At the beginning of almost every season, I declare my excitement about the things I love about that particular season. I love spring for the fresh blooms, summer for the warm weather and long days, fall for the inspiration to cook comfort food and winter for the skiing. That being said, I also have things about each season that I hate. The potholes in spring, the bugs during the summer, the messy leaves in fall, and despite the fact that I love to ski, there are too many things about winter that I hate. Most notable is the fact that winter translates to being cooped up inside, and ongoing runny noses.
Yesterday, as my husband and I prepared our house for the winter I felt a sense of sadness looking at my naked backyard. The boy’s play house, water table, and slide are all packed away. The table and chairs are also stored, and all the flowers have been cut down. Instead of stocking up on swim diapers, I will have to buy Kleenex to wipe the boy’s runny nose that will soon start and probably last all winter long.
As a mom of an allergic child I am not alone, friends of mine who are parents of otherwise healthy kids also complain about the winter runny nose. The difference being, to me and anyone else who has a child with asthma, we all know that when a runny nose turns into a full blown cold, we have a big problem. I recognize that I can take some precautions, but the inevitable is going to come. He will get a cold, it will probably settle in his chest and we will probably make several trips to our pediatrician throughout the next few months.
I’ve noticed some kids already have the runny nose and I recognize that it does not necessarily mean the child is sick. Surprisingly, I am not the type to care about the boy hanging out with other kids and their runny noses, but I am the type to care when parents send their kids to school sick. As a mom, I can now appreciate the frustration. It’s unfair for the child, and for everyone else’s children, not to mention the parents and teachers involved. I know that I am considerate when it comes to that, so I can only hope that the other parents are as well. With that being said, if your kid is sick, keep him/her home, also if your kid’s nose is runny, wipe it!
:)
J.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Arachis Hypogaea
This past weekend I was in Toronto for my friends wedding. Since I was a bridesmaid, I was having my makeup done for the occasion. I don’t wear a lot of makeup to begin with, and when I do I like the ‘natural’ look. Over the years I have accumulated a collection of lipsticks that I buy every time I have my makeup done professionally. This is because I would never share a lipstick with anyone, not even when it has only been used with a lip brush. My fear is beyond the germs that can accumulate on those sample lipsticks used by everyone and anyone. I also fear that peanut residue from someone else’s lips may be trapped on the lipstick. When I explained my allergy to the makeup artist, she was completely understanding. I used my own lipstick, and only products that I am familiar with. I did however forget to bring a moisturizer so I was going to use a sample. I was reading the ingredients on one of them, and I noticed an ingredient ‘Arachis Hypogaea’. In French, peanuts are known as ‘arachides’, so the word arachis luckily made me realize that I shouldn’t use that product. When I googled arachis hypogaea, I learned that it was in fact from a peanut. I always knew that almond oil is a common ingredient is beauty products, but I thought it was rare for peanut derivatives to be used.
For anyone with a peanut allergy, keep this in mind, because makeup will not have the same disclaimer that food products do. Peanuts are also known by the following names: earthnuts, ground nuts, goober peas, monkey nuts, pygmy nuts and pig nuts.
:)
J.
For anyone with a peanut allergy, keep this in mind, because makeup will not have the same disclaimer that food products do. Peanuts are also known by the following names: earthnuts, ground nuts, goober peas, monkey nuts, pygmy nuts and pig nuts.
:)
J.
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Allergic Boy
I took the boy for allergy tests a few weeks after his honeydew incident, and the allergist suggested only testing for the honeydew, cantaloupe and strawberries. He had no reaction to any of the fruit, but I wanted a second opinion. I made an appointment with another pediatric allergist, and she re-did those tests, but also tested for peanuts, tree nuts and other allergens. He was all clear for the fruit and peanuts, but it appears as though he is allergic to tree nuts, as he had a slight reaction from the skin test. So what does this mean? Since he’s never been exposed to an actual tree-nut (cashew, pistachio, almond etc…), we have to go back in a year, re-test, and also stay away from them until then.
