MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: fishfinder on February 15, 2013, 11:36:40 AM
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I just asked on the Tasmanain gathering thread if people could be aware of my daughter with a nut allergy, which made me think to start a new topic.
On many occasions if it be at a party, watching sports or around a camp fire quite often people will bring out a bag of nuts and, if I have my daughter with me I would stand back and assess the people whether to ask if it is possible for them not to eat nuts, and explain the situation or just get up and walk away. I mostly ask but feel very uncomfortable in doing so, and in doing so people respect that.
So the reason of this thread ( moderators could you make it a sticky ) rather than assume every one around you has no problems with sharing some nuts or if you choose to eat them your self, rather than just open up the bag, ask the people around you if it is OK first, by doing so makes people happier that people are aware of this growing epidemic which is affecting our children now days, and it also makes them feel comfortable not having one of those "awkward" moments in asking or walking away.
Just thought I would put it out there, if you choose to practice this is totally your choice but would be great to have people out there caring and by doing so will make other people do the same thing . :cup:
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Hi fishfinder... I assume you carry one (or more) Epi-pens.
We have a few kids in our club with allergies and make it well known.
We even spent some time around the campfire teaching others how to use the Adrenaline which most unaware people were grateful for.
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one in both cars one at the school and one at home - its good to see people educating others as some people have no idea of how extreme this is people are so surprised after telling them that even the smell of nuts can trigger off a reaction, my girl being one of them .
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people are so surprised after telling them that even the smell of nuts can trigger off a reaction, my girl being one of them .
Don't go to Kingaroy then
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I just read the thread on the Tassie meet.
You are all over it! ????
Relax and have a great time!
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One of my ex's had Peanut allergy.. The looks you get when you go out for dinner and ask what they cook food in, some people were offended they started abusing like you thought they were cooking in old sump oil, until you told them to **** themselves as you walk out and its about allergies not the food.
Chinese was out :( Italian was usually safe! :)
She also had an allergy (cant remember if it was the same part) to baked beans and few other things.
Remember pulling up at one of those driver reviver things one night, and she picked up couple of bikkies, and touched her tongue with it and she instantly knew.
Its amazing how common it is.
Good topic to bring out to peoples attention.
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Unfortunate how ( unlike the animal kingdom ) we are breeding a piss poor society....or is it really the ability to treat a lot of the " killer " diseases that yrs ago would have " selected " the unfortunate ??
Funny how complex the body really is......and we still can't fix a simple peanut allergy, but we are almost at the stage of curing most cancers ??
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How are we supposed to know this ... if we aren't told? Public knowledge is growing thanks to threads like this
Why aren't these things made public? They are, but more prominence given in schools and educational facilities where young are present
Do I have to stop eating nuts in public now?No, but be aware/considerate if the presence of a hyper allergic person is made known
more info at:
http://www.allergy.org.au/patients/about-allergy/anaphylaxis (http://www.allergy.org.au/patients/about-allergy/anaphylaxis)
Anaphylaxis Management is becoming a popular first aid course add on. All our first Aid officers are so trained.
From the above link:
Reality: The frequency of allergic disease has approximately doubled in the past few decades. In Australia and New Zealand, around:
1 in 3 people will develop allergies at some time during life;
1 in 5 will develop atopic dermatitis;
1 in 6 will have an attack of hives (urticaria);
1 in 10 people have asthma;
1 in 20 will develop a food allergy (usually transient); and
1 in 100 will have a life-threatening allergy known as anaphylaxis.
:cheers:
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Unfortunate how ( unlike the animal kingdom ) we are breeding a piss poor society....or is it really the ability to treat a lot of the " killer " diseases that yrs ago would have " selected " the unfortunate ??
Funny how complex the body really is......and we still can't fix a simple peanut allergy, but we are almost at the stage of curing most cancers ??
Some beleive that our "sterile" society is a causal factor, with infants being unable to develop anti-bodies against the full range of "bugs, etc" out there. The courts are still out on this one.
