Food Allergy – Better Parents of Kids with Food Allergies Support Group - Selbsthilfegruppe "Bessere Eltern von Kindern mit Nahrungsmittelallergien

I was motivated to write the book personally because I experienced firsthand what it was like to send a child off to school with food allergies, not just one child but two. As I continued to counsel more parents sending their children to school with food allergies and hearing the same questions, I felt it was necessary to reach out and help inspire parents to become confident about their ability to promote safe for their food allergy children and creating a sense of normalcy. I share my personal experiences throughout the book as well as my professional knowledge.

What advice do you have for a parent who has a child that is newly diagnosed with a food allergy?

I let the parent(s) know that they are not alone and there is a wealth of information on food allergies that I will help them navigate the process of learning how to keep their child safe while maintaining optimal health and keeping peace of mind. I share my personal experience which helps to ease their mind in knowing that they are working with someone who “gets it”.

Why is an Allergy Action Plan important for a child to have on file in school?

An emergency treatment or care plan (also known as a Food Allergy Action Plan or Allergy Action Plan) is a written plan of instructions based on recommendations from the child’s healthcare provider (allergist or physician managing the food allergies) that clearly states what to do if an allergic reaction happens. It’s an effective tool for communicating the necessary steps to respond appropriately to a potentially life-threatening food allergy reaction. There’s no guess work if a reaction happens, the plan spells out exactly what to do. The plan should include: basic information (name, address, contact number of parents, age, height & weight of student, date of birth, grade and teacher’s name along with emergency contact numbers listed in order of importance to be called; type of action to be taken in an emergency which would include: instructions on how and when to administer medications, list of medications, including dosage and route (oral, injection, etc.); and a list of signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction.

What is a common mistake you often see with food allergy management?

The most common mistake with food allergy management is poor recognition of allergic symptoms and subsequent failure to treat immediately with epinephrine. Delaying treatment is life threatening. When there is a question of whether or not to give epinephrine, it is best to err on the side of administering. If medication is not given within a certain amount of time after the onset of anaphylaxis, the probabilities of survival are decreased dramatically.

How can parents best partner with a school to insure their child’s food allergies are managed safely and successfully?

This is exactly why I wrote my book. To help parents partner with the school to insure their child’s food allergies are managed safely and successfully by learning how to effectively communicate by asking the questions necessary to keep their child safe. For instance, parents are encouraged to ask under what circumstances food would be in the classroom and how often. Also, ask what the snack policy is for the classroom. These are just some of the questions found in my book. Education, communication and preparation are the essential keys in managing food allergies at school. It’s a team approach between the parents, school and child.

How can we best support families with food allergies?

Some simple tips to help support families with food allergies at school and outside of school is to offer non-food items instead of food, encourage non-food activities like playing a game or taking a walk as a way of spending time together. Simply asking what you can do to help can make all the difference to the food-allergic child and his or her parents.

Any other takeaways?

Keeping food-allergic children safe at school with food allergies is manageable. Parents are the greatest supporters and advocates. It’s important to understand and believe that having a food allergy is only one part of a child’s life. A healthy outlook is to focus on the positives and possibilities life has to offer. Promoting safe care while creating a sense of normalcy at school is possible. I would encourage anyone sending a child to school with food allergies to read my book, Parenting a Positive Reaction.

Lisa’s book can be found on Amazon.com in paperback.

I do not normally make a big deal about Food Allergy Meetings but we are very fortunate to have Linda Coss come and speak at our Food Allergy Group tonight. You will not want to miss this opportunity.

Linda Coss has been a pioneer in the food allergy world, a speaker at the 2016 Food Allergy Bloggers Conference in November and is the author of four books: 75 Marketing Tips to Grow Your Business; How to Manage Your Child’s Life-threatening Food Allergies: Practical Tips for Everyday Life; What’s to Eat? The Milk-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free Food Allergy Cookbook; and What Else is to Eat? The Dairy-, Egg- and Nut-Free Food Allergy Cookbook.

Linda will be speaking on the topic of “Raising a Child Who Takes Life-Threatening Food Allergies in Stride”

As parents, we’re all striving to raise happy, well-adjusted children. Most parents will tell you that trying to achieve this goal can be a real challenge. And that’s without overlaying the challenges that we face as parents of children with life-threatening food allergies!

In this 20- to 25-minute talk, nationally-known food allergy author Linda Coss discusses how to handle daily food allergy management in such a way that your child grows up feeling completely comfortable with the reality of his or her allergies, accepts the situation without serious emotional trauma, and turns out “well-adjusted” in spite of it all. It’s a 10-step approach, and it all starts with the recognition that you, as the parent, set the tone and teach by example.

