised like this, I would definitely look into it. The first party may be small, but I'm guessing the attendance would grow at every event, as long as they were fun enough.

So what do you think? Is this idea too crazy?

Sane Woman Turned Wolverine

My pediatrician has challenged me to write a book about my personal journey with Adam, discovering his food allergies and how we live with them. He's requested that I include a section of recipes as well. At first when the idea was mentioned, I thought he was joking. But each time I enter his office he asks how the book is coming and if it is finished. So I've decided to take the challenge. I'm not quite sure what the final product will look like, but my audience will be parents, relatives, and friends of those with food allergies. There are a lot of books about food allergies, but this one I'm guessing will be very different than others we've read. I want to focus on how we cope with food allergies. There's the information portion, but then there's life. That's the hard part. I'm hoping to combine my diet expertise with my husband's counseling expertise (he's a mental health counselor), along with entertaining descriptions of my feelings and thought processes. Please feel free to contribute and/or suggest different aspects of your journey you'd like mentioned or discussed.

This weekend I received my first real inspiration for the book. Tonight I wrote a page and wanted to share. Hopefully you find it entertaining. The feelings are definitely real, but as I was processing these feelings before another dreaded event this weekend, I started noticed my son's super heroes on the floor. It triggered an image of myself as a super hero. Quickly I ran down the list of familiar super heroes, their powers, weaknesses, transformations, etc. It was then I realized, imagining myself as Wolverine, really helped me feel better and cope with the anxieties and frustrations I was feeling inside. When I shared this imagery process with my husband and best friend, they both laughed, but also expressed that the explanation of the imagery helped them to understand me so much more! Enjoy!

Sane Woman Turned Wolverine

My jaw begins to tighten up. Breaths shorten and become shallow. Muscles throughout my entire being feel the familiar surge of energy. Tension shows in ripples across my forehead. Adrenaline has kicked in. It’s time to leave. Safety is gone. The life guard is on duty.

Our destination is supposedly “safe.” Deem it what you may, but no place is ever “safe.” There is always a threat. I plead mercy for the inflicted and for myself. We’re almost there.

“Deep breaths,” I remind myself. “Stay calm.”

And then it happens. We enter. I am provoked.

There is a delicately decorated candy dish filled with luscious chocolate covered nuts of every kind beautifully presented on the coffee table for all to enjoy.

Teeth clench. Fists tighten. It’s as if my heart stops beating. Claws emerge ready to kill.
With all of the muster in my being I try to contain myself.

“Would you mind removing the candy from the room please? My son is allergic. It is very dangerous to have it around while he is here.”

“Oh, he’ll be fine. We’ll keep an eye on the little guy. Besides, the candy is wrapped. He won’t get into it.”

“No, really. It is too dangerous. We will not be able to stay if it is here.”

“Stop being so paranoid! He’ll be fine. Sit down and make yourself comfortable.”

I can’t reign in the urge to kill any longer. I bite my tongue to prevent the words from being heard.

“Why can’t you understand this? I have spoken with you about this before! Are you trying to kill my kid! If you are going to have this stuff around, we will not be coming here again!”

After the brief pause to contain my urges, I am quick to respond, “I’m sorry, we can’t stay.”

Quickly, I scoop up my son and head out the door. One more place we are not welcome. There are so many.

How long did it take extended family members to take me seriously? Friends? Acquaintances?

When did I turn from being a sane woman into Wolverine?

The answer comes too quickly-when my son was diagnosed with severe food allergies.

Play Dough

Owen used to LOVE playing with Play-Do. We have lots of fun toys we use as we mold it and shape it. But once Adam came along all of that fun ended. I've been petrified to even pull it out. One wouldn't think the ingredients of Play-Do would be dangerous BUT they are. A few weeks ago I stumbled across a recipe for allergy friendly Play Dough made with rice flour. I was so excited and just had to try it. Yesterday was the big day. It was definitely a success!