List of foods with Possible Peanut Content which could cause a reaction for Fishfinders daughter:
Baked goods Biscuits Cereals
Asian food
Crackers
Egg rolls Ice creams Health bars Indonesian dishes
Kebabs
Marzipan
Mixed nuts Pastries Peanut oil "Natural" flavourings
Peanut butter
Sweets
Spaghetti sauces Soups Thai dishes Vegetable fats and oils
Pesto
Arachnis oil
Bouillon/Worcestershire sauce Nougat Muesli Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Chocolates
Cosmetics, moisturisers, massage oils (nut oils)
Vegetarian dishes Animal and bird feeds (contain seeds) Lotions, shampoos & creams, toothpaste, cosmetics, sunscreens Promethium (progesterone cream derived from peanuts)
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My son too has a peanut allergy and we have epipen with us at all times.
At previous SA MySwag Meets I have let people know in advance that he has a nut allergy and that if they have anything then please don't share with him nor touch him - and people have been excellent and not brought anything at all which is much appreciated. I think people understand that these allergies occur and can do without their Satay sticks or Snickers bars for a couple of days.
I too felt very nervous and apprehensive about mentioning it for the first time, but after the responses I got after that first time, this soon went away.
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I'm aware there are some life threatening allergies....
If I pulled out a bag of nuts for instance and as usual, offered them around, rather than you walking away which I would find strange and a little insulting, if you just simply politely explained teh situation, those nuts would be put away faster than any smell could get out.
I would find that more suitable, and of course would respect that more than walking away.
Im not about to stop eating nuts, peanut butter etc, in the off chance that someone might be allergic, rather being explained the situation, we would all understand and be more than accomodating.
No big deal, the nuts would last another day to be eating at a later time.
dont feel uncomfortable or embarrassed, just simply be polite and explain the situation......
everyones happy!!!
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Thank goodness none of my kids have any food allergies, although the middle child was lactose intolerant when he was younger.
Our best mates have a child with a nut allergy. Her grandmother gave her turkey stuffing with nuts in it at Christmas dinner!! They spent the night in A&E.
I know some airlines stopped serving nuts because of the risk of legal action should an allergic have a reaction to an open packet of nuts.
Very serious condition and thanks for raising it fishfinder.
Bunyip
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Some beleive that our "sterile" society is a causal factor,
We have a client that wants testing done on rubber gloves she used once to mix her baby food... She feels a rat may have pissed on them at some stage.
Kid will. be in a glass house for ever and 12.2 days.
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Thanks Mace.
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2 of our 3 sons struggle with allergy related problems. We nearly lost the youngest on two occasions due to Anaphylaxis but he is allergic to drugs (pennicillin, eurethroymacin, NSAIDS, aspirin) and consequently at the age of 23 can still only take baby panadol - a bit easier to control then severe food allergies. Dr has told him if he ever takes an aspirin it will probably kill him.
2nd son was very allergic and a very bad asthmatic and as a small child was allergic to a lot of foods. His grandparents were of the opinion I was just "an overly protective mother" until they gave him twisties and he came out in welts like he had been whipped all over and he went absolutely nuts and destroyed their suitcase when they were staying with us. They were very sheepish when I "nicely" explained to them that it was all their fault and if I said he wasn't to be given something then they better listen.
I always found the biggest problem was other people's ignorance or choice to believe that they know better than the child's parent. We were very lucky to have a Specialist who believed that the child's parent is the real expert and supported us and listened to our opinions.
Good luck to all the parents of younger children out there dealing with this very serious issue.
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Hey fishfinder, sorry to hear about your daughter. That must be real tough for her and your family.
Just out of curiosity (and please, I'm not being smart) but how is she going to survive as an adult when you're not around to be able to control her surroundings? There are nuts everywhere and I'm not referring to those she will have to work with :D JKohn says that if somebody has been handling nuts they shouldn't touch his son. Gee, life is going to be hard for these kids. Do they just stay home or is there some cure on the horizon?
KB
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I certainly dont mean to be speaking for Fishfinder, but once an adult she will be responsible for her own "duty of care". At the moment, FF and wife are the main proponent of her DOC requirements, but I bet she is learning to think for herself.
At present the aim of all schools and educational facilities is to give juvenile Anaphylaxis "sufferers" the same duty of care they get at home. This doesnt allways happen, but it is certainly the aim. All will require an Anaphylaxis Management plan to be lodged with the school, with copies distributed to relevant staff. Photo's of Anaphylaxis/allergy "sufferers" are usually put up on the walls in school canteens so staff know who "not to serve" certain goods. "No Nuts" codes are common.