Linda will be available to answer questions and join in our food allergy discussion. As always, new people are always welcome and we cannot provide any child care Our meeting will begin at 6:30 PM in the Ministry Office 2 building.

To find the Church Office please visit the website: https://www.ocfoodallergy.com/when-we-meet/

For detailed directions from Google Maps, please visit here: https://goo.gl/Wvr27z

It is interesting when you have kids with food allergies because you come to realize that your semi-controllable ritual is what you rely on most in your day. You live your life like a scientist in that you want things that “work” and do not cause “allergic reactions” to become the norm. You want things to remain the same from day to day. Take something as simple as Almond Milk. For those of us with kids with food allergies to milk (and not almonds), the Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla almond milk has been a staple in our home for almost 8 years now. After trying a number of different “non-milk” alternatives, our family settled on the almond milk product. And honestly, so did I.

It is actually a great milk substitute for a number of reasons but one of the biggest ones is that it has 0 grams of sugar. This is a big one because if you are required to substitute one product (low-fat milk) for another (almond milk), your hope is that you would have a healthier solution than your initial choice. And for our family, it was definitely that.

Now fast forward to the beginning of September 2016. On a typical Sunday afternoon Costco run, as we are checking off our Costco list of essentials for the week, we head down the aisle that would normally carry the Almond Breeze almond milk. After searching a bit and then re-checking the end-caps to see if it had moved, it was no where to be found. They were out….or so I thought.

After we checked out, I went over to speak with one of the managers at a terminal and I was shocked to learn that they were not carrying the brand any more. WHAT? HOW COULD THIS BE? After all these years….no more. Being the persistent person that I am, the next day I reached out to Blue Diamond and sent an email. Additionally I sent an email to Costco. And then, I received back the bad news I was hoping to not receive.

Thank you for contacting Blue Diamond Growers. We appreciate your feedback and sorry that Almond Breeze is no longer at your Costco. Unfortunately this was a decision made by Costco. We will certainly pass along your comments to our Marketing and Sales team that work directly with Costco. You can also help us by going to the Members desk and requesting the Store Manager to please bring back Almond Breeze. Meanwhile I can send you some money saving coupons for your efforts and dedication to Almond Breeze.

ARGGG! This is a bad dream. Does this mean that as a food allergy parent I am actually going to have to shop at Whole Foods (sorry…..but no offense) to buy another “specialty” item that is going to add another large expense to my monthly bill. In an act of desperation, I did notice that there was another “almond milk” product that Costco was carrying….but after bringing it home, my wife quickly pointed out the fact that it was “non-vanilla” and contained “a ton” of sugar. This would have to go back.

Now fast forward to today. After a last minute Costco run this evening, and after checking out, I decided to speak with a manager again about the almond milk situation. My plan was simple. If I could find a location that had the product, I would just drive there and buy several hundred dollars worth of almond milk. Why not? It has a huge shelf life (usually more than 1 year) and if it meant that I was going to save a lot of money then I would be completely justified in my decision (even though I would most likely hear a long speech from my wife on my insane decision).

The manager types at his computer a moment to tell me what I already knew. The Blue Diamond brand was no more…but then he said something interesting. He said that there was an “alternative” Kirkland product. Huh? What did that mean? So, I politely asked if he could show me what he was referring to and guess what. There it was. In a NEW BOX. A NEW product I have not seen before. A KIRKLAND REPLACEMENT for the Blue Diamond Product.

And now….Thank You Costco. You have just launched “Organic Unsweetened Non-Dairy Vanilla Almond Milk). When you look at the packaging it is clear that it is being marketed for the Smoothie market….but that does not matter to me. It is the same package….at the same price. Thank you Costco. Thank you Costco. Thank you Costco.

As you can see by the photos, the product seems to be identical. Next time you are at Costco, if you have been searching high and low for the almond milk, the love for Costco has returned.

I had an interesting conversation with my wife the other day on the topic of Food Allergies. It is interesting because every parent that engages in the daily battle of managing food allergies for their child is an amazing Hero in my opinion. These are the parents that wake up every day and help their kids manage the not-so-wonderful world of food allergies. And let me also make it clear that this article is not meant to discount or discourage those families with suffer from Celiac Disease, EOE, Gluten-Free or other food-type disorders. We are talking about life-threatening food allergies. For us parents battling the Food Allergy war, we can clearly understand the daily battles that ensue with your children and the difficult choices that have to be made daily as your kids choose was to eat several times throughout the day. It is an emotional battle that occurs every day.

