by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on August 4, 2011
Written by Joshua Feblowitz, a Thriving contributor who has lived with severe food allergies his whole life.
image: flikr/Amarand Agasi
As food-allergic children reach their teens, they face many new challenges in allergy management, including a first date and even a first kiss, both of which hold hidden dangers. For parents, these romantic milestones can be especially stressful because they happen outside of their watchful, protective view.
Unfortunately for food-allergic teens, dating frequently involves dining out and all the potential allergens that come with it. In addition, research and personal anecdote has shown that kissing can sometimes cause a cross-contact reaction. On top of these dangers, teens are generally known to take more risks when it comes to their allergies or feel self-conscious about them. As a result they may resist previously established rules around exposure, or be shy explaining their dietary needs, which can lead to trouble.
So, what’s a worried parent to do? The simple truth is, as teens start dating (and being more socially independent in general), they must also start learning how to manage food allergies on their own. Here are a few things you can do as a parent to help navigate this transition safely, smoothly and with minimal conflict: Full story »
by Erin Graham on October 13, 2009
By Robyn Nasuti
What does being able to tolerate cow’s milk protein mean to my milk allergic family?
- It means Cheetos, Doritos, yogurt, pizza, Smart food, chicken parmesan and ice cream, but those are the obvious answers.
- It means using hand soap without worrying whether or not it has milk in it.
- It means no more separate pizza stones and pizza slicers.
- It means buying school lunch with friends.
- It means eating in a restaurant without stomach-turning fear.
- It means movie theater popcorn.
- It means vacation without locating the nearest Emergency Room before we go.
- It means I can buy the shampoo I used before he was diagnosed with a milk allergy.
- It means caramel candy coated apples in the fall.
- It means buying junk food at the carnival.
- It means milking a cow at our friend’s dairy farm in New Hampshire.
- It means re-booking that cancelled trip to Mexico, because they couldn’t feed him at the hotel.
- It means Boy Scout camping and school field trips (without mom or dad chaperoning every trip).
- It means sitting at a table and not having to wash it because he’d get hives if milk was present.
- It means going to a friend’s birthday party and they don’t have to put away the Doritos and chocolate candy when you arrive. It means taking home the goody bag and eating the candy rather than giving the food to his sister.
- It means we don’t have to swap out every single candy at Halloween.
But most important, it means I can kiss him and not have to stop and think about what I ate and run to brush my teeth first.
In a single word….it means FREEDOM!