Having had a daughter who suffers from asthma, I can only imagine the higher duty of care requirements required for an Anaphylactic. Not trying to make fun of the situation, but think about it, when camping, one of the parents will have to remain sober at all times in case an emergency dash is required!
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i'm with cruzindub..........
my oldest boy's best mate allergies as long as your arm including being gluton intolerant whichis his biggest concern.......he was 11 when he first came to our place and he quickly educated us, even though his mum and dad gave us a heads up.......it does play n your mind a little bit when he is around if anything went wrong but he seems to have it all under control
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Gotta agree with cruzindub as well.
A couple of things..
Used to share a house with a girl who was allergic to eggs. Of all things her parents owned an egg farm. We had a dickhead mate who didn't believe her allergy and tested her out with a minute quantity of egg in a supposedly egg free cake. Quick trip to the hospital 30 minutes later.
I grew up on a wheat farm with a bad case of allergy related asthma and in my case I was allergic to grass, pollen and wheat dust. I spent a lot of time at the doctors and a couple of times it was a close call....
I would have no qualms at all in mentioning it at first chance. People do understand mostly and if they don't they should be "educated" just like my dickhead mate was.... :angel:
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My daughter was allergic to peanuts for a couple of years. Very luckily she was one of the 20% that eventually gets over it and is no longer allergic.
The current advice for parents is to expose very young babies to possible allergens as early as possible. eg. from 4 months or whenever they start on baby food. I'm not saying this is the best approach or makes a difference - just that it is the current AMA/ASCIA advice. Check with your GP for more info or a reference.
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I to agree, walking away doesn't fix the issue. Your daughter would still be in danger. The last thing I would want is to be the cause of this danger so yes the nuts would be put away and sealed for her safety. As my family don't have any allergies I always have cashews, macadamias, eggs, milk, cheese and many other allergy related products on trips away and if no prior notice is given they would be out at very least in my camper. I wouldn't imagine any one on here would have any different opinion the safety of any persons child.
I think another good idea would be to have a sticker on the your car and ct stating that you have an Epi-pen just like the medical kit or first aid stickers. It would prompt those that seen it camping near you to ask and also if some other child near by had a reaction it would be known that the Epi-pen was available in the same way as medical kits or first aid officers work.
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As someone who is allergic to nuts I am very conscious of the foods I eat. At restaurants I ask if there are any nuts in the food and I tell them I am allergic. If there then I change my order...simple as that.
When offered food I ask if there any nuts in it. I think it's a bit rude to expect others to stop eating because of MY allergies. If they offer to stop eating then that's all well and good...but to expect others......
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Must be terrifying to have a child with such a severe allergy. I feel for you and your family. Certainly if i was camping with you I'd want to know about it ASAP I'd want to explain it to my kids, and assist by keeping an eye out. I've seen anaphylactic reactions. Very frightening for the child and for all around.
If anyone wasn't prepared to go without nuts for a couple of days camping, when they presented such a serious risk to a child, I'm not sure I'd be interested in camping with them. Hardly a big ask.
Good thread, awareness is the key. It really is weird that this type of allergy is becoming more common.
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I know my kids school does not allow any nut products on the grounds at all, don't ask how my kids area allowed to be there. It must be a very frightening thing to be allergic to something so common and widely used.
My sister is allergic to an antibiotic, can't think of the type atm, but if she has it again it will probably cause her a lot of damage.
We feed our kids nut and fruit mix, but will be very careful from now on if we are around others.
And if I am around and we pull the nuts out just tell us to put them away.....no jokes Jeepers. ;D
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Our 4 year old daughter has a nut allergy and the epi pen for home and school.
My wife is on top of it and always asks at parties if there is any chance of nuts in the cakes, slices, food in general. Usually there isn't but if there is any uncertainity she misses out.
We take our own treats with us most places, just in case!!
We had to rush her off to hospital the first time she had peanut butter toast and it isn't something either of us would like to have to do again. It was pretty scary.
Better people know about a nut allergy. Our daughter knows she isn't allowed nuts and is getting the idea of asking if there is nuts in things, but she still has a long way to go.
