For the first time ever, I reached out to my elected state officials. I expressed my support of the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act. It's an issue that I feel extremely strong about, and I felt the need to do something. I've gotten one response, which frankly, is more than I expected. I don't know if it will make a difference, but I feel good for having made the effort.
If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know that I'm a big advocate of eating foods that are either organic or are not made with genetically modified ingredients. I believe that genetically modified foods are making us sick and also play a huge role in the increase in food allergies.
Here's a link to a YouTube video featuring Robyn O'Brien, author of "The Unhealthy Truth." That could be me standing up on stage. Just ask my friends. Give me an opening, and I'm going to tell you how the food you're eating is making you sick, how we are human guinea pigs, how disgusted I am at how big business is making profits at our well-being and the well-being of our children, grandchildren and future generations to come and how our government is allowing them to do so. They'd tell you how I'd mention that over 85% of the food in our grocery stores contain GM ingredients and that food manufacturers are not required to tell us. Like Robyn, I'm trying to make a difference one person at a time. I get so thrilled when you guys send me e-mails telling me that reading my blog has made you change the way you eat.
So, watch the video, get fired up and help me make some changes!
Showing posts with label food allergies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food allergies. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Food Allergies & Birth Order
According to a new study, older siblings are more likely to have a food allergy than their younger brothers or sisters. Here's the link to the article that was posted on msnbc.com yesterday.
What do you think? It's applicable to our family, but I know of several families where the youngest child is the one and only family member that has a food allergy.
I love that scientist and doctors are doing so much research on food allergies. Interesting that they now know that first born children have more food allergies than their younger siblings. Do you know what would be even more interesting though?? If they could tell us why!!
What do you think? It's applicable to our family, but I know of several families where the youngest child is the one and only family member that has a food allergy.
I love that scientist and doctors are doing so much research on food allergies. Interesting that they now know that first born children have more food allergies than their younger siblings. Do you know what would be even more interesting though?? If they could tell us why!!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Genetically Modified Foods and the Link to Allergies - Part 3
This is the final part to my series on the link between allergies and genetically modified foods. This post focuses on why our children, newborns and pregnant women are at the biggest risk of developing long-term health concerns as a result of consuming GM foods.
Referencing the article "Moms! GMO Foods Threaten Your Children" on the Nutrition Center Research's website, here's why:
In this particular study, female lab rats were given GM soy before conception and continuing through pregnancy and weaning. Here are the conclusions:
1. Of the offspring, 55.6% died within three weeks compared to 9% from non-GM soy controls.
2. Some pups from GM-fed mothers were significantly smaller and both mothers and pups were more aggressive.
3. In a separate study, after a lab began feeding rats a commercial diet containing GM soy, offspring mortality reached 55.3%.
4. When offspring from GM-fed rats were mated together, they were unable to conceive.
In the article, Genetically Engineered Foods Pose Health Risk for Children, written by Jeffrey M. Smith, author of Seeds of Deception, a UK government-funded study demonstrated that young rats fed a GM potato developed potentially pre-cancerous cell growth, damaged immune systems, partial atrophy of the liver, and inhibited development of their brains, livers and testicles. When the lead scientist went public with his concerns, he was promptly fired from his job after 35 years and silenced with threats of a lawsuit.
According to that same article, differences in GM food will likely have a much larger impact on children because they are three to four times more susceptible to allergies. Children convert more of the food into body-building material. Altered nutrients or added toxins can result in developmental problems. Here are a couple more blurbs..
Kids are regularly fed GM soy-based infant formula. The digestive capacity of small children is less than adults, suggesting that more GM DNA might survive with more transgenes ending up inside gut bacteria or possibly inside organs.
What about corn genetically engineered to create its own pesticide? If the inserted gene were to transfer from the corn that children eat into their gut bacteria, it could theoretically transform their intestinal flora into living pesticide factories.
Children prone to ear and other infections may be at risk of facing antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, due to the use of antibiotic resistant genes.
Milk and dairy products from cows treated with the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH) contain an increased amount of the hormone IGF-1, which is one of the highest risk factors associated with breast and prostate cancer. “rbGH and its digested products could be absorbed from milk into blood, particularly in infants, and produce hormonal and allergic effects, i.e., premature growth and breast stimulation in infants.”
I did a lot of cutting and pasting in this post which I really hate to do. There's a lot more information to further explain these blurbs that I pulled from the article written by Jeffrey Smith. I'd encourage you to read it in it's entirety.
One last thought to leave you with. While we have the choice to limit our childrens' exposure to GM foods by packing safe lunches, what about the children that depend on the school system for hot lunches and often breakfast too? Wonder about the quality of food our kids are getting for $2.00 (or that matter, us, on the $$ menu in fast food restaurants)? You can bet it's below par. Here's one more reference article published on the Center for Environmental Education's website outlining how school food effects the health of students.
Referencing the article "Moms! GMO Foods Threaten Your Children" on the Nutrition Center Research's website, here's why:
- Young, fast-developing bodies are influenced most.
- Children are more susceptible to allergies.
- Children are more susceptible to problems with milk.
- Children are more susceptible to nutritional problems.
- Children are in danger from antibiotic resistant diseases.
- Young, fast-developing bodies are influenced most.
In this particular study, female lab rats were given GM soy before conception and continuing through pregnancy and weaning. Here are the conclusions:
1. Of the offspring, 55.6% died within three weeks compared to 9% from non-GM soy controls.
2. Some pups from GM-fed mothers were significantly smaller and both mothers and pups were more aggressive.
3. In a separate study, after a lab began feeding rats a commercial diet containing GM soy, offspring mortality reached 55.3%.
4. When offspring from GM-fed rats were mated together, they were unable to conceive.
In the article, Genetically Engineered Foods Pose Health Risk for Children, written by Jeffrey M. Smith, author of Seeds of Deception, a UK government-funded study demonstrated that young rats fed a GM potato developed potentially pre-cancerous cell growth, damaged immune systems, partial atrophy of the liver, and inhibited development of their brains, livers and testicles. When the lead scientist went public with his concerns, he was promptly fired from his job after 35 years and silenced with threats of a lawsuit.
According to that same article, differences in GM food will likely have a much larger impact on children because they are three to four times more susceptible to allergies. Children convert more of the food into body-building material. Altered nutrients or added toxins can result in developmental problems. Here are a couple more blurbs..
Kids are regularly fed GM soy-based infant formula. The digestive capacity of small children is less than adults, suggesting that more GM DNA might survive with more transgenes ending up inside gut bacteria or possibly inside organs.
What about corn genetically engineered to create its own pesticide? If the inserted gene were to transfer from the corn that children eat into their gut bacteria, it could theoretically transform their intestinal flora into living pesticide factories.
Children prone to ear and other infections may be at risk of facing antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, due to the use of antibiotic resistant genes.
Milk and dairy products from cows treated with the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH) contain an increased amount of the hormone IGF-1, which is one of the highest risk factors associated with breast and prostate cancer. “rbGH and its digested products could be absorbed from milk into blood, particularly in infants, and produce hormonal and allergic effects, i.e., premature growth and breast stimulation in infants.”
I did a lot of cutting and pasting in this post which I really hate to do. There's a lot more information to further explain these blurbs that I pulled from the article written by Jeffrey Smith. I'd encourage you to read it in it's entirety.
One last thought to leave you with. While we have the choice to limit our childrens' exposure to GM foods by packing safe lunches, what about the children that depend on the school system for hot lunches and often breakfast too? Wonder about the quality of food our kids are getting for $2.00 (or that matter, us, on the $$ menu in fast food restaurants)? You can bet it's below par. Here's one more reference article published on the Center for Environmental Education's website outlining how school food effects the health of students.
