"My Allergies Aren't That Severe...."

     I've had so many starts to my next post in my head and haven't put them on the screen yet, but this morning, I knew I had to get to work. You see, this morning I read about death number four just this month due to food allergies. These stories are far too common and they break my heart.  They also reaffirm that we are doing the absolute right thing by taking this chance on going to Utah for OIT.

     Just in sharing our personal story I have heard, on multiple occasions, "I applaud what you are doing. Thankfully my child's food allergies aren't that severe."  That statement is like nails on a chalkboard to me.  If your child has reacted to a food with hives, swelling...MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EPINEPHRINE.  It IS that serious. It IS life-threatening.  The first reaction is usually a warning and subsequent reactions will only get more severe.  The kids who "only get hives" and don't have epinephrine on them are the ones that we hear about in the news who have died.  I am not exaggerating, I am not trying to scare you, I am simply stating that not taking food allergies seriously could have deadly consequences.
     I never wanted to be the crazy allergy parent and I was concerned about that image when we had to begin restricting more and more foods due to reactions. Guess what? I just don't care what you think of me now. My kid will not die because of my inattention. I will do anything in my power to give him the tools he needs to function safely.  I'm not brave for taking him away from his life for 6 months for desensitization.  I'm not selfless. I'm not any of the heroic things people are saying. I'm just a mom.  

     Any mom with knowledge and opportunity would do the same thing for her child. This blog was created so that people who didn't even know there were new treatments for people with food allergies existed, could now go seek out more information. I'm not an expert on OIT, but I will share about it because it is what we chose. There are other methods, some more successful than others, but they exist. We need to make this mainstream because 1 out of 13 kids has a food allergy and it will only get worse.  This will become everyone's problem at one point or another. If it isn't your child, it will be a friend of theirs.
     I promise my next post will be light and fluffy with the sprinkling of humor you are used to from me. I just get fired up when people start dying from food. It's a gut punch. Stay safe and keep your kids safe, whether it's by putting that phone down while driving, making sure your kids are properly restrained in the appropriate car seat or being sure to read those labels and carry your emergency supplies before feeding your kids with allergies.