We are a nut free house, but we don't expect everyone around us to be the same. The more people we tell the more people get the idea and think about how common this allergy is.
I'm the first to sneak a piece of toast smothered in crunchy peanut butter off friends when we're camping.
If ever there was a time again that looked like she was having any sort of reaction both nurses and Ambo's have said to administer the epi pen then ring an ambulance immediately, not to worry if it was a false call they would rather she be safe than sorry.
I'm glad it isn't a beer allergy
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Hi,
I was born in 1975; no brothers, no sisters, no contact with any animals just in case it bites you, ultra-clean house, toys, clothes, minimum contact with other kids... very paranoid, actually.
So I ended with all kind of allergies. I had daily asthma crisis at night unless I had my daily medication just before going to bed..... UNTIL TWO YEARS AGO THAT I CAME TO AUSTRALIA :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Yes, seriously, when I came here I was carrying a pile of "Symbicort", and one night I forgot to have it... and the following morning I noticed that nothing had happened during the night !!!
Nowadays I only use it if I have been cutting the grass for long time in a dry or windy day, or I have been using the vacuum cleaner, so after so many years of poor quality of life I'm delighted with the change :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
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If they offer to stop eating then that's all well and good...but to expect others......
Those with an acute allergy could suffer a reaction from quite some distance away, therefore I am perfectly happy to put any food away that may cause an issue.
All I need is to know about it, so always feel free to ask :D
Bunyip
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I have a problem with raw peanuts only, in the nut family. I can eat all other nuts without a problem and peanuts smoked, curried, sugar coated and what ever other way you can do them, so go figure. ???
Raw oysters also make me really crook but can have them smoked, kilpatrick and any other way.
Bees and wasps well they can definitely kill me! :'(
All of these things never used to bother me as a yougin, it was only around the age of 18yrs that all went pear shaped for some reason. :-\
I have had one trip in an ambulance after getting hit by about 5 black wasps but if I do get stung, I shovel 3-4 antihistammines into me and hope like hell, all will be good. ;)
My reactions = throat closing up, heart racing, red rash and I start burning up. >:(
Foo
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When I mentioned about walking away, I would only do that if it was around people that know about the allergy but are still ignorant about it thinking we are hypochondriacs. Rather than again politely asking if nuts could be taken away and knowing the person would roll their eyes glare at my daughter and make some smart comment, I would just simply walk away, and have done so on a few occasions.
I have never TOLD people not to have nuts near her I have only ever ASKED and if they dont listen ( which very rarely happens ) again I will walk away or not go
As to when do we stop watching over her shoulder checking on all the foods she eats, answer is as it is when we think she is ready. it was only last year the school felt she was educated enough about the foods to eat and if un sure ask or just dont eat it, so they no longer have a teachers aide sitting with her during lunch breaks. I am comfortable knowing she knows what not to eat and she always asks if unsure, and her sisters watch as well. we were once at a restaurant and asked if the apple crumble contained nuts, the waitress said no it does not so we ordered it luckily my oldest daughter who was 11 at the time was served first took a bite and said for no one to eat it as she is sure she could taste nuts she ran off with the bowl away from us walked to the toilets to rinse her mouth and scrub her hands with out us asking her to do so, so i asked for the chef to come out and questioned him about the desert and he said there was hazel nuts on it and the waitress was only assuming. So form then on we ask the waitress to make sure and explain why.
I am not one of these people that will not let her eat a product that says "MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF NUTS" as that is only the manufactures covering their themselves, if you look at biscuits, ice creams, lollies, chocolates, potato chips etc they all have that warning, and after all she is still a kid and should not miss out on everything, if a food product has nuts the label will say it contains nuts.
And with the mention of placing a sticker on the car saying we carry an epi-pen, thats a bloody good idea thanks
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If anyone wasn't prepared to go without nuts for a couple of days camping, when they presented such a serious risk to a child, I'm not sure I'd be interested in camping with them. Hardly a big ask.
x2
My dad always used to say "naivety is not a crime but ignorance is".
Its absolutely imperative you let people know, and you would be not only be doing a disservice to the child but also to those around you if you didn't. What if someone brings out something that caused a serious reaction to a child or adult and god forbid they died. They would have to live with that for the rest of their lives and I doubt not knowing in advance would be much of comfort.
