Guilt and Gratitude: Parenting through Complexities (Episode 6)
Have you ever walked a mile in another parent’s shoes?
In this episode, host Lisa Brooks delves into her mixed emotions after attending the final home and school club meeting of the year. Along with deep gratitude towards the dedicated parents who volunteer their time, Lisa wrestles with feelings of guilt and inadequacy.
From Hives to Hope: Getting to “Bite Proof” - Food Allergy Awareness Week (Episode 3)
Did you know that 1 in 10 adults and 1 in 13 children have food allergies?
In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week, host Lisa Brooks takes us on an eye-opening journey of living with food allergies. As a mother of a child with multiple severe allergies, she recounts heart-stopping moments when her son experienced allergic reactions and the painstaking efforts she undertook to create a safe environment.
Navigating Halloween With Food Allergies and Type 1 Diabetes
Halloween — Most of the day revolves around food… and costumes. While a lot of parents are simply enjoying the day, parents of kids who have food allergies or Type 1 diabetes (or both) have more to think about than a costume.
Food Allergies Sometimes End in Tragedy
In the past week alone, I’ve seen three stories about food allergies causing a life-threatening reaction. Three. And those are just the ones I’ve picked up on via social media. Two of those stories had happy endings, and sadly, one did not. Clearly I’m not privy to the details of each situation, but based on what has been shared publicly, here are my observations.
Epinephrine Injectors Don't Always Work
Epinephrine injectors don’t always work. Yes, that’s what I said. Let it sink in. Epinephrine injectors don’t always work. This blog post was inspired by a post from a mom, Misty Gardner, in a food allergy support group. Her son just had a severe reaction during an accidental exposure to dairy and wound up in the Intensive Care Unit. Fortunately he is okay, but I was so moved by her experience and desire to educate others that I reached out to ask if I could share her story more broadly.
Defining Acceptable Risk For Our Children
Being a parent is tough for a lot of reasons. One of them is the worry most of us have about something bad happening to our children. We live in an age of school shootings and other tragedies. For those of us whose kids have life-threatening health conditions or other special needs, that risk can weigh heavily on our minds.
Going Back To School - With Type 1 Diabetes and Food Allergies
It’s that time of year – the return to school. While most parents are worrying about “the right” backpack or lunch box, parents of kids with special needs like Type 1 diabetes or food allergies are generally thinking about so much more than that.
Travel With Food Allergies And Type 1 Diabetes
That title sounds daunting even as I write it. But I’m here to tell you: you can travel with food allergies and Type 1 diabetes. It took me awhile to wrap my head around traveling anyway. We started small and worked our way into being more comfortable incorporating adventure into our lives.
Heading Into Summer: Keep Your Insulin, Epinephrine, and Glucagon Cool
If you’re like me, you’re on the go all the time. I often feel like a sherpa with the supply backpack: carrying diabetes and allergy supplies along with allergen-free food. Many of our medications have temperature requirements and storing them on the go used to be a challenge. Enter FRÍO® Cooling Cases.
Misconceptions About Food Allergies
Food Allergy Awareness Week is May 13-19, 2018. In honor of that, I thought I’d do a few educational posts. Following are the most common misunderstandings I encounter about food allergies.
GUEST BLOG Inclusion: Kids with Food Allergies Can Do Anything (They just can’t eat everything!)
Camp Blue Spruce came about as so many good things do – a mom wanted her son to have the experience of an overnight camp, but she wasn’t confident that a kid with seven life-threatening food allergies would be safe at a “regular” camp. I was that mom, and when I realized there were no camps that could provide a safe environment for him, I founded Camp Blue Spruce, a worry-free camp for kids with food allergies!
Severe Cashew Reaction
My son has his first reaction to cashews at 17 months of age. His reaction was very severe. He already had severe milk and egg allergies. I remember walking through the grocery store in a daze, looking at labels and wondering how to safely feed my son.
Financial Assistance For EpiPen and Auvi-Q
Healthcare costs can add up, so it is always useful to know about discounts and savings programs for medications.
Recent Food Allergy Recalls
Stop here to look at recent food allergy recalls. Even the products we know, love, or trust can make mistakes... Please Note: This list is not comprehensive. We attempt to maintain it regularly, but there may be errors or omissions.