Friday, December 17, 2010
New Rules for Diagnosing Food Allergies
Last week, as reported in the Wall Street Journal, the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases issued the first clinical guidelines for diagnosing and treating food allergies stating that blood or skin tests alon aren't sufficient when making a diagnosis. The recommendation is that a combination approach should be taken including a detailed medical history review, and in some cases, an oral food challenge.
According to the WSJ articule, "the guidelines, published this week in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, are aimed at resolving wide discrepancies in diagnosing and treating food allergies among allergists, dermatologists, gastroenterologists, pulmonologists and emergency physicians, as well as pediatricians and internists. More than 30 professional organizations, federal agencies and patient groups were involved in the report, which was in the works for two years."
There has been a great deal of press lately on the topic of whether the many children diagnosed with food allergies over the last couple of years actually have a severe enough allergy to warrant completely removing all possibilities of contact. In many cases patients or parents of patients have been told to eliminate multiple foods only to later do a food challenge and find the patient can tolerate all but one or two of those foods. These recommendations were based on the results of either or both the RAST blood test or the skin prick test. According to experts, "having IgE antibodies to specific foods doesn't necessarily mean a person will have an allergic reaction when eating the foods. Skin-prick tests are more predictive, but they, too, measure IgE "sensitization," which may not result in an actual reaction. The report estimates that 50% to 90% of presumed allergies are not, in fact, allergies." In fact, according to the WSJ, a study published online in the Journal of Pediatrics this fall reviewed 125 children evaluated for food allergies and eczema at National Jewish in 2007 and 2008. They found that over 90% of the foods the children were avoiding were returned to their diets after food challenges.
Here is a great illustration of the new clinical guidelines for diagnosing food allergies as opposed to what has been happening.
Other significant guidelines from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases include:
According to the WSJ articule, "the guidelines, published this week in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, are aimed at resolving wide discrepancies in diagnosing and treating food allergies among allergists, dermatologists, gastroenterologists, pulmonologists and emergency physicians, as well as pediatricians and internists. More than 30 professional organizations, federal agencies and patient groups were involved in the report, which was in the works for two years."
There has been a great deal of press lately on the topic of whether the many children diagnosed with food allergies over the last couple of years actually have a severe enough allergy to warrant completely removing all possibilities of contact. In many cases patients or parents of patients have been told to eliminate multiple foods only to later do a food challenge and find the patient can tolerate all but one or two of those foods. These recommendations were based on the results of either or both the RAST blood test or the skin prick test. According to experts, "having IgE antibodies to specific foods doesn't necessarily mean a person will have an allergic reaction when eating the foods. Skin-prick tests are more predictive, but they, too, measure IgE "sensitization," which may not result in an actual reaction. The report estimates that 50% to 90% of presumed allergies are not, in fact, allergies." In fact, according to the WSJ, a study published online in the Journal of Pediatrics this fall reviewed 125 children evaluated for food allergies and eczema at National Jewish in 2007 and 2008. They found that over 90% of the foods the children were avoiding were returned to their diets after food challenges.
Here is a great illustration of the new clinical guidelines for diagnosing food allergies as opposed to what has been happening.
Other significant guidelines from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases include:
- Introducing solid foods to infants should not be delayed beyond 4 to 6 months old.
- People with an egg allergy need not avoid the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. But they should avoid vaccines for influenza, yellow fever or rabies.
- Even those at high risk for food allergies, such as family members of those with allergies, may not need routine testing. One exception: siblings of children with severe peanut allergies.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Interview with Dr. Wesley Burks
A fellow mom/blogger of food allergic children recently had the opportunity to interview Dr. Burks. She has an informative website, www.allergymoms.com and a blog at http://www.allergymoms.com/modules/wordpress/index.php. Here is the link to her interview with Dr. Burks. It gives a great overview of the immunotherapy clinical trials, some results they've seen, next steps, etc. There's more information on the oral immunotherapy trials (peanut flour) than the sublingual (drops that Abigail takes) because that was the original trial, and they have 5 plus years of data. Our doctor for the sublinugal trial has submitted a paper and hopes that it will be published soon. We're looking forward to reading about the current successes of the sublingual study. It's neat to know that Abigail's data is a part of those results.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Shaklee Products
I was lucky enough to be sent a Get Clean Starter Kit by a local distributor. It felt like Christmas opening the box of cleaning products for all areas of my home...laundry, dishes, bathrooms, kitchen, etc. I agreed to review the products after the distributor shared with me how his then 3 year old daughter's asthma and allergies would flair up after their routine house cleaning, and that when they switched to this line of cleaning products, her asthma symptoms subsided. For the last 2 1/2 years since switching to the Get Clean products, she's required neither a Nebulizer or steroid inhalers. Maybe coincidental, but definitely note-worthy.
With asthma and allergies going hand and hand, I was intrigued, and I thought my readers would be also. Common cleaners can actually increase the risk of kids developing asthma which has increased more than 160% in children under the age of 5 from 1980 to 1994, and is the most common serious chronic disease of childhood. And, this is important, with the exception of the Germ Off Disinfecting Wipes which includes soy, the Get Clean line of products is free of milk/dairy, peanut, soy, wheat gluten, fish, shell fish, mango, sesame, sunflower, kiwi, tropical fruits, melons, eggs and seed ingredients making the products a great choice for food allergy sufferers.
As if that's not enough, Shaklee claims that the Get Clean product line out-cleans or matches 22 national brands, and if you don't see that type of performance, they offer a 100% money-back guarantee. Unlike many of the competitive brands, the products are safe and do not include hazardous chemicals. All of the product packaging is "green", i.e., the ingredients come from natural sources, the packaging is recyclable and the products do not include chlorine bleach, phosphates, nitrates, borates, etc.
For example, the Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate can be used indoors or outdoors, and when used as directed, can tackle grease, grime and dirt on any washable surface.. One bottle (at just $12.15) equals the cleaning uses of 5,824 bottles of the 26 ounce size of Windex. In fact, by me receiving the starter kit, 108 pounds of packaging waste should be kept out of landfills and 248 pounds of greenhouse gas eliminated. For someone that becomes more of a tree-hugger by the day, that's exciting!
But, how did I like the Get Clean line of products? My dishes are spotless, my windows shine and my clothes look, smell and feel great. Truthfully, I expected all of the products to work well. What was surprising was the feeling that I was doing something really good for my family, for my home environment and for my planet every time I used them.
What is my favorite? So far, I think the Soft Fabric Dryer Sheets are the most clever. Shaklee makes them with a 100% vegetable-derived softener on fragrance and preservative free, biodegradable sheets. The sheet breaks in two in the dryer so that there is a more even distribution of softener and less static cling. What I find really cool is that when your laundry is dry, you can put the used dryer sheet in with your recycling. My favorite product though is the Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate that I mentioned earlier. Per the instructions, I put 16 ounces of water and just 2 drops of the concentrate in the spray bottle. Using the special cleaning cloth that came in my kit, I tackled my chandelier. The results were so phenomenal, that I literally went around my house and cleaned every single item (excluding my windows...wasn't up for that project) that I could...mirrors, picture frames, computer monitors, TV screens, light fixtures, etc. Love, love this product!
I'm quite impressed with the Shaklee products, economical pricing, support literature, company history, award portfolio and corporate environmental initiatives. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to try out and review the cleaning products. And, rest assured, had I not liked them, you would have known.