Everyone handles “bad news” differently, but for some reason I was not surprised by this. I was told that given the family history, he has a significantly higher chance of developing an allergy. I have been carrying an Epipen Jr. and a bottle of Benadryl since the fruit incident. The only thing that is hard to handle is the fact that I now have this additional responsibility towards the boy that most parents don’t have. I recognize the impact an allergy can have on day-to-day life, and until I have the all-clear, I plan to live life as though he is allergic. For me, this is not a transition because this is how I live my own life. For parents with no history of allergies I can imagine the difficulty assosciated in managing this. The responsibility of becoming a parent is overwhelming enough, but to be told that your child has an allergy can make life scary. For us, in the meantime, while waiting to determine if he is in fact allergic, I will bring his own cupcake to birthday parties, brown bag his lunch at play dates, and like his mom he won’t be able to eat at Ben and Jerry’s or Baskin & Robbins. I’ll have to teach him that sharing food is a no, and that he can’t go around kissing the girls in his class! My mother and mother in law both keep peanut/nut free homes as it is, so the educational piece for family members is simple.
I always try to keep things in perspective, and in the grand scheme of things this is not so terrible. On another note, since the all-clear on strawberries, honeydew and cantaloupe the boy is loooving his new fruit choices!
:)
J.
Everyone handles “bad news” differently, but for some reason I was not surprised by this. I was told that given the family history, he has a significantly higher chance of developing an allergy. I have been carrying an Epipen Jr. and a bottle of Benadryl since the fruit incident. The only thing that is hard to handle is the fact that I now have this additional responsibility towards the boy that most parents don’t have. I recognize the impact an allergy can have on day-to-day life, and until I have the all-clear, I plan to live life as though he is allergic. For me, this is not a transition because this is how I live my own life. For parents with no history of allergies I can imagine the difficulty assosciated in managing this. The responsibility of becoming a parent is overwhelming enough, but to be told that your child has an allergy can make life scary. For us, in the meantime, while waiting to determine if he is in fact allergic, I will bring his own cupcake to birthday parties, brown bag his lunch at play dates, and like his mom he won’t be able to eat at Ben and Jerry’s or Baskin & Robbins. I’ll have to teach him that sharing food is a no, and that he can’t go around kissing the girls in his class! My mother and mother in law both keep peanut/nut free homes as it is, so the educational piece for family members is simple.
I always try to keep things in perspective, and in the grand scheme of things this is not so terrible. On another note, since the all-clear on strawberries, honeydew and cantaloupe the boy is loooving his new fruit choices!
:)
J.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Yummmm....
I have always said that having a peanut allergy keeps me slim because I was never able to just stop somewhere and grab a muffin, cupcake, ice-cream etc. In the past few years this has changed and I find myself falling victim to my sweet tooth all over town!
Cho’cola Bake Shop on Monkland is perfect for a morning muffin, or afternoon cupcake. One of the reason’s I love Cho’cola is because the shop itself is so pretty. The pink/white décor, marble counters, and beautiful cupcakes with that delicious buttercream make the whole experience worthwhile even with the high price-tag of each cupcake.
Since my work requires me to be in my car a lot, I have found myself making stops at Snowdon bakery for their delicious chocolate danish. This has been my lunch at least twice in the past few weeks and every calorie was worth it!
I work in Westmount, so on my way to the office, I often stop by Cavallaro for their bread. Their multi-grain baguette is a true find, but get there early because they sell out fast.
Last week while taking the boy on a drive, we stopped at Swurl, the new Frozen Yogurt place downtown on Cresent. I had high expectations and psyched myself up for this experience, but was ultimately underwhelmed. It was a rainy evening, so not the best for Frozen yogurt. That alone dampened the experience, but I found the Vanilla to be grainy and icier than fro-yo should be. I was however very impressed by the topping selection, especially considering everything is peanut free. To name a few, pop tarts, junior mints and graham crackers are toppings I never thought to put on ice cream or yogurt but have so much potential. Maybe next-time, I decided to play it simple for my first try. The OCD in me kicked in and I asked the cashier to get some ‘untouched’ Oreo from the back. It is a great concept to pour your own yogurt, scoop your own topping, weigh it, and pay for it. Maybe the vanilla was having a bad day, so I do promise to give it another try.