One day hopefully they may come up with a cure, so till then we just need to do everything we can to keep those around us safe.
As bunyip mentioned before my best friend daughter has a nut allergy, so the only nut that comes camping is bunyip even when they are not camping with us.
LB
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I havent read the entire thread yet because Im too tired but I am referring to cantfindafishfinder here, and say poor little girl is allergic to nuts and her dad is one of the biggest nuts I know hahhahahahhahaha I crap myself up!! ;D
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I havent read the entire thread yet because Im too tired but I am referring to cantfindafishfinder here, and say poor little girl is allergic to nuts and her dad is one of the biggest nuts I know hahhahahahhahaha I crap myself up!! ;D
You are tired aren't you?
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You are tired aren't you?
Not too tired to take the piss out of fishfinder before I go to bed ;D
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I havent read the entire thread yet because Im too tired but I am referring to cantfindafishfinder here, and say poor little girl is allergic to nuts and her dad is one of the biggest nuts I know hahhahahahhahaha I crap myself up!! ;D
some people are strange - need i say more
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some people are strange - need i say more
Probably best you dont LOL
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I just realised I said I 'crap' myself up...............Its my fear of long drops.......I meant crack myself up!!! Yep Im tired!
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Good god this man needs medication
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Good god this man needs medication
Shouldn't you be getting a good nights sleep so your all fresh and ready for your new job lol
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Us too, 11 yo with severe allergy to cashews. He sure wasnt a kid who was over cleansed. Typical country kid mostly needing a hose off before entering a house.
Had 2 reactions, very scary stuff especially at camping/bush events. You simply dont have 30 minutes to get to help.
Zyrtec liquid is good as it can be poured in if required and can slow reaction down.
Always carry epipen and teach people how to use it - we have a trainer version too.
Had interesting conversation with my (in law) relatives where they were I overheard them really upset with why their kids couldnt take nuts to school, explained how they would just hide them in the lunchboxes.
Next discussion point from them was the inconsiderate 4WD drivers around schools and how they should be banned as they endanger their kids.
I dont get asked back there much.
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Next discussion point from them was the inconsiderate 4WD drivers around schools and how they should be banned as they endanger their kids.
Used to aviod taking the cruiser to pick the kids up, until we were talking to nurse from westmeads children hospital who told me as long as you a kept to the 40km an hour speed limit if we hit a kid with the cruiser they would most likely be knocked to the ground and drive straight over. Due to the clearance no more further a damage. The issue with the camry if they get knocked to the ground lack of clearnce would cause the child to be dragged potentionally causing more damage. Very gladl I never had to find out if this is true.
All inconsiderate drivers should be banned!!!!!!
LB
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I used to park in a side street and walk to the school (less than 3 minutes) to stay well away. I have seen too many kids "hiding" from people between cars, running out on the road etc.. I could not live with myself if I ran over a kid.
As LB said, higher clearance means less chance of dragging, unless of course they go under the wheels.
Honestly, peoples behavior around schools (i'll bloke the road until my kid comes out so I don't have to go around the block. What do you mean my kid is always last out?) is far more dangerous than the cars that they drive.
Kids also need to learn (I know they are only young) that running directly out of the school gate across the road to Mum is not a good idea. Of course Mum won't say anything to offend the poor little darling/
Bunyip
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some people are strange - need i say more
You could have at least said "some people are nuts" :D
Many times products that have the warning do so because they are produced in a factory that also uses nuts in other products. Production lines that operate near each other may get "contaminated" with peanut dust or workers can cross contaminate etc
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You could have at least said "some people are nuts" :D
Many times products that have the warning do so because they are produced in a factory that also uses nuts in other products. Production lines that operate near each other may get "contaminated" with peanut dust or workers can cross contaminate etc
True - but where can one stop - even buying something from a shop and the person hands over change just after eating nuts is just un avoidable unless she is wrapped in a bubble. but so far no problems from foods that may have a risk of cross contamination,
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Good thread worth revisiting.