If you would like more information on the products that I've mentioned or the other Shaklee products including their line of nutritional, weight management or beauty products, then check out their website at http://allergyhelper.myshaklee.com/us/en/.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Food Allergy Bullying
As parents of peanut allergic children, worrying about an accidental exposure is not our only concern. We also need to be aware of the potential for possible malicious exposure. According to a recent study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 1 in 4 children, teens and young adults are teased, bullied or harassed about their allergy. JoNel Aleccia, a health writer for msnbc.com, reports the details of the new study in her article, "Peanut menance? Allergy bullies use food to torment allergic kids." She begins her article with a horrifying tale of a high school student in Washington State who purposely smeared peanut butter on the face of a student with a serious peanut allergy.
As to be expected, the percentage of reports of bullying rises according to age. Remove children 5 and under from the study of 353 families and the percentage of instances increased to 35%. That number jumped to 50% for children in grades 6th through 12th. The study also indicated that most of the bullying came in a verbal form of teasing and harassment, but 35% of the bullying involved actually take on a physical form.
I'm not surprised, and preparing Abigail to deal with possible physical threats from her own peers is something that I intend to address as she gets older. I've already had to soothe tears over a verbal taunt. Last year in 1st grade one of her friends was in a grumpy mood and told Abigail that she would wave her peanut butter and jelly sandwich in her face if she didn't play what she wanted. Right or wrong, at the time, I didn't report the incident to either the teacher or the friend's parents. The little girl was 6, and giving her the benefit of the doubt, she probably had no idea of the implications of her taunt. I did explain to Abigail that had she actually put the sandwich up to her face, that would have been a different matter entirely. We also talked about how in general she should stand up to her peers and not do something she feels uncomfortable doing because of a threat. We're still working on that lesson.
Most of the the bullying does come from other students, but the study reported that 20% of those families asked had experienced teasing and/or harassment from teachers or other school staff. We can relate to that also. In Kindergarten, Abigail's teacher made a very insensitive remark that left Abigail feeling betrayed by a really important role model, and me just downright angry. I'm sure the teacher never gave the remark a second thought, but it was a topic of discussion for quite a while in our house.
I haven't figured out the best time to inform Abigail that someone might actually purposely try to harm her by using her food allergy against her. I'd like to keep that innocence a little while longer. I'd love to hear how some of you handled that discussion.
So, what happened to the teenager in Washington that wiped peanut butter on the peanut allergic student? He was suspended from school, faced an assault charge and spent 4 days in jail. When asked why, it was reported that he didn't understand the seriousness of the allergy. Do we all find that hard to believe?? Because food allergies are a daily part of our existence, I'd immediately say yes! But, how many people do we run across on a daily basis that just don't get it??
I started out writing about food allergy bullying, but am ending by stating that if there was more food allergy education, and if kids, their parents and the community as a whole better understood the potential life-threatening results of waving a sandwich or smearing peanut butter on the face of someone who has a serious food allergy, then society would have to stop using the term "bullying" and start using verbage like physical abuse, cruelty and assault.
As to be expected, the percentage of reports of bullying rises according to age. Remove children 5 and under from the study of 353 families and the percentage of instances increased to 35%. That number jumped to 50% for children in grades 6th through 12th. The study also indicated that most of the bullying came in a verbal form of teasing and harassment, but 35% of the bullying involved actually take on a physical form.
I'm not surprised, and preparing Abigail to deal with possible physical threats from her own peers is something that I intend to address as she gets older. I've already had to soothe tears over a verbal taunt. Last year in 1st grade one of her friends was in a grumpy mood and told Abigail that she would wave her peanut butter and jelly sandwich in her face if she didn't play what she wanted. Right or wrong, at the time, I didn't report the incident to either the teacher or the friend's parents. The little girl was 6, and giving her the benefit of the doubt, she probably had no idea of the implications of her taunt. I did explain to Abigail that had she actually put the sandwich up to her face, that would have been a different matter entirely. We also talked about how in general she should stand up to her peers and not do something she feels uncomfortable doing because of a threat. We're still working on that lesson.
Most of the the bullying does come from other students, but the study reported that 20% of those families asked had experienced teasing and/or harassment from teachers or other school staff. We can relate to that also. In Kindergarten, Abigail's teacher made a very insensitive remark that left Abigail feeling betrayed by a really important role model, and me just downright angry. I'm sure the teacher never gave the remark a second thought, but it was a topic of discussion for quite a while in our house.
I haven't figured out the best time to inform Abigail that someone might actually purposely try to harm her by using her food allergy against her. I'd like to keep that innocence a little while longer. I'd love to hear how some of you handled that discussion.
So, what happened to the teenager in Washington that wiped peanut butter on the peanut allergic student? He was suspended from school, faced an assault charge and spent 4 days in jail. When asked why, it was reported that he didn't understand the seriousness of the allergy. Do we all find that hard to believe?? Because food allergies are a daily part of our existence, I'd immediately say yes! But, how many people do we run across on a daily basis that just don't get it??
I started out writing about food allergy bullying, but am ending by stating that if there was more food allergy education, and if kids, their parents and the community as a whole better understood the potential life-threatening results of waving a sandwich or smearing peanut butter on the face of someone who has a serious food allergy, then society would have to stop using the term "bullying" and start using verbage like physical abuse, cruelty and assault.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Changes are Coming!
Sorry, I'm not writing an exciting post about new allergen labeling regulation requirement changes or new policies mandating companies segregate their manufacturing processes for nut products or that there's been a huge change and a new trend is emerging and food allergies are on the decline. Nope, nothing as exited as news of any of those changes would be, but changes are definitely coming for my family. My husband has a wonderful new job, and we're moving.
After several weeks of keeping secrets, talking behind closed doors or in code, we finally broke the news to Abigail and now to our friends. As sad as it's going to be to leave behind a house that has been our home for 12 years, a wonderful church, fabulous friends and neighbors, a nice community and great schools, we're looking forward to a new house, new opportunities, new adventures and a new town. The move keeps us within our home state but puts us closer to both sets of parents/grandparents, closer to Duke and in a really nice region.
Actually, Abigail took it much better than I expected. She's been asking to paint her room pink for a while now, and she'll be able to in the new house. She also is envisioning a decor of peace signs, hearts and stars. If that's all it takes, I'll happily accommodate! It's going to be very hard to leave school mid-year, but I remind her repeatedly, that she's fabulous at making new friends, and that she's lucky because she'll have her friends here to e-mail and Skype and have a bunch of new friends there. The move only takes us about an hour drive away from where we are now so visits aren't out of the question either.
What the move means for me, is that I'm busy every waking minute of the day. We've accumulated a lot of stuff in the last 12 years of living in this house. I'm in mass purge mode. So, while taking large loads to Goodwill, I'm still packing up boxes to take to a storage unit in an effort to better "stage" the house....and be able to park a car in the garage! Then there is the painting, cleaning, flooring, landscaping...ugh!! It's all a bit much. I'm anxious to get a "For Sale" sign up so we can start house shopping! That's the exciting part for me.
Big changes are in store for us. While I can't quite report that yet in regards to food allergies, changes are in the works. We've got to believe that doctors and scientist aren't too far away from determining why there is such an increase in the number of kids and even adults who have food allergies, and then determining what changes need to be made in our diet/lifestyle to avoid new allergies. While it doesn't sound like a cure for food allergies is close by, at least with all of the clinical trials taking place, it does sound like a change will happen soon to allow us to better manage our food allergies, particularly life-threatening food allergies. So, yes, changes are coming!
