New to Food Allergies?
So, you've just returned from a diagnoses at the Allergist and your kid is allergic! You probably feel sad, overwhelmed, scared, and confused. Do not fear! You are not alone. Allergies are much more common these days and the resources are vast.
Despite your feelings now, in a year you will look back and marvel at how much you've learned and how far you've come. You may even wonder what the big deal was!
You'll learn A LOT about food in general and you'll probably find the whole family is eating healthier. The more you learn about food, the more you regret your prior eating habits. As you begin to read food labels to avoid allergens, you'll probably be surprised at the ingredient list in foods you may eat everyday.
There will be mistakes. I have fed my kid things to which he's allergic because I have mis-read a label. I have missed cross-contamination warnings. I have made lots of errors. So, while I'm busily dishing out advice, recognize I'm just hoping this site will help others avoid the same mistakes. I'm also not passing judgment on anyone who is doing something I recommend against. Don't trust me, I'm just hoping to make life a little easier for readers and give you a starting point for your own research.
I have much to learn myself. I will face many new challenges in the coming years and I'll be able to share those with you. Soon I'll be sending my son off to preschool and have a whole new set of issues to deal with and learn from. Hopefully we can share these journeys together.
There are some ways that allergies never get easier. I can't help but worry anytime my child is out of my sight. I stalk him at birthday parties and wonder whether preschools or schools would handle a reaction appropriately. I wonder whether he's allergic to something I don't know about. I don't allow anyone him to eat anything unless I cooked it and he's never had a single bite of food from a restaurant. I wonder how it will affect his social life and his friends and his dating life. I can just picture my son meeting his future in-laws for the first time and not eating a single bite of the food his future mother-in-law worked so hard to prepare.
But, when I start to worry, I try to replace that "what if" with a prayer instead asking Jesus to watch over him. All I can do is all I can do, and the rest is out of my hands!