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.
From Salami and Cheese to Permanent Housing: How Helping Another Woman Led to an Unexpected Friendship (Episode 1)
In this inaugural episode of the "Perspectives from a Pomegranate" podcast, Lisa shares her experience of meeting an unhoused woman outside a grocery store. Ultimately leading to both friendship and a successful effort to help the woman find permanent housing, Lisa reflects on their conversations and the challenges they faced.
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.
"I'm Not Afraid of Low Blood Sugars" - Did I Just Say That?
Yes, I actually said, “I’m not afraid of low blood sugars.” And I said it to our new prospective endocrinologist! The words kept rolling around in my head the rest of the day. Is that true??? Sort of. I now have what I’d consider a healthy respect for: the nuances of diabetes, how quickly things can change, and the immediate action required to prevent or manage a low blood sugar.
Six Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me At Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis
One of my closest friends in the diabetes community called tonight. Her colleague’s child was showing all of the “classic” signs of Type 1 diabetes, so she had done a finger stick on the child. The result was 212. We both know that is not a “normal” blood sugar, and combined with everything else we had heard, a diagnosis is likely forthcoming. She asked me to think about good advice for her colleague. Here’s what I wish someone had told me when my son was diagnosed.
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.
Type 1 Diabetes vs. Type 2 Diabetes
Until my son was diagnosed, I never gave much thought to the different types of diabetes. I remember saying, repeatedly, that I couldn’t imagine having to check my blood sugar and take insulin for the rest of my life. It was actually my greatest fear. So I guess life thought it would be funny to make me face my fears. I’m still at risk for Type 2 and work with an endocrinologist to attempt to stave it off. But what I envisioned living with Type 2 to be like is a far cry from the complexities of managing Type 1.