After several weeks of keeping secrets, talking behind closed doors or in code, we finally broke the news to Abigail and now to our friends. As sad as it's going to be to leave behind a house that has been our home for 12 years, a wonderful church, fabulous friends and neighbors, a nice community and great schools, we're looking forward to a new house, new opportunities, new adventures and a new town. The move keeps us within our home state but puts us closer to both sets of parents/grandparents, closer to Duke and in a really nice region.
Actually, Abigail took it much better than I expected. She's been asking to paint her room pink for a while now, and she'll be able to in the new house. She also is envisioning a decor of peace signs, hearts and stars. If that's all it takes, I'll happily accommodate! It's going to be very hard to leave school mid-year, but I remind her repeatedly, that she's fabulous at making new friends, and that she's lucky because she'll have her friends here to e-mail and Skype and have a bunch of new friends there. The move only takes us about an hour drive away from where we are now so visits aren't out of the question either.
What the move means for me, is that I'm busy every waking minute of the day. We've accumulated a lot of stuff in the last 12 years of living in this house. I'm in mass purge mode. So, while taking large loads to Goodwill, I'm still packing up boxes to take to a storage unit in an effort to better "stage" the house....and be able to park a car in the garage! Then there is the painting, cleaning, flooring, landscaping...ugh!! It's all a bit much. I'm anxious to get a "For Sale" sign up so we can start house shopping! That's the exciting part for me.
Big changes are in store for us. While I can't quite report that yet in regards to food allergies, changes are in the works. We've got to believe that doctors and scientist aren't too far away from determining why there is such an increase in the number of kids and even adults who have food allergies, and then determining what changes need to be made in our diet/lifestyle to avoid new allergies. While it doesn't sound like a cure for food allergies is close by, at least with all of the clinical trials taking place, it does sound like a change will happen soon to allow us to better manage our food allergies, particularly life-threatening food allergies. So, yes, changes are coming!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
First Day of School was "Great!"
Abigail got off the bus last Wednesday, the first day of school, all smiles. What a relief to hear that the first day of school was "great!" The last couple of days have also been successful with the making of new friends, learning a new schedule and getting back into a routine. I'm so pleased that everything is going smoothly for her. These early days of school really can set the tone for the entire year.Apparently, there are actually four kids with peanut allergies in her class. It makes me wonder if the school system decided to put all of the peanut allergy kids within a grade level together this year. Abigail did tell me though that she's the only one with an EpiPen in the class.
I've been pretty impressed so far with Abigail's teacher. She came home with stories about how her teacher is using a Clorox wipe to clean the section of the table where they eat and then having each of the kids in the class use a wipe to clean their hands on the way out of the cafeteria back to the classroom. I had told her teacher that hand sanitizer does not remove the peanut allergen, that only hand washing and wipes work, but didn't make any specific requests. FYI, if you want to share this information with your child's teacher, here's a link to a Johns Hopkins study with the details.
I will say, I was a bit taken aback on Friday when I was e-mailing her teacher to confirm a date to come in and talk with the kids. Apparently, changes have been made within the county school system requiring permission from the parents. Per the Principal, she asked that I draft a note that would go home with each child stating what I intended to discuss that they would then sign giving their permission for their child to listen and participate in a food allergy discussion....or not. Granted, I may have had too grand of plans with a possible showing of a video, discussing the FAAN "Be a PAL" brochure, passing around the Epi trainer and then handing out a certificate, but I was in the process of scaling back. After previewing the video (I'll review it in another post), I'd decided not to use it. I also thought that it might be better to give the certificate to each child at the end of the school year like last year. I haven't drafted a note yet. That request really knocked the wind out of my sails.
Oh yeah, I also got a phone call the first day of school from the nurse. As soon as she identified herself, I realized my mistake. I'd spent hours pulling together the necessary medicines, documents and meeting with the teacher, but had forgotten to include the nurse in any of my preparations. After thinking I'd dotted all "i's" and crossed all "t's", I was back at the school last week, completing a separate action plan and making amends with the nurse. You'd think this whole process would get easier each year!
I can really sympathize with a mom's feeling of anxiety over sending her food allergic Kindergartner to elementary school for the first time. It's over-whelming even for a seasoned mom.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Columnist Changes Tune
Pick an adage, "open mouth, insert foot", "eat crow", "change in tune", "what goes around comes around", they all apply to columnist Joel Stein. Back in January of 2009, he wrote an opinion article for the Los Angeles Times titled "Nut Allergies - A Yuppies Invention." Here's his opening paragraph.."Some kids really do have food allergies. But most just have bad reactions to their parents' mass hysteria. Your kid doesn't have an allergy to nuts. Your kid has a parent who needs to feel special." Lovely, huh? Glad I missed it.
Mr. Stein recently had a follow up article published just last week in Time titled "Aw, Nuts!" in which he describes the experience of having his 1 year old son eat some mixed nuts and then rushing him to the emergency room with symptoms of hives, swelling eyes and vomiting. Yes, his son has a nut allergy.
There was a lot of backlash from the food allergy community to Mr. Stein's first article. Having just read it this week, I can understand why. I'm not going to go into a detailed review of his article, you can read it and see. It's funny that the part that rubs me wrong references the same study that I did in a past post (http://peanutclinicaltrial.blogspot.com/2010/03/allergic-reaction-anxiety.html). It was a study done in 2003 regarding allergy anxiety. It showed that kids who were told they were allergic to peanuts had more anxiety and felt more physically restricted than if they had diabetes. I referenced the study to indicate how hard it is to help children with life-threatening allergies to remain well-adjusted. Mr. Stein used the study as a follow up to his comment, "Parents may think they are doing their kids a favor by testing them and being hyper-vigilant about monitoring what they eat, but it's not cool to freak kids out."
Cool or not, as parents, we are doing everything in our power to keep our children safe, and if that means that our kids need be taught to monitor everything they eat, then so be it. Obviously, this statement came from a time when Mr. Stein didn't understand the reality of living with a life threatening allergy.
I wish the best for him and his son. They've got a long journey ahead. Having a severe food allergy is no walk in the park for either the person with the allergy or their family. Having a food allergy and a dad that has nationally "opened mouth and inserted foot" is going to be quite the challenge.
Mr. Stein recently had a follow up article published just last week in Time titled "Aw, Nuts!" in which he describes the experience of having his 1 year old son eat some mixed nuts and then rushing him to the emergency room with symptoms of hives, swelling eyes and vomiting. Yes, his son has a nut allergy.
There was a lot of backlash from the food allergy community to Mr. Stein's first article. Having just read it this week, I can understand why. I'm not going to go into a detailed review of his article, you can read it and see. It's funny that the part that rubs me wrong references the same study that I did in a past post (http://peanutclinicaltrial.blogspot.com/2010/03/allergic-reaction-anxiety.html). It was a study done in 2003 regarding allergy anxiety. It showed that kids who were told they were allergic to peanuts had more anxiety and felt more physically restricted than if they had diabetes. I referenced the study to indicate how hard it is to help children with life-threatening allergies to remain well-adjusted. Mr. Stein used the study as a follow up to his comment, "Parents may think they are doing their kids a favor by testing them and being hyper-vigilant about monitoring what they eat, but it's not cool to freak kids out."
Cool or not, as parents, we are doing everything in our power to keep our children safe, and if that means that our kids need be taught to monitor everything they eat, then so be it. Obviously, this statement came from a time when Mr. Stein didn't understand the reality of living with a life threatening allergy.
