Hmm...peanut allergy...bummer

So we went to get Will allergy tested since he's had so many sinus infections and just his general itching and with his new wheezing and such...perhaps it would be something easy to eliminate and he'd have a better "quality of life" as the medical people put it. His skin testing and a few shots (not fun, but he did AWESOME) showed he was allergic to dogs and cats and oak trees, a few weeds and grasses...nothing too impressive though - and he was negative for dust mites and molds - (he had a lot more negatives than Andy, Bear and I did! - though I suppose technically, that can change over time) woot! But his symptoms never seemed to be gone even when he's spent a few days away from dogs and and cats and oak trees - so I asked her to check for foods (not usually a snarfy nose reaction, but perhaps some of the itching/eczema...) Turns out he's allergic to peanuts (milk, soy, seafood, eggs were negative) They've apparently come out with a new blood test that is more specific to peanut proteins (there is some cross-sensitivities to proteins in other stuff like birch trees that can give a false positive for peanuts on skin testing) that we went ahead and checked since we do LOVE our peanut butter around here...well, Andy and Bear and I do - Will always spit it out. Turns out he had good reason to - the blood test came back positive for the proteins that are linked to the "severe" reaction...bummer. But this is something that lots of people have dealt with successfully and we will too...

So - in my research I've come across a few things I hadn't thought about before and thought I'd share since those of you reading this are the ones that are going to be around him the most and able to keep him safe :-)

At least until the doctor says otherwise, not a whole lot in life is going to change - other than Andy trying to "trick" him into eating peanut butter and having his EpiPen everywhere he goes...we're still going to let him have things that were "made in a factory where peanuts were processed" - just nothing that is overtly peanuts or peanut butter.

Here's a quick list of places that I wouldn't necessarily think to look for peanuts or cross-contamination:
-didn't think about the jelly jar or the Nutella jar being "contaminated" from dipping the knife in after spreading the peanut butter...or making his sandwich in the same spot you might have put down the peanut butter knife/your peanut butter sandwich
- a lot of restaurant desserts are cross-contaminated - even if the one you order isn't supposed to

Some Unexpected Sources of Peanut (most of the below is copied from internet sources that I should probably give credit to, but don't remember where I copied and pasted from now)
• Sauces such as chili sauce, hot sauce, pesto, gravy, mole sauce, and salad dressing
• Sweets such as pudding, cookies, and hot chocolate
• Egg rolls
• Potato pancakes
• Pet food
• Specialty pizzas
• Asian and Mexican dishes
• Some vegetarian food products, especially those advertised as meat substitutes
• Foods that contain extruded, cold-pressed, or expelled peanut oil, which may contain peanut protein
• Glazes and marinades
• Ice cream served in ice cream parlors should be avoided; cross-contact occurs frequently because of shared scoops.
• Sometimes, foods that are supposed to contain almonds or other tree nuts contain peanuts instead.
• Peanuts go by many names, such as ground nuts, beer nuts, or monkey nuts. Use caution if you are unsure!
• Studies show that most allergic individuals can safely eat peanut oil (not cold pressed, expelled, or extruded peanut oil - sometimes represented as gourmet oils). If you are allergic to peanuts, ask your doctor whether or not you should avoid peanut oil.

Studies have shown that conventional cleaning methods are effective in removing the protein of a food allergen such as peanut. Bar and liquid soap is effective for removing the protein from your hands, while alcohol-based sanitizer is not, according to a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology1. That study also showed soaps and commercial cleaning agents effectively removed peanut protein from table tops, while dishwashing liquid alone did not.

A child's way of describing a reaction could include:
• "This food's too spicy."
• "My tongue is hot [or burning]."
• "It feels like something’s poking my tongue."
• "My tongue [or mouth] is tingling [or burning]."
• "My tongue [or mouth] itches."
• "It [my tongue] feels like there is hair on it."
• "My mouth feels funny."
• "There's a frog in my throat."
• "There’s something stuck in my throat."
• "My tongue feels full [or heavy]."
• "My lips feel tight."
• "It feels like there are bugs in there." (to describe itchy ears)
• "It [my throat] feels thick."
• "It feels like a bump is on the back of my tongue [throat]."


For mild reactions - he will take Benadryl
For severe reactions - he will use his Epipen Jr. - just an FYI, some reactions require two doses of the Epipen
For everyday life - he will continue to be his happy self that is now supposed to ask, "Does that have peanuts in it?" (Feel free to remind him if he forgets while we are trying to make this a habit) and hopefully, never have a reaction :-)

Thanks for watching out for our baby! (Though he will tell you he's not a baby - he's a big, strong boy!)