Yesterday, I found a new reason to go to TMR, as I discovered Mimi-Melon. It is in the industrial part of TMR, but a hop, skip and jump from Wal-Mart which is definitely a stop I make regularly. Overall, the cupcakes were moist and tasty. I was pleasantly surprised to bite into what I thought was a chocolate one only to discover it was marble, making it the perfect combination of chocolate/vanilla deliciousness!
I don’t own a scale, which is probably a good thing, but I did rejoin the gym to burn off these delicious calories. Montreal is certainly allergy aware, and it is nice to see these places popping up around town which allow me and all the allergic people around here to indulge every so often.
:)
J.
Cho’cola Bake Shop on Monkland is perfect for a morning muffin, or afternoon cupcake. One of the reason’s I love Cho’cola is because the shop itself is so pretty. The pink/white décor, marble counters, and beautiful cupcakes with that delicious buttercream make the whole experience worthwhile even with the high price-tag of each cupcake.
Since my work requires me to be in my car a lot, I have found myself making stops at Snowdon bakery for their delicious chocolate danish. This has been my lunch at least twice in the past few weeks and every calorie was worth it!
I work in Westmount, so on my way to the office, I often stop by Cavallaro for their bread. Their multi-grain baguette is a true find, but get there early because they sell out fast.
Last week while taking the boy on a drive, we stopped at Swurl, the new Frozen Yogurt place downtown on Cresent. I had high expectations and psyched myself up for this experience, but was ultimately underwhelmed. It was a rainy evening, so not the best for Frozen yogurt. That alone dampened the experience, but I found the Vanilla to be grainy and icier than fro-yo should be. I was however very impressed by the topping selection, especially considering everything is peanut free. To name a few, pop tarts, junior mints and graham crackers are toppings I never thought to put on ice cream or yogurt but have so much potential. Maybe next-time, I decided to play it simple for my first try. The OCD in me kicked in and I asked the cashier to get some ‘untouched’ Oreo from the back. It is a great concept to pour your own yogurt, scoop your own topping, weigh it, and pay for it. Maybe the vanilla was having a bad day, so I do promise to give it another try.
Yesterday, I found a new reason to go to TMR, as I discovered Mimi-Melon. It is in the industrial part of TMR, but a hop, skip and jump from Wal-Mart which is definitely a stop I make regularly. Overall, the cupcakes were moist and tasty. I was pleasantly surprised to bite into what I thought was a chocolate one only to discover it was marble, making it the perfect combination of chocolate/vanilla deliciousness!
I don’t own a scale, which is probably a good thing, but I did rejoin the gym to burn off these delicious calories. Montreal is certainly allergy aware, and it is nice to see these places popping up around town which allow me and all the allergic people around here to indulge every so often.
:)
J.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Back to School!
We had a wonderful summer and over the past few months we watched the boy develop into a toddler. I have been so busy that I have not made the time to blog, so I apologize for that and will do my best to post regularly.
It’s hard to believe that summer is over and school has started. I say it all the time, but time flies! The boy is 16 months, my husband just turned 35, my 30th is in a few weeks, and this year marks our 5 year anniversary! All good things, but sometimes I just want to freeze time and enjoy the moment.
This week, as my niece in Montreal and nephew in NJ head to their first day of grade one I am reminded by my own back to school experience. As a kid, every year the night before the first day of school, I used to sleep in my mother’s bed. I would to talk about how I felt about returning to school after what was always a great summer. I re-hashed the previous year, and declared my commitment to try my best. I literally spent the night before the first day of school in my mother’s bed until I went for a Master’s degree!
