January has been quite a month for our household! In the beginning of the month, the stomach flu swept through our home and had no mercy. Then, last week a nasty cold knocked the boys completely off of their feet. When they were still very sick on Monday, I took them to the doctor. The verdict was a double ear infection for Tyler and a single ear infection for my little Dylan.
I love our pediatrician's office. There are three doctors that are all moms of young children. They all work part time so they can have ample time with their children. Their philosophy is certainly one I can relate to!
The doctor we saw on Monday has a special place in my heart. She has a son with a peanut allergy. She is new to the practice and I had only seen her once with my other son. Monday was the first day she met Tyler. When she asked about allergies, I reminded her I had a PA kid like her.
Her statement to me as a fellow mom of a PA Kid really summed up my emotions exactly:
"Having a child with a peanut allergy stinks, doesn't it?" she said.
Have truer words ever been spoken?
Something I found very interesting was that she admitted that she has a peanut butter addiction. She admitted she has a secret stash of peanut butter in her home that requires climbing on a stool and moving objects to retrieve. She said sometimes when her son is in bed, she carefully indulges in some PB love.
Its easy to think that how we manage our child's peanut allergy is the best way. For our family, that means all of us being peanut-free. More than anything, this keeps my anxiety levels much lower. I feel like this is how Tyler is the safest in our home.
I found it interesting, however, that a doctor does not share my own cautious philosophy. Is her child healthy and peanut-free? Yep. Even with his mom having PB in the home.
We all have our own comfort levels and we make choices that we feel are best. What is right for one family, may not be right for another, as long as plenty of caution is involved in whatever decision is made.
In the end, I introduced her to SunButter. She had never heard of it. My husband was with me and we both raved on how great it is. She asked where we bought it. In the end, I doubt she will change her peanut butter habits and that is fine for her family. She is cautious and she is a doctor, after all.
Its just a reminder that what is right for one family may or may not be right for another family.
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7 comments:
I bought some Sunbutter after reading your post this morning. OH MY WORD ... it is wonderful!! My 6-year old is going to freak out --- he cried for days after we removed all pb products from the house due to his sister's allergy.
Robin, I think twice and hard before I write this blog. Yes, every family handles the allergies differently and we are not the one to judge (especially when it does not endanger us) We keep a 100% peanut free house but my never really like peanut to begin with. Sometimes I wonder, if the food is something I love, would this be a different story.
But again, why do people out there make such a big fuss about not able to eat peanuts (on the plane, in peanut free schools...etc)? Why people make fun of our disability of being allergic peanuts publicly and not make fun of people on the wheel chair (at least most not do so in public)? Well, food indulgence is so very different from other inconvenience. I remember one mom said it in her peanut allergy blog that : " ..people will go out of way to be sure they eat their peanuts....." In this matter, food, whatever food they crave and love.
Such complicated state of mind, I don't know where I am leading to in this comment, but one thing the doctor is right about, YES, peanut allergy stinks.
One other peanut butter substitute that I love is called "I.M. Healthy Soy Nut Butter". It is obviously made out of soy, and is made in a peanut and tree nut free facility. I love the taste and texture of this. I don't know if it is available everywhere (I am in MN where it is sold at both SuperTarget and Whole Foods).
Teresa
Robyn,
I just want to thank you so much for creating this blog. Our PA child was diagnosed over the summer (at 18 months) after my dad picked him up on the beach while eating peanuts. Our son had giant red blotchy hand prints everywhere my dad touched him. We came home and had him blood tested and he registered a 3.5 out of 5 points. Those numbers felt like a death sentence to us. Since then, it seems like this allergy consumes all our conversations, and I really don't want this to define our child, or worse, cause him great fear.
Your blog has helped me come to grips with this new life, and continues to help me feel that life can be okay, and that we can find ways to work through this with God's help. This is HUGE!!
Our son is only 23 months, so I plan to keep in touch with your blog, as Matthew gets older and we face the challenges getting older brings with this crazy allergy. Anyhow, you have become very dear to my heart, because you give the one thing I need the most in all of this...perspective and company in knowing that I am not all alone. Thanks again!
Michelle/Royal Oak, MI
Michelle, thanks so much for your comment!! It really was the highlight of my day!! I would love to connect sometime since we are are both in Metro Detroit. Send me an email to the address on the right side of my blog. Thanks again for the encouragement and for reading the blog!!
Two things struck me in this post.
1) Comfort levels. So true, everyone has different comfort levels and you have to do what's right for you. I think that is critical.
2) A little surprised that a doctor with a PA kid hadn't heard of Sunbutter! I thought it was everywhere. It's very popular in preschools here because nearly all preschools here are peanut-free. Maybe I've been spoiled!?
Also, re: how everyone does things differently. I remember when we found out about the PA in our family. One mom at school said "Oh, our whole family has peanut allergy. Just don't eat peanuts and when you go to the ice cream shop, as them to rinse the scoop off first." It's these differences that always lead me to tell my boys "variety's the spice of life!" :)
We made our home peanut free as well (well nothing physically with peanuts comes in, there is a possibility that we might have something that is manufactured in a facility with them, but I do try to avoid "may contain" labels). I was not heartbroken by it, I don't like PB, but my husband was super happy. We tried sunbutter (well he did) and he didn't like it, said it was too much like eating sunflower seeds and just didn't work with his sandwiches or on his waffles, lol. We tried a soy butter from WM and he said it was better but does not go out of his way to eat it. We were happy to do this though to keep our son safe.
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