Food Allergies

If you have not picked up the November 5, 2007 edition of Newsweek, you really should. They have an absolutely fabulous article on food allergies. It is by far the best piece of read in main stream media on the subject. Too often, the information on food allergies is either watered down, a half truth, or not comprehensive. I hope this shows people just how serious food allergies are.

I'm reminded of a story I read some time back. A school decided to go peanut free, as at least one of its students was anaphylactic to peanut dust (read: if he inhaled any peanut dust, he could DIE). One father told his son to take a peanut butter sandwich to school and smear it along the halls. Yes, dear ones, a PBJ sandwich at school is part of your civil rights. Yes, the fact that your PBJ could kill someone is beside the point, you deserve to eat that sandwich where ever you might be. Please. That father is lucky I didn't hear him say that, otherwise, I'd tell him where he could shove that sandwich. In fact, it bothered me so much, that some months later, I'm still chewing on it like a piece of tough fat.

I don't think that person (it kills me to call him a human being) is alone in his understanding of food allergies. There are facebook groups dedicated to the right to eat peanut butter and poo-pooing (to say it nicely) those with life threatening food allergies. I really don't get it. This just isn't about someone's comfort. Its about someone's life. Your convenience or desires and someone's life. Why is your convenience so much more important than their quality of life? I guess I could understand it if you couldn't eat anything but peanut butter or even if you were forbidden to eat peanut butter in your own home. You aren't.

I guess the problem is people don't see food allergies as a serious disease. Do people begrudge the physically handicapped their parking spaces, wheel chair ramps, or guide dogs? I think we're past that except for the most bigoted ignoramuses in Anytown, USA. Hopefully, food allergies will soon get the same consideration. Children and adults with this disease do not choose to have it. It just happens. What kid wouldn't love to eat an ice cream cone and mac and cheese? What kid wouldn't love peanut butter cookies? What parent doesn't it kill to know that their child probably will always have to be on guard to protect himself from something as benign as food?

Is it fun to jam an epi pen in your child's leg as they are gasping for breath and are covered in hives from taking a sip of chocolate milk? Is it fun to pray the entire way to the ER that you can make it in time? Is it fun to spend an hour and half at the grocery store reading vague food labels? Is it fun being on hold for 30 minutes with a food or drug company to see if their product has such and such in it? To scrutinize your child's skin to look for eczema? To wonder if you had just done something different? To be hypervigilant whenever you are around food? No, it is not fun. No one would choose this. We cannot wrap our children in bubble wrap. We should not have to keep them under lock and key to keep them safe. They should be able to live a full life despite their disease.

So, you think its bad because your kid can't have a PBJ for lunch? You think its bad that you have to read food labels when its your turn for school snack? Cry me a river. Walk a mile in some of the parent's and kid's shoes at www.kidswithfoodallergies.com and tell me what you think then.

Well, for the first time...

I am a blogger. Yes a blogger. It almost sounds as though I should be dodging cars and jumping on logs to make it to the other side safely.

I don't have any major ideas where I'll take this. I'll probably discuss my job a bit, discuss my family a bit, and discuss my son's extensive food allergies a bit. So, I'll be doing a lot a bit.

Buckle your seatbelts, this is going to be a bumpy ride.