Click HERE for recipe.

Have fun!

Cinnamon Rolls

I had been craving cinnamon rolls for quite some time. It was a quest of mine to find a recipe that both of my boys could enjoy. The thought of spending hours making delicious cinnamon rolls when they weren't around or awake did not appeal to me in the least. A couple weeks ago I finally found a recipe that would work. On Tuesday, I tried the recipe out. I was NOT disappointed in the least! Not only were these the easiest cinnamon rolls I have EVER made, (no need for them to rise or anything), they were amazing. My parents made an unexpected visit Tuesday night. I let them each try a piece. Both of them said they were absolutely delicious. The boys devoured them. My husband said they were too good to save for the boys. (We try to not eat their allergy friendly treats so there are more for them to enjoy.) And the most amazing thing was that I thought they tasted better the second day, cold, taken out of the refrigerator. What cinnamon roll tastes just as good if not better the second day? I can not rave enough about this recipe. The boys both LOVED them too.

I've posted the recipe the way I read it but did mention I substituted water for milk and egg replacer for egg. The notes on the bottom are not mine, but came with the recipe. I agree that the rolls were REALLY sweet and I only used 2/3 cup as recommended. The dough is REALLY soft, but you're not making a mistake. Enjoy! Cinnamon Rolls

Serves 8 or 9

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons shortening or butter (I used our dairy free margarine.)
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup of milk, room temperature (I used water.)
1 packet yeast
1 egg (I used egg replacer)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup potato starch
1 cup corn starch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons xantham gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

TO SPRINKLE ON BOARD COVERED WITH PLASTIC WRAP
1 - 2 tablespoons sugar

FILLING (*see Ellen's note at end of post)
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped nuts - optional

GLAZE¾ cup powdered or confectionery sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
milk to thicken (I used water)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl, combine shortening (or margarine) and sugar. Mix well. Measure warm milk (or water) and add yeast to milk (or water). Whisk well to fully dissolve (**see Ellen’s note). Add milk/yeast to sugar mixture. Add remaining ingredients. Mix very well, being sure to remove all lumps. Dough will be quite soft (***see Ellen’s note).Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it out so it covers a 13 1/2" x 13 1/2" square. Sprinkle sugar on the wrap. Lay ball of dough on top of that. Then pull out another sheet of wrap and gently lay over the dough. Pat the dough down into a roughly squarish pancake. Lift the top wrap up and then reposition it. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough in between the two layers of wrap. Occasionally you'll have to lift and reposition the wrap because it gets "stuck" under the edges. You might have to occasionally flip the whole thing over. Make sure that when you're done you've got ABOUT a 13 1/2" x 13 1/2" square of dough.Remove top piece of wrap. Combine filling ingredients. Spread evenly across dough's surface. (Original recipe poster suggested leaving about a 1 1/2" sugar free edge because when you roll the dough all the sugar shifts and fills this in; otherwise all the sugar spills out).Use the bottom piece of wrap to lift the edge of the dough and start to roll it up forming a long cylinder. Start with the sugary edge, which will be the center of your roll and roll toward the sugarless edge. Cut off or trim up the irregular ends of your "log". Then cut into 8 or 9 slices of similar size, about 1 1/2" wide. Place rolls into a greased round glass pie pan.Bake approximately 20 minutes, until tops are lightly browned.Combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk to make glaze. The amount of milk you use will depend on how thick you want the glaze to be. Stir until all lumps are dissolved. Drizzle over warm rolls if desired.

Notes:*I thought the rolls were a bit too sweet, so the next time I make them I will cut the amount of filling ingredients to about 2/3 of what the recipe calls for.**It seems odd that the recipe doesn't call for proofing the yeast. I decided to cover the milk and yeast mixture with plastic wrap and allow it to at least begin proofing.***The mixture is very, very soft - I was convinced that I'd made a mistake, but it ended up being fine.