While some parents may not agree that back to school is a big deal, it certainly is for the kids. I know my sister spent the evening in her daughters bed the other night giving her a pep talk and hearing her daughter’s excitement about going into grade school, and the little one got so jealous she started to cry begging for her parents to come to her bed to talk about her school. Since she only starts tomorrow, they promised her that tonight would be her night!
For many parents, starting a new school year means having to re-explain your child’s allergies and developing a level of trust with the school. Depending on the situation, this can be easy or extremely difficult for parents. My mother obviously spoke with the teachers about my allergy, but another part of my her routine was to write up what she called the ‘encyclopedia’. This was basically a handbook she wrote of how to handle my asthma and my allergies. It detailed the signs and symptoms, the medications, how to administer the Epipen, the activities I was allowed to do (weather depending), and the emergency contact list. The office and my teachers got a copy. This was a very helpful tool that was given to the school every year.
In a few weeks, the sandals and bathing suits will be put away, the new routine will settle in, and all kids will be talking about is their teachers, friends, after school activities, and homework. So for all the parents out there, I wish your children nothing but a safe, successful school year!
:)
J.
It’s hard to believe that summer is over and school has started. I say it all the time, but time flies! The boy is 16 months, my husband just turned 35, my 30th is in a few weeks, and this year marks our 5 year anniversary! All good things, but sometimes I just want to freeze time and enjoy the moment.
This week, as my niece in Montreal and nephew in NJ head to their first day of grade one I am reminded by my own back to school experience. As a kid, every year the night before the first day of school, I used to sleep in my mother’s bed. I would to talk about how I felt about returning to school after what was always a great summer. I re-hashed the previous year, and declared my commitment to try my best. I literally spent the night before the first day of school in my mother’s bed until I went for a Master’s degree!
While some parents may not agree that back to school is a big deal, it certainly is for the kids. I know my sister spent the evening in her daughters bed the other night giving her a pep talk and hearing her daughter’s excitement about going into grade school, and the little one got so jealous she started to cry begging for her parents to come to her bed to talk about her school. Since she only starts tomorrow, they promised her that tonight would be her night!
For many parents, starting a new school year means having to re-explain your child’s allergies and developing a level of trust with the school. Depending on the situation, this can be easy or extremely difficult for parents. My mother obviously spoke with the teachers about my allergy, but another part of my her routine was to write up what she called the ‘encyclopedia’. This was basically a handbook she wrote of how to handle my asthma and my allergies. It detailed the signs and symptoms, the medications, how to administer the Epipen, the activities I was allowed to do (weather depending), and the emergency contact list. The office and my teachers got a copy. This was a very helpful tool that was given to the school every year.
In a few weeks, the sandals and bathing suits will be put away, the new routine will settle in, and all kids will be talking about is their teachers, friends, after school activities, and homework. So for all the parents out there, I wish your children nothing but a safe, successful school year!
:)
J.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Travel
For me travelling is not as simple as deciding on a place to go, booking a flight, packing my bags and heading off. It is a research project that can takes weeks, if not months.
My allergy has prevented me from experiencing many once in a lifetime opportunities. While I like to try and see the positive aspects of being allergic to peanuts, I also resent it at times. I was not able to join 90% of my grade on an Israel trip in grade nine, I also didn’t go on a free trip to Israel offered through the community to young adults when I was 21, I was the one who never went on an all inclusive with my girlfriends in College, I couldn’t go backpacking through Europe with my friends in University, I even had to rearrange my honeymoon.
My allergy has certainly put up road blocks with respect to travel, but it has also taught me how to handle disappointment and to face reality. The fun in planning a trip becomes slightly more stressful for me, and more of a challenge. Everything from the airline, restaurants, and even hotel choice come into question. The airline must be peanut free, the restaurant must be peanut free, and the hotel must be close to a hospital.
I have come to terms with the fact that I will likely never travel to any part of Asia, and that I will probably never go on an all inclusive. I am certainly not a jet setter, but I have been to many places in Europe, Canada, the US and South Pacific and I will continue to travel in the future.