I wish the best for him and his son. They've got a long journey ahead. Having a severe food allergy is no walk in the park for either the person with the allergy or their family. Having a food allergy and a dad that has nationally "opened mouth and inserted foot" is going to be quite the challenge.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
More on Bloodprinting and Food Sensitivities
I'm really intrigued by the Bloodprinting test that I discovered after doing some research several weeks ago. I have made several inquiries and am thinking about having this test done. Unfortunately, after a call to my insurance company this morning, it looks like I'm going to have to wait a while.
If you didn't catch an earlier post, you're probably wondering just what is this Bloodprint test. In simple terms, it's a test to determine which foods you are sensitive to. Traditionally, the way to figure out what foods are bothersome to your digestive system is to do a dreaded elimination diet. However, according to the literature that Immuno Laboratories of Florida sent me, your Bloodprint is as individual as your fingerprint. Their testing can determine your food sensitivities (with a 95% rate of accuracy and reproducibility), and they provide an individualized computer printout of all foods that you should start eliminating from your diet. The lab just needs a small sample of blood, and within a week, the report is back in the hands of your doctor. I even called Immuno Laboratories to find a doctor in my area, and was excited to hear that there is a local MD that has been in practice for 23 years, went to school at Duke and University of CT and specializes in Integrative and Family Medicine. However, the laboratory in Florida is out-of-network which means a $500 deductible, and I'm responsible for 35% of the bill which isn't cheap. For the complete panel, 154 foods, it's approximately $1,500.
Again, if you haven't been following my interest in Bloodprinting, you're probably also wondering why. That takes me into the topic of food sensitivities. If you're reading my blog, you're probably very familiar with food allergies. If you eat something that you are allergic to, there is an immediate, and in many cases, quite a strong even life-threatening reaction. With food sensitivities, there is a delayed reaction that can occur hours to days after eating a reactive food. Symptoms of food sensitivities include, but not limited to, weight gain, headaches, sinus problems, skin rashes, joint pain, depression, fatigue, indigestion and bloating.
I can eat scrambled eggs and feel nauseous an hour later. I can drink a milk shake and feel like I gained 10 lbs. from bloating, but I tested negative to everything on the basic IgE food allergy panel. Those are obvious, but there are other foods that I can't narrow down. So, now I'm researching food sensitivities which brings me back to the Immuno Bloodprint IgG ELISA Food Sensitivity Assay.
The Immuno Laboratories literature gives a good explanation of what causes food sensitivities. From their brochure... "Medical literature suggests that food sensitivities result when foods and their protein components are not completely digested. When these components are absorbed by your body, your immune system does not recognize them as nutritional. It responds protectively by producing antibodies, starting a series of reactions which can affect many tissues and organs."
The positive side of food sensitivities, according to the Immuno Lab literature, is that they are usually just temporary and typically disappear when you eliminate the specific food for 60 to 90 days. They state that you can reintroduce the food back into your diet and prevent reoccurring food sensitivities by rotating, combining and cooking foods properly. The individual report that comes back from the lab provides all of those preventive measures.
I'd really like to have this test done. Or, I can start an elimination diet. It's free, but definitely not as easy. I've also discovered an elimination diet program that guarantees results in 21 days. It's cheaper at around $100. Can anybody offer up any suggestions? I'd love to hear your comments.
If you didn't catch an earlier post, you're probably wondering just what is this Bloodprint test. In simple terms, it's a test to determine which foods you are sensitive to. Traditionally, the way to figure out what foods are bothersome to your digestive system is to do a dreaded elimination diet. However, according to the literature that Immuno Laboratories of Florida sent me, your Bloodprint is as individual as your fingerprint. Their testing can determine your food sensitivities (with a 95% rate of accuracy and reproducibility), and they provide an individualized computer printout of all foods that you should start eliminating from your diet. The lab just needs a small sample of blood, and within a week, the report is back in the hands of your doctor. I even called Immuno Laboratories to find a doctor in my area, and was excited to hear that there is a local MD that has been in practice for 23 years, went to school at Duke and University of CT and specializes in Integrative and Family Medicine. However, the laboratory in Florida is out-of-network which means a $500 deductible, and I'm responsible for 35% of the bill which isn't cheap. For the complete panel, 154 foods, it's approximately $1,500.
Again, if you haven't been following my interest in Bloodprinting, you're probably also wondering why. That takes me into the topic of food sensitivities. If you're reading my blog, you're probably very familiar with food allergies. If you eat something that you are allergic to, there is an immediate, and in many cases, quite a strong even life-threatening reaction. With food sensitivities, there is a delayed reaction that can occur hours to days after eating a reactive food. Symptoms of food sensitivities include, but not limited to, weight gain, headaches, sinus problems, skin rashes, joint pain, depression, fatigue, indigestion and bloating.
I can eat scrambled eggs and feel nauseous an hour later. I can drink a milk shake and feel like I gained 10 lbs. from bloating, but I tested negative to everything on the basic IgE food allergy panel. Those are obvious, but there are other foods that I can't narrow down. So, now I'm researching food sensitivities which brings me back to the Immuno Bloodprint IgG ELISA Food Sensitivity Assay.
The Immuno Laboratories literature gives a good explanation of what causes food sensitivities. From their brochure... "Medical literature suggests that food sensitivities result when foods and their protein components are not completely digested. When these components are absorbed by your body, your immune system does not recognize them as nutritional. It responds protectively by producing antibodies, starting a series of reactions which can affect many tissues and organs."
The positive side of food sensitivities, according to the Immuno Lab literature, is that they are usually just temporary and typically disappear when you eliminate the specific food for 60 to 90 days. They state that you can reintroduce the food back into your diet and prevent reoccurring food sensitivities by rotating, combining and cooking foods properly. The individual report that comes back from the lab provides all of those preventive measures.
I'd really like to have this test done. Or, I can start an elimination diet. It's free, but definitely not as easy. I've also discovered an elimination diet program that guarantees results in 21 days. It's cheaper at around $100. Can anybody offer up any suggestions? I'd love to hear your comments.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Food Allergies in the News
Last week was a very busy week for food allergy news. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) released a new study in their May 12th issue that was picked up by a ton of major news outlets including my own local paper. The objective of the study as written in the article, "Diagnosing and Managing Common Food Allergies", was to review all available evidence regarding the prevalence, diagnosis, management and prevention of food allergies. Using 72 pre-qualified studies indexed between 1988 and 2009, the conclusion was made that "the evidence for the prevalence and management of food allergy is greatly limited by the lack of uniformity of criteria for making a food allergy diagnosis, severely limiting conclusions about best practices for management and prevention." Wow....tell me something I didn't know! Sorry, just a little sarcasm there.
Here are a few of my thoughts from combing through the various news articles related to the JAMA study. The study concludes that 1 to 2 percent of the population have a food allergy, but not more than 10%. The JAMA abstract states that "it is unclear if the prevalence of food allergies is increasing." Ever ask yourself why it is that you didn't know anyone with a food allergy growing up, nor do you or your spouse have a food allergy...so why is it your child does? Not very scientific, but I'd conclude that food allergies have increased over the last 10 years!
Another study conclusion was that food challenges, skin prick tests and blood tests for IgE are all valuable in diagnosing a food allergy, however there is not just one test that can be solely recommended to use by itself or even over the other. Again, there's no surprise there. Our poor kids are being pricked and poked, and yet we still don't know the true severity of their reaction....unless of course they've actually had one that's rushed us to the hospital!
Here's another finding, "immunotherapy is promising but data are insufficient to recommend use." Speaking as a mother with a daughter participating in a sublingual immunotherapy clinical trial, how can a study recommend not using a "promising" therapy simply because data is insufficient. If it looks promising, then wouldn't you think that the recommendation would be for more people to participate in these types of trials so that a more conclusive finding can be published??