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My Youngest boy is allergic to Fish, nuts and some grasses. He also suffers from asthma and eczema. No he wasn't brought up in a bubble, he is just unlucky I guess. My family were a bit sceptical at first until we were at a party and he ate a Chocolate crackle. Only problem was they had used peanut butter to mix in with the chocolate. He knew straight away something was wrong. Eyes puffed up like he had gone 12 rounds with Fenech. Took him tot he hospital 5 minutes away and they fixed him up straight away. We carry an Epi-Pen but didn't use it. Not sure why. Family is now well aware that we aren't being hypocondriacs about it. Fish is even worse than peanuts. All he has to do is touch some fish residue and he comes out in welts. we went for a walk along the waterfront at Terrigal one time and sat on the wall. He put his hand down to get up and about 2 minutes later his hand was tingling, washed it ASAP and kept an eye on him.
We are super careful when we go out for dinner. Some restaurants don't care others go out of their way to accommodate us. Yes we tell everyone about it. Would rather people know and be careful than face the other options!!
Cheers
Andrew
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agree with more and more children having reactions/ allergies to nuts.
My daughter has a severe reaction to "tree nuts" which is an interesting one as for years she had eaten peanuts and peanut butter with no reaction.
holidaying on Moreton island we opened some dip and daughter had some (would have been around 9) she started to throw up instantly- what a wakeup call.
anyway- I'm amazed at the attitudes of schools etc- she is not allowed on school camps to eat anything prepared with the rest of the children- that makes me sad that she is excluded on a might be even after all precautions have been taken care of.
she carries a epipen etc
but the OP poster reaction and attitude to an allergy is a bit OTT in my opinion, be aware of your surroundings and take yourself away from the risk BUT to make a point to not allow others to enjoy, benefit is going too far, again just my thoughts.
you are the one in control of the surroundings its easier if you change for your daughter for her safety than to expect everyone else to adapt.
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So given all the allergies around is it worth / possible to get your hands on an eppi pen for emergencies or do you need a prescription / certain qualifiactions?
I would hate to be somewhere were someone was having a reaction and not be able to do anything about it.
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So given all the allergies around is it worth / possible to get your hands on an eppi pen for emergencies or do you need a prescription / certain qualifiactions?
You need a prescription and IIRC they only last 2 years and you throw it away.
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Dont think you need a prescription but without PBS they are expensive ~ $120 ea
theres kids and adults versions and they expire in 12 months I think
Two brands now Anapen and Epipen, Anapen lasts longer I think.
In certain branches of military EVERY person carries one.
Anaphalaxis can get anybody, usually thats the first sign many have that they have a serious allergy.
Kids seem to be more embarrassed about it than adults and often wont ask or just decline food offered.
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Our neighbour is allergic to nuts and we often have nuts on the table for nibbles so I didn't realise the smell could cause a reaction. How far away can a person be to nuts to still have a reaction ?
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My nephew is anaphylactic to nuts and eggs
Certainly changes the simple things in the beginning, birthday cake, always had to take his own, surprisingly at times the children at parties were more aware of cross contamination risk, then some of the adults.
My wife is allergic to something, still don't know what, we have an epipen, and have used it, she came to and said I don't need the epipen, I've said you've had it
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Certainly changes the simple things in the beginning, birthday cake, always had to take his own, surprisingly at times the children at parties were more aware of cross contamination risk, then some of the adults.
Simple things like going out to dinner and asking what oil they cook with too.. some places were mega offended when Lorraine asked what they cooked in.. .then we explained, some were ok and apologetic, others we just left.
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Simple things like going out to dinner and asking what oil they cook with too.. some places were mega offended when Lorraine asked what they cooked in.. .then we explained, some were ok and apologetic, others we just left.
We actually had a chef come out to us and advise that the oil he cooked in was OK, but he also cooks fish in it. We ordered a Schnitzel for my son. He said he didn't want to run the risk of cross contamination. Ordered a ham & cheese pizza instead. Most places are pretty good about it these days due to the number of people that are allergic to different things.
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You can find some additional allergy and allergy management information here:
https://www.allergyfacts.org.au/ (https://www.allergyfacts.org.au/)
Or
https://www.facebook.com/AnaphylaxisAustralia?ref=tn_tnmn (https://www.facebook.com/AnaphylaxisAustralia?ref=tn_tnmn)