Yesterday we entered the not so select group of children with
food allergies. According to a
CDC/NCHS study, four out of every 100 children have a food allergy and approximately 1% of the U.S. population has a peanut allergy with peanut allergy being
the most common cause of food related death.
I confess that the severity of the situation didn’t really click until today. At first, I just couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to be that mom – the mother of the allergic kid who will make all children miserable for not being alowed to bring peanuts to the classroom. I was angry. Now I am sad. And scared. These are scary statistics. And this is an even scarier reality. To think that even if we make all the efforts to live in a peanut free home, peanut free school, our boys may still encounter it at church, family gatherings, and other social events. They will be the weird kids that can
die if they kiss a girl who just ate peanut butter.
We have learned a whole new vocabulary relating to
severe food allergies. Now we must carry an
EpiPen with us at all times. We carry one in their diaper bag and have another in our medicine cabinet at home. We have learned how to use an EpiPen. It’s a scary thought, the day
when (not
if) we’ll need to use it.
EpiPen. Benadryl. 911.
That’s my new mantra so that when it does happen I’ll be able to function and do what I’m supposed to do instead of freak out.
In my despair and search to become more educated about not only peanut allergies but also how to deal with it, I came across this amazing and extremely informative blog by Robyn,
Peanut Allergy Kid. Robyn suggests having the child wear a
medical alert bracelet and I think that’s a fantastic idea. Do they come in 10-month old baby size?
J
How it happened
Yesterday Apollo had some of my peanut butter toast. By “some”, I mean he licked it twice. I didn’t want to give him a piece because I was afraid it was too thick for him and he could choke. So I allowed him to have a taste. Shortly after Jonas changed his diaper and when I looked at him I noticed his cheeks were red. I asked Jonas if Apollo had been hitting himself with his hairbrush or something while being changed and he said no. I looked again and notice hives forming in his face, around his lips, as he coughed and viciously rubbed his eyes; he also seemed lethargic. We realized then he was having an allergic reaction and immediately called his pediatrician’s office. As first time parents (and of twins) of course we did not have any infant Benadryl at home so Jonas left to the pharmacy to get some while I was on the phone with the nurse. She asked if Apollo was having difficulty breathing or if his throat was swollen. How am I supposed to know? It was not a rethorical question. She instructed me to give him some water; if he drooled it, it meant he couldn’t swallow. By this time my cute little baby was looking more like a little ogre: face, arms, legs and tummy filled with hives, and red red eyes. He drank two ounces of water in two gulps. And then violently vomited. It seemed like he vomitted for an eternity. I knew it then that I should take him to the ER and the nurse, who was still on the phone, agreed. So I strapped him in and drove a couple of miles which felt like the longest ride ever for he was sitting in the back, rear facing, and quiet. I prayed that he would cry so that I would know that he was still breathing. As I turned the corner I saw Jonas; he parked his car and joined us sitting by Apollo. He looked at Apollo and exclaimed, “I can’t believe a child of mine is allergic to peanut”. For those of you who know him know why he’d say such thing. Jonas is a peanut lover. Anything peanut. Add peanut butter and voila, he's a happy guy. Anyway, back to the story. At the ER Apollo was given steroids and immediately started to look better. We were there for a while for observation and were instructed to keep Adonis, Apollo’s identical twin brother, from peanuts as well. They warned us that the second contact Apollo has with peanuts can be fatal if we don’t quickly intervene. They prescribed an EpiPen and explained how and when to use it. We came home and I was exhausted. It's amazing how much energy we use/lose in a scare like this. I decided to call it a night before 9PM. Smart call. Apollo woke up at 3AM and just wouldn't go back to sleep... And so it begins - life with peanut allergy.