And my last comment, it turns out they found there to be no universally accepted definition for "food allergy" leaving the public in a state of confusion regarding the difference between food intolerances, food allergies, and life-threatening food allergies. I think we'd all have to agree that there is a general lack of appreciation for the risk that our children live with on a daily basis doing something as routine as eating a meal.
The upside of the study is that The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which funded it, is working on guidelines for the diagnosis and management of food allergies to be released this fall. If the average, non-allergic reader took the time to read the articles, then all of the press that circulated last week did a good job of raising food allergy awareness. I thought CNN Health wrote a particularly good article. Regardless of how good the article is though, with headlines like "Doubt is Cast on Many Reports of Food Allergies" from The New York Times, or "Are Your Food Allergies for Real? Many Mistakenly Think They are Allergic" by abc NEWS there is a downside if a reader stops there.
I can truly appreciate how wonderful it would be to find out that your mild food allergy doesn't require a strict elimination of that food from your diet, or that after all this time, you don't have a food allergy at all. But...please, please...don't muddy the water for those that do have a severe, life threatening allergy!!
Here are a few of my thoughts from combing through the various news articles related to the JAMA study. The study concludes that 1 to 2 percent of the population have a food allergy, but not more than 10%. The JAMA abstract states that "it is unclear if the prevalence of food allergies is increasing." Ever ask yourself why it is that you didn't know anyone with a food allergy growing up, nor do you or your spouse have a food allergy...so why is it your child does? Not very scientific, but I'd conclude that food allergies have increased over the last 10 years!
Another study conclusion was that food challenges, skin prick tests and blood tests for IgE are all valuable in diagnosing a food allergy, however there is not just one test that can be solely recommended to use by itself or even over the other. Again, there's no surprise there. Our poor kids are being pricked and poked, and yet we still don't know the true severity of their reaction....unless of course they've actually had one that's rushed us to the hospital!
Here's another finding, "immunotherapy is promising but data are insufficient to recommend use." Speaking as a mother with a daughter participating in a sublingual immunotherapy clinical trial, how can a study recommend not using a "promising" therapy simply because data is insufficient. If it looks promising, then wouldn't you think that the recommendation would be for more people to participate in these types of trials so that a more conclusive finding can be published??
And my last comment, it turns out they found there to be no universally accepted definition for "food allergy" leaving the public in a state of confusion regarding the difference between food intolerances, food allergies, and life-threatening food allergies. I think we'd all have to agree that there is a general lack of appreciation for the risk that our children live with on a daily basis doing something as routine as eating a meal.
The upside of the study is that The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which funded it, is working on guidelines for the diagnosis and management of food allergies to be released this fall. If the average, non-allergic reader took the time to read the articles, then all of the press that circulated last week did a good job of raising food allergy awareness. I thought CNN Health wrote a particularly good article. Regardless of how good the article is though, with headlines like "Doubt is Cast on Many Reports of Food Allergies" from The New York Times, or "Are Your Food Allergies for Real? Many Mistakenly Think They are Allergic" by abc NEWS there is a downside if a reader stops there.
I can truly appreciate how wonderful it would be to find out that your mild food allergy doesn't require a strict elimination of that food from your diet, or that after all this time, you don't have a food allergy at all. But...please, please...don't muddy the water for those that do have a severe, life threatening allergy!!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Here's to Moms of Children with Life-Threatening Allergies!
Happy Mother's Day to my mom, mother-in-law, aunts, cousins, friends and faithful readers! What a wonderful honor it is to be a mother. At the same time, is it not one of the most difficult jobs there is?
Today I want to recognize a special group of moms...moms of children with life-threatening allergies. A mom with an allergic child has a lot on her plate making sure certain foods stay off their kids' plates! So, here's to the moms that make sure that the Epi Pens and antihistamines are always on hand and in date, that read every label on every food, that call ahead to restaurants to see if the food is safe, that know every party/special occasion that takes place in their child's class in order to provide a comparable safe treat, that have meeting after meeting with school officials and teachers to discuss the special requirements of their child's allergy, that fill out multiple health forms and action plans with in case of emergency details, that receive the grumbling from a few that feel put out for having to accommodate their child's allergy, that hate knowing their child will be labeled as disabled, that search cookbooks looking for allergy friendly recipes and websites looking for alternative ingredients, that break the bad news to their child that they can't attend a function because it's not safe, that help their child sort through Halloween candy bags and Valentine card boxes to remove offending treats only to find that the throw out pile is larger than the keep pile, that keep up-to-date with all food recall information to make sure there isn't a mislabeled food violation in their pantry, that write their political leaders asking for more support for food allergy issues, that get angry with food manufacturers for worrying more about the bottom line then the safety of their child, that go to battle with acquaintances maybe even family members that don't believe the seriousness of their child's allergy, that hold their child's hand tightly while they have blood drawn or their skin pricked during a food allergy test, that explain to their child one more time that they're not weird and that yes it is unfair that they have this allergy, that pray regularly that there will someday be a cure for or even just a better understanding of food allergies, that wait year after year thinking this will be the one when their child outgrows their allergy only to realize that it's probably not going to happen, that watch their child go off to school by himself and worry all day that he isn't exposed to that one or more foods that can make him deathly ill, that soothe a child upset by an insensitive comment made by a peer, that spend hours researching the latest food allergy treatments, that drive miles out of the way to shop at grocery stores that stock safe foods, that spend hundreds of dollars more a year for those safe foods, that frequent their child's school at lunchtime so that their child doesn't have to sit alone, that shelter their young child from the true consequences of their food allergy and later watches as their older child accepts those consequences for themselves, that teach their child how to inject a life-saving device into their thigh, that hope their teenager isn't too cool or too forgetful to carry their Epi Pen when they're out with their friends, that rush to the hospital because one of their greatest fears did occur and their child is having difficulty breathing, that remove an offending food from their own diet so as to not put their child at risk, that privately battle their anxiety, that paste a smile on their face and assure their child that everything is going to be okay and that pray they can keep it together, be strong for their child and family and protect their child from the dangers they face on a daily basis. To you fellow moms, a very special Happy Mother's Day!
Many Blessings,
Melanie
Today I want to recognize a special group of moms...moms of children with life-threatening allergies. A mom with an allergic child has a lot on her plate making sure certain foods stay off their kids' plates! So, here's to the moms that make sure that the Epi Pens and antihistamines are always on hand and in date, that read every label on every food, that call ahead to restaurants to see if the food is safe, that know every party/special occasion that takes place in their child's class in order to provide a comparable safe treat, that have meeting after meeting with school officials and teachers to discuss the special requirements of their child's allergy, that fill out multiple health forms and action plans with in case of emergency details, that receive the grumbling from a few that feel put out for having to accommodate their child's allergy, that hate knowing their child will be labeled as disabled, that search cookbooks looking for allergy friendly recipes and websites looking for alternative ingredients, that break the bad news to their child that they can't attend a function because it's not safe, that help their child sort through Halloween candy bags and Valentine card boxes to remove offending treats only to find that the throw out pile is larger than the keep pile, that keep up-to-date with all food recall information to make sure there isn't a mislabeled food violation in their pantry, that write their political leaders asking for more support for food allergy issues, that get angry with food manufacturers for worrying more about the bottom line then the safety of their child, that go to battle with acquaintances maybe even family members that don't believe the seriousness of their child's allergy, that hold their child's hand tightly while they have blood drawn or their skin pricked during a food allergy test, that explain to their child one more time that they're not weird and that yes it is unfair that they have this allergy, that pray regularly that there will someday be a cure for or even just a better understanding of food allergies, that wait year after year thinking this will be the one when their child outgrows their allergy only to realize that it's probably not going to happen, that watch their child go off to school by himself and worry all day that he isn't exposed to that one or more foods that can make him deathly ill, that soothe a child upset by an insensitive comment made by a peer, that spend hours researching the latest food allergy treatments, that drive miles out of the way to shop at grocery stores that stock safe foods, that spend hundreds of dollars more a year for those safe foods, that frequent their child's school at lunchtime so that their child doesn't have to sit alone, that shelter their young child from the true consequences of their food allergy and later watches as their older child accepts those consequences for themselves, that teach their child how to inject a life-saving device into their thigh, that hope their teenager isn't too cool or too forgetful to carry their Epi Pen when they're out with their friends, that rush to the hospital because one of their greatest fears did occur and their child is having difficulty breathing, that remove an offending food from their own diet so as to not put their child at risk, that privately battle their anxiety, that paste a smile on their face and assure their child that everything is going to be okay and that pray they can keep it together, be strong for their child and family and protect their child from the dangers they face on a daily basis. To you fellow moms, a very special Happy Mother's Day!
