A Zoo Trip for the Newly Diagnosed

One thing I really enjoy about writing this blog is meeting people right after their diagnosis and helping them feel like a child with a peanut allergy really is manageable. Angie was one of the first people I had the honor of helping, shortly after I started this blog in mid-July.

Recently, she visited the zoo with her children (with lots of "PA mom nerves" thrown in). I asked her to write a short piece up about her experience because I know most of my readers can either relate to where she is or are working to get up to this level.

Spencer sporting his nifty medical alert bracelet

Every summer we take our boys, Brenden (age 6) and Spencer (age 2) to a nearby zoo. We were planning this summer's visit for September, but then Spencer was diagnosed with his peanut allergy on July 28. After that day, I wondered how I could ever leave the house with him again, let alone travel nearly 2 hours to the zoo to let him touch fences and benches thousands of other dirty hands have touched!

The day before Labor Day I happened to be online and discovered that Labor Day was the last day the koalas would be at the zoo. I knew Brenden would enjoy seeing them since we're reading the "Magic Treehouse" book about Australia right now. While on the website for the zoo, I also checked out what food was available for lunch and what their emergency procedures were. After reading about the food available at the zoo, I discovered there really wasn't anything "safe" there for Spencer to eat, so I packed us a picnic lunch and plenty of snacks.

When we got to the zoo, I loaded the stroller with Spencer's backpack, which contained the epi-pen and Bendedryl (I also carried a second epi-pen and Benedryl in my purse), safe snacks and his sippy cup. I also took my whole canister of anti-bacterial wipes so I could wipe his hands often. When we ate our lunch at the picnic table, I wiped it down, too. I have to admit that I felt on edge all day, worrying about what Spencer was getting on his hands when he touched fences, benches and the carousel ride. We did let him get one of the drinks they sell in the animal shaped bottle, but I felt nervous even doing that. It ended up being fine, but I will save the bottle for future trips so I can fill it with something I know is safe!

Overall, we had a very good trip, although I came home with a pretty bad headache. I'm sure it was a combination of the heat and my anxiety. I hope future trips will be less stressful as I get used to having a PA kid.

(**By thew way, I always get permission from my readers to share their questions and stories. Unless they request me not to, I identify them as "a reader." If you have a story you want to share with me but don't want it put on the blog, that is fine. An issue came up this week that made me realize that I want to make it clear to anyone reading this blog that a story you share with me will never be shared on the blog without your explicit permission.**)