The Ducklings And Allergies

As many of you know, Edward and I have allergies.  Edward's are mostly seasonal, but mine run the gamut from cat dander to photocopier fluid.  Thankfully, neither of us have a cat, a photocopier or, more importantly, any food allergies.

Nevertheless, due in part to the whims of genetics and to the lethal peanut/treenut allergy my nephew has, Edward and I refrained from giving our kids any nuts, and we were careful when introducing other potential allergens into their diet.  We didn't scrupulously dissect the ingredients of every food item we brought into the house, but we bought peanut/nut-free items when possible.

With the specter of full-day school hanging over us, I realized I had to be able to inform the school of any allergies the Ducklings might have.  I was most concerned about Colin, because of his perpetually runny nose and eczema, so he went first.  We discovered that he has an allergy to cashews and pistachios.  On the scale of 1 (minimum) to 10 (maximum), it wasn't a horrible reaction - it was just a 2 - but as the allergist pointed out, it was an "untested" allergy.  As Colin has never eaten either of those nuts, the depth of his allergy was unknown.  He could have an anaphylactic response if he were to consume them, or he might not.  But the allergist instructed us to err on the side of caution and treat his allergy as anaphylactic.  So, we had to provide the preschool with two Epipens and pictures of Colin, in addition to completing the necessary permissions and treatment plan paperwork.

Evelyn and Keith went to the allergist yesterday.  I was almost certain Evelyn would be allergy-free, as she has never presented with any of the tell-tale signs of having issues - no chronic ear infections, eczema, hives, wheezing (unless it's cold-induced) or chest infections.  Keith often wakes up with a stuffy nose and he had pneumonia over the winter, so I fully expected that he would present with at least one reaction.

I was wrong on both counts.  Keith is absolutely allergy-free, thankfully.  And Evelyn... Well, her poor (non-casted!) arm swelled up with half a dozen welts.  I was hoping it was a reaction to dust and pollen, but no... it was the nut series.  She reacted to peanut (2), walnut (1), hazelnut (3), cashew (4), brazilnut (2) and almond (2), as well as to horse (2).  The latter wasn't a shock, because I have a horrendous horse allergy, but the nut reactions took me by surprise.  They aren't severe reactions (my nephew is a 9 out of 10 for his peanut allergy), but because we consider tree-nuts to be untested for Evelyn, we are treating them as anaphylactic.

My sister is wise on the tips and tricks of dealing with a school-aged child who has food allergies (Hallowe'en candy, birthday parties, Christmas treats, class pizza parties... yikes) and while it isn't easy for the child (or parent), it is so much better to be aware and proactive.  Ignorance is not always bliss... In any case, as she suggested, we'll focus on what they can have, as opposed to what they can't, while making sure they are well-versed and vocal when it comes to their dietary limitations.