Many Blessings,
Melanie
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Bloodprinting for Food Allergies/Intolerances
So, I'm reading an article on a study that links obesity to food allergies when I come across something called a Bloodprint test. Evidently, the Bloodprint test, a simple blood test, can help identify food and environmental allergies/intolerances that cause inflammation which is possibly at the root of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, ADHD, autism, fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, migraines and more. The article goes on to say that millions of people have insurance that covers Bloodprint which can identify up to to 154 'trigger' foods. Very, very intriguing.
I'm convinced that over the last couple of years, I developed one or several food intolerances, and I also believe that my youngest child has a few, maybe even Abigail. Now I'm on a fact finding mission. I Googled Bloodprint and found an article titled "A Sensitivity Assay that Proves Food is the First and Best Medicine." Using the adage that "you are what you eat", the article explains that the foods that many patients ingest are the sources of their illnesses.
Two examples outlining why bloodprinting, specifically the Immuno 1 Bloodprint, is such a significant diagnostic tool really struck a cord with me. One example was about a 3 year old that experienced frequent ear infections. A bloodprinting assay found that he was allergic to eggs. After removing eggs from his diet, he became completely free of symptoms. While my son has tested negative to an IgE response to the most common foods, it does not mean that he isn't having an IgG response (I'll explain this in my next post) to certain foods causing inflammation and chronic sinus infections. The second example was a female patient experiencing a variety of abdominal symptoms. The Bloodprint assay gave her a list of foods that she has an IgG allergic reaction to and after 2 weeks of avoiding those foods, she was free of symptoms.
The article goes on to say that bloodprinting is broken into 2 parts. One is nutritionally-oriented, requiring patients to eliminate the tested reactive foods for 90 days and using a rotation diet of non-reactive foods. The other part is pure immunology. Here's what an expert on the Immuno 1 Bloodprint says, "Probably the first thing most bloodprinted patients report is an improvement in energy from improved sleeping and elevated energy during the day. Other subtle symptoms disappear, runny noses clear, ringing in the ears stops, irritable bowel symptoms go away, discomforts for arthritis improve and relief of the person's chief complaint is found. It all happens within the 3 month elimination period because that's about how much time it takes for IgG to catabolize."
Apparently Immuno Laboratories in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida is the leading laboratory in bloodprinting and the designer of the Immuno 1 Bloodprint. I just happen to have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow to discuss my suspected food intolerances. I'm taking this information with me. Can't wait to find out if she's ever heard of bloodprinting, if she's willing to even consider helping me with this test and if my insurance covers it. I'll follow up and let you know what I find out.
I'm convinced that over the last couple of years, I developed one or several food intolerances, and I also believe that my youngest child has a few, maybe even Abigail. Now I'm on a fact finding mission. I Googled Bloodprint and found an article titled "A Sensitivity Assay that Proves Food is the First and Best Medicine." Using the adage that "you are what you eat", the article explains that the foods that many patients ingest are the sources of their illnesses.
Two examples outlining why bloodprinting, specifically the Immuno 1 Bloodprint, is such a significant diagnostic tool really struck a cord with me. One example was about a 3 year old that experienced frequent ear infections. A bloodprinting assay found that he was allergic to eggs. After removing eggs from his diet, he became completely free of symptoms. While my son has tested negative to an IgE response to the most common foods, it does not mean that he isn't having an IgG response (I'll explain this in my next post) to certain foods causing inflammation and chronic sinus infections. The second example was a female patient experiencing a variety of abdominal symptoms. The Bloodprint assay gave her a list of foods that she has an IgG allergic reaction to and after 2 weeks of avoiding those foods, she was free of symptoms.
The article goes on to say that bloodprinting is broken into 2 parts. One is nutritionally-oriented, requiring patients to eliminate the tested reactive foods for 90 days and using a rotation diet of non-reactive foods. The other part is pure immunology. Here's what an expert on the Immuno 1 Bloodprint says, "Probably the first thing most bloodprinted patients report is an improvement in energy from improved sleeping and elevated energy during the day. Other subtle symptoms disappear, runny noses clear, ringing in the ears stops, irritable bowel symptoms go away, discomforts for arthritis improve and relief of the person's chief complaint is found. It all happens within the 3 month elimination period because that's about how much time it takes for IgG to catabolize."
Apparently Immuno Laboratories in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida is the leading laboratory in bloodprinting and the designer of the Immuno 1 Bloodprint. I just happen to have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow to discuss my suspected food intolerances. I'm taking this information with me. Can't wait to find out if she's ever heard of bloodprinting, if she's willing to even consider helping me with this test and if my insurance covers it. I'll follow up and let you know what I find out.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Allergic Reaction Anxiety
More than 12 million adults and children suffer from a food allergy. Many are life-threatening, meaning that if they ingest, or in some cases are just exposed to a certain food, their body goes into extreme defense mode. It causes their blood pressure to drop leaving the brain starving for oxygen and inflammation in the lungs to occur causing severe shortness of breath. These people, including my daughter, have to consider every food they eat. Everywhere they go, they bravely carry an epinephrine device with the understanding that at some point in time, a needle might be jabbed in their thigh. They have parents and loved-ones that are super vigilant, sometimes to the point they feel suffocated and crippled. In some circumstances, they're isolated and even blamed for causing inconveniences for others. They've been told that they're blowing their allergy out of proportion and even labeled "disabled" by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Many food allergy sufferers take their life-threatening allergy in stride, controlling it rather than letting it control them. Abigail, at 7 and having not experienced a severe reaction, is mostly just upset that she can't eat the foods she wants. As her parent, though, I've worked extremely hard to make it that way...to give her the right level of "anxiety". Her dad and I read the labels although she knows how and when to question. We carry her Epi-Pen, but she for the most part, confirms that we have it. We discuss all the details of her allergy with her care-givers and create a safe environment for her, but she'll also not hesitate to ask if she's uncertain. She's not ostracized at school because she's matter of fact about her allergy. She doesn't have to eat by herself but she does make sure that none of her lunch buddies are eating anything with peanuts. She's not denied special treats on special occasions because there's always a yummy alternative (thanks to me). And, thanks to the Duke Clinical Trial, we also are blessed to be able to give her something else...a light at the end of the tunnel, the possibility that in several years (just in time for those independent teenage years), she can eat what she wants without the fear of a severe allergic reaction.