But one of the biggest gripes I have with Food Allergies is the issue with the name itself….Food Allergy and here is the basic problem. The name itself does not properly communicate the incredible risk of life that is involved with every meal. How many times as a parent have you heard the words “I also get an upset stomach after drinking milk” after you have explained to the stranger at the food counter that your child has a food allergy. As a parent, I would love to have the issues of Diarrhea, Indigestion, Nausea or Vomiting. I would absolutely welcome any of these side effects over the fear of immediately stop-breathing symptom. Having different symptoms would be like a SPRING DAY filled with butterflies, deer, bacon and harps playing music in the background (okay, maybe the harps would be replaced with a Ukulele)….but you get the idea. It would be amazing.

But no. When your child has a life-threatening food allergy (and in the cases of most of the people that get to visit our support groups we are talking multiple life-threatening food allergies), this is not the case. It can lead to DEATH without intervention. It can happen QUICKLY. It can happen without major visual symptoms. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine yourself at one of your favorite restaurants looking through the menu. As you scan through the items of that menu, most of the items have a little icon next to them with the words “Eating this will lead to DEATH”. What would that be like? Would you still want to eat there? Would you trust the food that arrives on your plate? Now imagine that it is not you but your child. Walk through the above questions again and that is what these parents go through multiple times per day: at the grocery store, at coffee shop, at home, at Grandmas, at School. etc. etc. etc.

Welcome to the very-difficult-world of what it is like for a parent of a kid with food allergies. This is the daily routine that they face during every meal, through every day, with their children. What if you have two children with food allergies (like many of us do)….then the very-difficult-world is multiplied exponentially. It is the simple process of eliminating foods from their kid’s diets that will lead to death. It is a tremendous burden and a thankless job. It is a job that is done every day by thousands of parents (mainly moms and caregivers) each and every day. But as we go through this minefield, we must constantly remind those around us at what is at stake for our children. This is serious business with serious consequences.

It was interesting because I was listening to some of the recent horrific news about some of the recent attacks in France. Absolutely terrible and our prayers go out to those families impacted. As I listened, there was a story of one of the FBI officials talking about it and how they prepare for presidential speeches and events. Simply said, the FBI needs to get things right 100% of the time. There can be no mistakes. This resonated with me that the same thing happens 50 times a day by every parent with a kid with food allergy. They can never be wrong….ever. Not even once.

So this leads me back to my original conversation with my wife on the topic of Food Allergies. We need to come up with something better for this disease. If it was called “INSTANT DEATH DISEASE FROM FOOD” or “MY KID WILL STOP BREATHING IF I EAT THAT DISEASE” or anything that instantly communicates the extreme importance of it then I would be complete favor of that. Think about how much easier the conversations at school would be with those parents that insist that it is their right to bring a PB&J sandwich into the classroom. The uncomfortable conversations at family gatherings where some relative insists on putting out the bowl of life-ending nuts on the table for everyone (but your child) to enjoy. It the label for “Food Allergy” was just somehow different and could immediately described the emotion and the importance of the subject.

So if you are a parent without a kid with food allergy and you hear those words Food Allergy, please remember what is at stake for these parents. It is not fatigue or indigestion that is at stake. It is a child’s life that can be taken very quickly with the simple ingestion of a harmless looking cookie.

For now, I would continue to refer to Food Allergy as “A Life Threatening Food Allergy” until someone comes up with a better name.

So the family decided to check out Sub Zero Ice Cream and Yogart in Laguna Niguel, CA this evening. Our oldest has a life threatening food allergy to milk, so our typical options when going out for after dinner treats usually involve those in the sorbet variety. But tonight was different.

The good news is that this place really paid special attention to our food allergy. Additionally, they use Almond Milk in many of their options. Additionally, this is nice if you are concerned about calories and trying to make healthier choices.

Sub Zero is a great option for those who have food allergies. In fact one of their posters even mention the wood “food allergies” in the print….nice. Additionally, it is fun. Basically after your ingredients are selected, the real fun begins. -321 degrees of pure Nitrogen turning your bowl into custom ice cream before your eyes.

The only Orange County location is in Laguna Niguel, about 2 miles off the 5 freeway at the Oso exit.