Have these situations changed who I am as a person…I think so. I have experienced enough disappointment related to my allergy that I am now able to accept it for what it is. My attitude as a teenager was completely different then from what it is now as an adult and a mother. As a teenager, I tried to convince my mother to let me go on these trips and she never budged. She literally threw out the mail that arrived for the free Israel trip so I wouldn’t see it and want to go. Now that I am a mother, I will probably do the same if I had to. At the time, I was so caught up with the fact that I wasn’t able to go on these trips that I lost sight of the safety issues involved. Now, I accept the fact that the allergy can hold me back from travelling the world. Of course everyone handle’s their respective allergies differently, and while some people may not agree with my decisions, I respect the decisions other people make around travel. I realize that I have a responsibility to myself, my husband and the boy to do my absolute best to be as careful as possible so I don’t have a reaction.
:)
J.
My allergy has prevented me from experiencing many once in a lifetime opportunities. While I like to try and see the positive aspects of being allergic to peanuts, I also resent it at times. I was not able to join 90% of my grade on an Israel trip in grade nine, I also didn’t go on a free trip to Israel offered through the community to young adults when I was 21, I was the one who never went on an all inclusive with my girlfriends in College, I couldn’t go backpacking through Europe with my friends in University, I even had to rearrange my honeymoon.
My allergy has certainly put up road blocks with respect to travel, but it has also taught me how to handle disappointment and to face reality. The fun in planning a trip becomes slightly more stressful for me, and more of a challenge. Everything from the airline, restaurants, and even hotel choice come into question. The airline must be peanut free, the restaurant must be peanut free, and the hotel must be close to a hospital.
I have come to terms with the fact that I will likely never travel to any part of Asia, and that I will probably never go on an all inclusive. I am certainly not a jet setter, but I have been to many places in Europe, Canada, the US and South Pacific and I will continue to travel in the future.
Have these situations changed who I am as a person…I think so. I have experienced enough disappointment related to my allergy that I am now able to accept it for what it is. My attitude as a teenager was completely different then from what it is now as an adult and a mother. As a teenager, I tried to convince my mother to let me go on these trips and she never budged. She literally threw out the mail that arrived for the free Israel trip so I wouldn’t see it and want to go. Now that I am a mother, I will probably do the same if I had to. At the time, I was so caught up with the fact that I wasn’t able to go on these trips that I lost sight of the safety issues involved. Now, I accept the fact that the allergy can hold me back from travelling the world. Of course everyone handle’s their respective allergies differently, and while some people may not agree with my decisions, I respect the decisions other people make around travel. I realize that I have a responsibility to myself, my husband and the boy to do my absolute best to be as careful as possible so I don’t have a reaction.
:)
J.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
The pro's of a peanut allergy
If you grew up eating PB and J every day then it would likely be hard to live my life. Even though it takes some getting used to, life with an allergy is not so terrible.
Considering this is my reality and I don’t know any different, I decided to come up with the following list of the pro’s of having a peanut allergy.
Pro’s
1. Saves money on eating lunch out
2. Not eating desserts at restaurants keeps me slim
3. I don’t feel guilty when I do eat a peanut free cupcake (or 2)
4. An excuse to not kiss people at social events
5. I always have an excuse to not impulse buy the pastries at coffee shops
6. I get to choose the restaurant when I go out with friends
7. A good excuse to leave a classroom
8. Peanut free mars bars
Cons
1. Way too many to list!
Please comment if you think I missed something!
:)
J.
Considering this is my reality and I don’t know any different, I decided to come up with the following list of the pro’s of having a peanut allergy.
Pro’s
1. Saves money on eating lunch out
2. Not eating desserts at restaurants keeps me slim
3. I don’t feel guilty when I do eat a peanut free cupcake (or 2)
4. An excuse to not kiss people at social events
5. I always have an excuse to not impulse buy the pastries at coffee shops
6. I get to choose the restaurant when I go out with friends
7. A good excuse to leave a classroom
8. Peanut free mars bars
Cons
1. Way too many to list!
Please comment if you think I missed something!
:)
J.
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