But, what about those children that have actually suffered a life-threatening reaction requiring epinephrine and come away emotionally scarred? Or, are the only child in their school that suffers from a severe food allergy and are feeling isolated? What about those that are blamed by other kids for not being able to bring a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch? Even worse, what about being told that it's all in your head...that your allergy can't be as serious as it's made out to be? Regardless of whether you can take it in stride or not, the bottom line is, these kids live with a fear of dying on a daily basis. Abigail may be well-adjusted (with her allergy) now, but what if circumstances change?
According to a study conducted at the University of Southampton, the quality of life suffers for these children. The study suggests that "children with peanut allergy have a worse quality of life than those living with insulin-dependent diabetes." They found that the children with peanut allergies felt more threatened by potential hazards within their environment, felt more restricted by their allergy regarding physical activities, and more worried about being away from home. In contrast, the children with diabetes were more upset about their “restricted” diet, and none mentioned a fear of dying.
That's just the children. Being a parent of a child with a life-threatening allergy is no walk in the park either. And, we have the added burden of not projecting our fears onto our children. There's a good article on the Kids with Food Allergies website. Titled "Raising a well-adjusted child who happens to have a food allergy", it gives several steps to do just that. A few include, never let them see you sweat, make your home a safe haven, don't let food allergies define your child and don't make your life revolve around food.
As mentioned in my last post, Abigail has had bouts of anxiety over the last year. It typically shows up at night around bedtime and manifests itself as a belly ache. When I ask if it's related to her allergy or participating in the clinical trial, her answer is always an adamant "no". It could be her age. It could be school although she does well. I've been doing some research and there is a link between having anxiety as a result of consuming a food that one is allergic too. That's the next topic.
Many food allergy sufferers take their life-threatening allergy in stride, controlling it rather than letting it control them. Abigail, at 7 and having not experienced a severe reaction, is mostly just upset that she can't eat the foods she wants. As her parent, though, I've worked extremely hard to make it that way...to give her the right level of "anxiety". Her dad and I read the labels although she knows how and when to question. We carry her Epi-Pen, but she for the most part, confirms that we have it. We discuss all the details of her allergy with her care-givers and create a safe environment for her, but she'll also not hesitate to ask if she's uncertain. She's not ostracized at school because she's matter of fact about her allergy. She doesn't have to eat by herself but she does make sure that none of her lunch buddies are eating anything with peanuts. She's not denied special treats on special occasions because there's always a yummy alternative (thanks to me). And, thanks to the Duke Clinical Trial, we also are blessed to be able to give her something else...a light at the end of the tunnel, the possibility that in several years (just in time for those independent teenage years), she can eat what she wants without the fear of a severe allergic reaction.
But, what about those children that have actually suffered a life-threatening reaction requiring epinephrine and come away emotionally scarred? Or, are the only child in their school that suffers from a severe food allergy and are feeling isolated? What about those that are blamed by other kids for not being able to bring a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch? Even worse, what about being told that it's all in your head...that your allergy can't be as serious as it's made out to be? Regardless of whether you can take it in stride or not, the bottom line is, these kids live with a fear of dying on a daily basis. Abigail may be well-adjusted (with her allergy) now, but what if circumstances change?
According to a study conducted at the University of Southampton, the quality of life suffers for these children. The study suggests that "children with peanut allergy have a worse quality of life than those living with insulin-dependent diabetes." They found that the children with peanut allergies felt more threatened by potential hazards within their environment, felt more restricted by their allergy regarding physical activities, and more worried about being away from home. In contrast, the children with diabetes were more upset about their “restricted” diet, and none mentioned a fear of dying.
That's just the children. Being a parent of a child with a life-threatening allergy is no walk in the park either. And, we have the added burden of not projecting our fears onto our children. There's a good article on the Kids with Food Allergies website. Titled "Raising a well-adjusted child who happens to have a food allergy", it gives several steps to do just that. A few include, never let them see you sweat, make your home a safe haven, don't let food allergies define your child and don't make your life revolve around food.
As mentioned in my last post, Abigail has had bouts of anxiety over the last year. It typically shows up at night around bedtime and manifests itself as a belly ache. When I ask if it's related to her allergy or participating in the clinical trial, her answer is always an adamant "no". It could be her age. It could be school although she does well. I've been doing some research and there is a link between having anxiety as a result of consuming a food that one is allergic too. That's the next topic.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Food Allergies and Anxiety
I read a post the other day about food allergies and anxiety. It was written by a fellow blogger and mother of a peanut allergic daughter. She wrote about a study that indicates that it's not uncommon for children with food allergies to express a lot of anxiety and how she was seeing this first hand in her 10 year old daughter. It got me thinking and doing some research of my own.
I "interviewed" Abigail to see how she feels about having an allergy to peanuts and to see if her anxiety (manifested as a frequent belly ache around bedtime) could be contributed to her allergy. Getting her to open up and express herself is about as challenging as getting her to clean her room, so our discussion was very brief. Here's our conversation:
Does having a peanut allergy make you feel anxious? No
Does knowing that you can have any allergic reaction scare you? No
What makes you nervous about having a peanut allergy? Nothing
Do you trust mommy and daddy to give you foods that are safe? Yes (Although, if it's a new food, she will ask me if I'm really sure)
Do you trust anybody else to give you foods that are safe? Yes, Family Anybody else? Really, really good friends Anybody else? No
What's the worst thing about having a peanut allergy? Can't eat things I want to.
What do you think makes your stomach hurt (i.e., anxiety)? I don't know.
Does going to Duke make you anxious? No
Does anything about the clinical trial bother you? No Not even the blood draws? No, not scared.
And that was the end of our conversation as she ran off to do more important things. Regardless of her casualness, I do know that I've seen an increase in her anxiety level this last year. I also know that hers are the sentiments of someone that hasn't experienced anaphylaxis. The tingling that she has in her ears, mouth and throat as a side effect of her clinical trial drops is a nuisance at most. The one occasion of getting the drops on her tongue that sent her into a panic is a distant memory. My blogger friend's daughter who has had a severe reaction and gone into anaphylaxis wouldn't answer these questions at all in the same manner.
I "interviewed" Abigail to see how she feels about having an allergy to peanuts and to see if her anxiety (manifested as a frequent belly ache around bedtime) could be contributed to her allergy. Getting her to open up and express herself is about as challenging as getting her to clean her room, so our discussion was very brief. Here's our conversation:
Does having a peanut allergy make you feel anxious? No
Does knowing that you can have any allergic reaction scare you? No
What makes you nervous about having a peanut allergy? Nothing
Do you trust mommy and daddy to give you foods that are safe? Yes (Although, if it's a new food, she will ask me if I'm really sure)
Do you trust anybody else to give you foods that are safe? Yes, Family Anybody else? Really, really good friends Anybody else? No
What's the worst thing about having a peanut allergy? Can't eat things I want to.
What do you think makes your stomach hurt (i.e., anxiety)? I don't know.
Does going to Duke make you anxious? No
Does anything about the clinical trial bother you? No Not even the blood draws? No, not scared.
And that was the end of our conversation as she ran off to do more important things. Regardless of her casualness, I do know that I've seen an increase in her anxiety level this last year. I also know that hers are the sentiments of someone that hasn't experienced anaphylaxis. The tingling that she has in her ears, mouth and throat as a side effect of her clinical trial drops is a nuisance at most. The one occasion of getting the drops on her tongue that sent her into a panic is a distant memory. My blogger friend's daughter who has had a severe reaction and gone into anaphylaxis wouldn't answer these questions at all in the same manner.
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