You know your a Food Allergy Mom when...

Recently I participated in a group conversation held in a community of food allergy moms. The post was a simple fill in the blank question "You know your a food allergy mom when..." In the end there was almost 300 comments, and it was a fascinating peek into the lives of these food allergy families. Some of the comments made me laugh out loud, some made me want to cry, but all of them showed how much these kids are loved. I picked a sampling of some of my favorites, and included a layman's translation for those that may not be as familiar with the food allergy world...what would you add to the list?

- You do more research now than you ever did in highschool and college combined!
(Because you literally need to know what ingredients are in every single bite of food your child eats. And you also need to know if it was prepped anywhere near their allergen in case of cross contamination...think cooking with raw chicken, same concept.)

-You read the label on a box of Ziploc sandwich bags.
(Those sneaky allergens are hiding EVERYWHERE!)

-You would rather step in goose poop than step on the pistachio shells in the grass at the park...
(While poop is very gross, pistachio shells could trigger a life threatening reaction for some kids.)

-The school nurse calls to tell you your child fell off her chair and hit her head on the floor, and you're relieved.

-You know multiple ways to explain cross contact contamination in case they don't seem to get it the first time. (Again, cooking with raw chicken...)

-You volunteer for lunch duty for 6 years, every day, until you see that the school truly understands and gets it.

-When you have prayed each and every night for your child to outgrow or be cured of his allergy. Every night.

-You're reading a news headline (just this week) that states a man working at a local bakery was secretly putting 'nuts & bolts' inside of the baked goods and your first thought was 'phew....i thought they were talking about peanuts'  True story! (I thought the same thing, and was also relived! HAHA!)

-You dread every food laden event...
(We not only dread them, but often just don't go)

-You never leave the house without epis, baby wipes, cell phone, safe food/treats.
( The purpose of baby wipes is to wipe down surfaces your child might touch that could have residue...think picnic tables for example.)

-You go without a treat because you cannot eat it in front of your child and make them feel left out.

-When you have to console your child after they weren't invited to an event because of their allergies.
(Already had to face this, and little miss is only 3. Broke my heart.)

-You attempt to make your homemade birthday cakes look like the bakery's!

-Your kitchen now has a bread maker, a waffle maker, a ice cream maker, a crock pot, etc.
(This way you do know EVERTHING that is in their food, and you can get super creative substituting ingredients to make safe forms of classic food for your little one.)

-You dread having to be "that mom" but you know you have no choice.
( You know...that crazy ingredient demanding, snack verifying, epi-pen wielding mom...)

-You cry regularly because your very young child has to deal with so much anxiety and fear of food instead of just getting to be a kid.

-You wrap the Auvi-Q's in a pair of socks and sleep with them down your pants, so they didn't get to cold while camping. (Auvi-Q is another form of Epi-Pen AKA: lifesaving drug in case of exposure to allergen. They must be kept at room temperature. This my friends is much trickier than you would think.)

-You memorize the labeling practices of companies.
(My heartfelt thanks goes out to all those companies that voluntarily label for cross contamination...and for those of you that don't, Duncan Hines, you can kiss my big toe)

-It's January and you're already planning for summer camp by making LOTS of calls.
(Nothing more terrifying than sending your child off for an extended period of time, and letting someone else feed them...nothing.)

-You get a pit in your stomach when you see the school calling.
(This could mean any number of things...someone's having a birthday, your child is getting bullied, or worst of all your child is having a reaction.)

-You find yourself unexpectedly overcome with emotion when you finally take your child into a bakery or ice cream shop that can accomodate them. Something so many parents take for granted, I'm sure.

-You figure out where the closest hospital is and have their address/directions on hand - on all your trips. (No matter where you are in the world, you still have to eat. And when traveling your regular safe spots are removed from the equation...things get very tricky.)

-You are relieved when its just a bug you found in their mouth.

I hope this has given everyone a little insight into what it means to live with a life threatening food allergy in the family. For those of you that are managing an allergy, may you feel a little less alone. There are so many of us facing the same challenges, lets stick together. And for those of you that are not, be patient with us
. As you can see it gets a little tricky.