SubZero Ice Cream and Yogart 27281 La Paz Road, Ste Q

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

Check it out for yourself: http://www.subzeroicecream.com/store-locator-2/

In September 2014 , the FAACT (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team) will be holding their first event at the Disneyland Hotel. The conference is designed for those with food allergies as full day of food allergy education. The conference covers all aspects of food allergies, from food allergy management, food diet, best selling food allergy authors and food allergy research. The full day event will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2014 at the Disneyland Hotel.

The cost for the conference is $150 for adults/guests (for Non-FAACT Patrons) and $100 for teens. FAACT Patrons can attend at a discounted rate. There is also a discounted Disneyland Hotel rate of $184 per night for attendees who register before Augugst 13, 2014. More information can be found at the FAACT website.

FAACT Conference Flyer
FAACT Conference Schedule

About the Food Allergy Conference
FAACT’s annual Food Allergy Conferences provide full day of educational sessions led by leading medical professionals and food allergy advocates. The conferences offer education and support for parents, grandparents, school personnel, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and teens. Each conference will include specialized breakout sessions, including a session specifically for adults who have food allergies. Keynote speakers will be members of FAACT’s Medical Advisory Board presenting on food allergy and anaphylaxis management, as well as the latest food allergy research. There will be sessions for parents, nurses, school personnel, as well as a session about the psychosocial aspect of living with food allergies, restaurant training workshops, baking demo sessions with leading allergy cookbook authors, and much, much more. Teens and Teen Siblings (ages 11-18) will be together the entire day, sharing experiences, participating in team-building activities, and learning from leading healthcare professionals and advocates.

For more information on the conference, please visit FAACT at: http://www.foodallergyawareness.org/programs/FAACTs-Annual-Food-Allergy-Conference/locations_and_hotel_information-17/

For more information on becoming a FAACT Patron, please visit: http://www.foodallergyawareness.org/patron/

Sorry for the cancellation of this month’s support group meeting…but an important opportunity has come up and space is extremely limited. Please read on….

At Sensitive Sweets next week (Thursday, August 15th at 5:30PM to 7:00 PM) Kelly Rudnicki (author of The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book) will be speaking on the topic of 504 plans. This means….find a sitter, get off work a little early and come learn from Kelly on this very important topic.

Kelly has spoken at our Saddleback Church food allergy support group before and is quite knowledgeable when it comes to the topic of 504 plans. Rather than make you choose which event to attend (this event or our support group), we thought we would make the choice easy for you and meet you there. We will be attending this great presentation, so please come join us.

Additionally, the event is also a mini-fund raiser for FARE Walk – Los Angeles. 20% of the sales that evening at Sensitive Sweets will be donated to FARE. Plus, if you have never been to Sensitive Sweets in Fountain Valley, you are in for a real treat (an allergy-free treat that is) and will want to purchase a couple of treats before leaving. Melanie Hohman is an amazing baker with a huge heart for making the most amazing allergy-free treats on the planet.

As with our group, leave the kids at home and come ready to learn. For those of you who cannot make it, I am planning on video recording it (with Kelly’s approval) so the content may still be available if you cannot attend..

The event is limited to 35 adults so you will want to make sure you sign up immediately so that Melanie can get an accurate head count. Once again, YOU MUST RSVP VIA FACEBOOK to reserve your spot for this event.

To reserve your spot for the 504 plan event, please click here.

Once again, NO Support Group meeting this month. Our next meeting will be in October, after school has started so we look forward to seeing everyone in the fall. In the meantime, you can visit us online on Facebook if you have any questions, concerns or prayer requests.

Hopefully the Lord is bringing blessing to your summer and protection to your kids and family.

Orange County, Food Allergy Awareness Week is upon us. In 1998, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (now FARE), started Food Allergy Awareness Week to help educate families, schools, about the dangers of food allergies and how important it is keep our children safe.

Food Allergy is a real medical condition that impacts 1 in 13 kids. If you think about this in terms of Orange County schools, that is on average 2 kids in every classroom. To help spread the word, FARE has a number of different materials that are extremely useful in educating others on the serious nature of a food allergy condition.

Here are just some of the materials:

Posters

Brochures

For more information, please visit FARE at http://www.foodallergy.org/food-allergy-awareness-week/activities

For Kelly Rudnicki, busy mother of five young children, feeding her family got even more complicated when one of her sons was diagnosed with severe food allergies. Launching the Food Allergy Mama website, she struck a chord with parents and home cooks in similar situations and made it her mission to prove that allergen–free meals can be easy and flavorful. Showcasing the very best of Rudnicki’s repertoire, The Food Allergy Mama’s Easy, Fast Family Meals makes it simple to please a hungry crowd. Recipes include:

Morning Glory Muffins
Breakfast Burritos
Creamy Tomato Soup
Hearty Pasta Featuring Grandma Jeanne’s Bolognese Sauce
Oatmeal Fudge Bars

All recipes are made without milk, butter, cheese, eggs, or nuts. She also includes time–saving tips, and ideas for inexpensive ingredient substitutions, including tofu and applesauce. Menu ideas and holiday celebrations make this book the most comprehensive guide of its kind—a one–stop resource for allergen–free, worry–free home cooking every day of the week.

To find out more about her book, please visit here at: http://www.foodallergymama.com/easy-fast-family-meals/

During our April 16, 2013, Dr. Kendra Klassen visited our Food Allergy Support Group to share some great information on the topic of anxiety. Here is some of the importance information she was able to share with the group.

Understanding the Problem

In times of stress, the body will become either over or under aroused. When our body is over aroused (hyper-arousal), we experience many forms of anxiety, such as panic attacks, racing thoughts, or an unexplainable sense of dread.

Help children gain a sense of control by educating them about how the brain and body work.

Visit www.worrywisekids.org for examples of scripts to use when explaining anxiety to your children.
Teach kids to recognize the signs of a stressed out body: increased heart rate, sweaty palms, tense muscles and thoughts like, “I need daddy,” or, “I can’t do it!”
Distinguish between “tricks” and “truth.”

Many things can stress our bodies, all of which have the potential to lead to anxiety (e.g., toxins, allergies, over-stimulation, emotional trauma, etc.). For help finding the source of the problem, consider seeing a counselor or holistic healthcare practitioner.

Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First

To help our children with their anxiety, we must learn to manage your own.

Do the following tips and tools along with your children, and use them for yourself. Remember, a calm brain is a flexible brain.
Remain calm and confident in the heat of the moment to provide your child a secure base. For help, check out the “Calm Authority for Mothers” CD at www.marcyaxness.com.

When you are relaxed, you can more easily soothe your child with eye contact, gentle touch, and soft, reassuring words.

Breathing

The fastest, surest way to decrease anxiety is to take slow, deep breaths. A rhythmic flow of air going in and out helps calm the body.

Place your hands over each other’s hearts and breathe slowly.
Use a pinwheel or bubbles to teach your child how to blow gently, keeping it going for as long as possible before taking the next breath.
Or imagine blowing a feather far out into the distance.

For deep breathing to work, we must practice regularly. Just minutes a day will profoundly influence your ability to stay regulated during a normally stressful situation.

Mind Control

Controlling our thought life is essential in winning the war against anxiety. Practice squashing the “worry bug” with the following techniques:

Memorize anti-anxiety scriptures as a family
- 2 Tim 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
- Isaiah 12:2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense he has become my salvation.
- Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
- Philippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
- Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
- Psalm 56:11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid…”
Have a plan. Explore and practice ways to calm down before the anxiety hits (such as breathing, walking, asking for help, etc.). Ask them what they need to manage difficult situations and rehearse.
Teach your child to talk back to the fear. Externalize the problem using puppets, figures, etc. to role-play fear and its “boss” (or “superhero,” etc.). Being playful and silly helps make hyper-arousal less scary!

As adults, we can help our children overcome anxiety! Never give up. Be patient, empathize with their struggle, encourage them to overcome, and reward their progress!

Additional Resources

Dr. Kendra Klassen is a licensed psychologist who received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Rosemead School of Psychology in La Mirada, California. She has been in practice for over 10 years, specializing in attachment work with children, individuals and families throughout Orange County, and helping people develop more fulfilling and meaningful lives.

With two young children of her own, Dr. Klassen’s passion is to help parents, children and their families have healthy relationships with one another. Dr. Kendra Klassen has been working in the field of attachment and bonding since the early 90’s. Her experience includes time with orphans in Romania, specialized training under both local and internationally renowned experts in the field, and work with numerous adopted and foster children in both clinical and group home settings.

Dr. Klassen is also trained in Healing Prayer and Neuro-Emotional Technique (www.netmindbody.com), and has experience with natural and alternative healthcare. This makes her a truly holistic practitioner, committed to the healing of the whole person. She has presented for a number of organizations and to general audiences, speaking on the topics of attachment, marriage, parenting, and spirituality. She is a caring mom and proven professional, committed to the advancement of God’s redeeming work in the restoration of families. Call now to learn more.

www.FamilyRestorations.com Kendra Klassen, Psy.D. ph. 949-303-8933