1. She’s the one who always goes “armed” wherever she may take her kids. This is her weapon of choice for safety. She is trained and ready to shoot and fire at a moments notice.
2. She’s the one who pulls out that magic Tupperware container that makes her own child’s eye’s light up at all the birthday parties. The cupcake she made special for him awaits inside, and she knows staying up late to make those cupcakes was well worth it when she sees her son so happy he doesn’t have to miss out on cake time.
3. She’s the one who quietly whispers a prayer into her daughters ear before setting her down and leaving her with a babysitter. Begging God to please protect her when she can’t.
4. Shes the one who carries around that over sized purse or diaper bag filled with extra treats so that her child can have something that is “his kind” no matter where they are… Need something egg/dairy/ or peanut free? Odds are she’s got it in there. Need Benadryl? Yep she’s got that too.
5. She’s the one who can carry on a whole conversation during a play-date while simultaneously turning into an Olympic gold medalist hurdle jumper in a matter of seconds.. leaping over any obstacle in her way to grab that unknown cookie from her allergic toddlers hand.
6. She’s the one who is standing in isles for hours and hours at the grocery store reading every single ingredient on every single product she is about to put into her cart.
7. She’s the one who nicely, but firmly reminds well-intentioned, yet uneducated family members not to give her child any of those foods in their hands. But inside is probably feeling more like this:
…….because she has already told them 1000 times before.
8. She’s the one who is frantically wiping down any possible surface that may have been exposed to an allergen at a restaurant. She then reaches into that magic bag of hers and takes out a meal specially prepared by her before she left the house to meet friends for dinner.
9. She’s the one who may stare at you a little too long after you tell her “don’t worry, I made sure everything I made was allergen free before you came”… You see she’s in shock. That only happens about 1% of the time, and she’s probably telling herself to restrain from hugging you like a crazy person.. but don’t be offended when she asks to still see a list of ingredients just to be sure. Because she will ask.
10. She’s the one who does a little victory dance in the middle of the allergists office when her child passes a Milk Challenge… All while high fiving the allergists.. in fact there is probably too much high fiving and dancing going on and the allergists is most likely starting to feel uncomfortable.
To all my fellow Allergy moms out there….. Bravo. You are a super hero. I am honored to be a part of your tribe.
XO Nicole ♥
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[…] 50,000 times on Facebook alone It was also viewed, pinned and tweeted thousands of more times: http://mommytalk73.com/2015/04/16/10-ways-to-spot-an-allergy-mom/ 6. What was your very first job and what did you learn from that experience? My very first job was […]
Thank you for writing this…I’m definitely sharing 🙂 I have leapt over bodies at a swimming pool and into the pool scooping up both my son (ana to milk) and my nephew (ana to egg) because someone walked into the pool carrying icecream. You totally nailed me in this article 🙂 (by the way I am writing this through my tears via it got me…right here x
Aww thank you Viki! I am so glad it hit home for you. Being an allergy mom is no easy task, it is life changing really, but us Mamas just need to stick together and get through it one day at a time!! Thanks for the great feed back.. And welcome to Mommy Talk!! 🙂
Yes thats true, it is harder on adults, but that sure doesnt make it easy for an adult, I am so sorry you are an allergy sufferer! Its definitely not fun!
Thanks for posting this! Although my kids do not have food allergies, they have celiac disease and FPIES. I feel the same way. I totally pray in my kids ears when I leave them, as I can not protect them from something so harmless for most kids – food. I’m glad I found this via @creativekids on twitter.
I am so glad you found me too!! My daughter is going for testing for Celiacs Disease so I understand how hard that is too. She is also deathly allergic to eggs, but recently out grew her milk allergy so that was at least exciting!! 🙂
Oh man Maureen, seizures just have to be awful to deal with. I cant even imagine that. Your poor mom and sister, what a challenge that must have been when your sister was little. God bless them both!
Number 7!!!!!!! AHHHH!!!! My daughter has severe stomach sensitivities to artificial colors, flavors and sugars with crazy abdominal spasms. That is bad enough, I couldn’t imagine the epi pen or life threatening allergies. That is some serious mom strength!
Sara, my son has that same allergy! He has horrible reactions to artificial colors and flavorings too! My daughter is deathly allergic to eggs (and used to be to milk, but she out grew that, Thank God!) but yes you are right it is not fun, or easy. Its so stressful.
Haha sometimes parents have the best intentions but are the worst culprits! I have to remind my family ALLLL the time…. Sorry to hear about your daughter and her allergies. I know how hard it is… Thanks for stopping by Mommy Talk!
#6 is totally me – I spend hours in the grocery store. While we do not have food allergy, I work towards limiting our exposure to gluten, sugar, and preservatives. This post is so enjoyable to read. Thank you for sharing
I am so glad you liked it!!! Good for you, cutting that all of your diet when you dont even need to!! I admire you!! Thats not an easy task!
The forum is a brghtier place thanks to your posts. Thanks!
Sounds like me…my daughter is allergic to a lot of things and I repeat this over and over again. Lol. To everyone including my nice old mom.
Ugh, Jasmine, I am sorry to hear that, it really does such haha
Haha sometimes parents have the best intentions but are the worst culprits! I have to remind my family ALLLL the time…. Sorry to hear about your daughter and her allergies. I know how hard it is… Thanks for stopping by Mommy Talk!
Not an allergy mom, but I know many of these can be applied to mom’s of other types of kids. When my sister was younger my mother wasn’t armed with an epi-pen, but she has something similar in case a particularly bad seizure happened (my sister has epilepsy).
It is very hard Miranda, and no I have never heard of that site, I will def check it out! Thank you for the recommendation! Thanks for stopping by Mommy Talk!
Oh man Maureen, seizures just have to be awful to deal with. I cant even imagine that. Your poor mom and sister, what a challenge that must have been when your sister was little. God bless them both!
Sounds like what I did for myself for a while, when my allergies were really bad – well, not leaping over stuff, but carrying around all my own snacks, medicine…It’s way worse though if your chid battles allergies, because as an adult, you at least fully understand what’s going on.
Wow April, sounds like you and your son have seen it all Allergy wise! Thats so hard. So glad he can have soy and wheat now, I know how huge that is!!
Yes thats true, it is harder on adults, but that sure doesnt make it easy for an adult, I am so sorry you are an allergy sufferer! Its definitely not fun!
Absolutly! Thanks so much for stopping by Mommy Talk!1
I have horrible allergies. It sucks I feel your pain. lol
Ugh, Jasmine, I am sorry to hear that, it really does such haha
I had allergies when I was a kid, but not to this extent. It’s gotta be hard, especially when people are trying to give your kid foods they shouldn’t. Have you read the blog Scratch or Sniff? It’s a blog for parents with kiddos who have allergies. They post a lot of great info and food recommendations.
So glad you enjoyed it Dana! Thanks for stopping by Mommy Talk!
It is very hard Miranda, and no I have never heard of that site, I will def check it out! Thank you for the recommendation! Thanks for stopping by Mommy Talk!
My son also has a egg/dairy/and peanut allergy.he is also allergic to wheat and soy which was a total night mare in the beginning.his allergist said she never seen somebody allergic to dairy and soy to go ahead and give him a little bit of soy to see how his body reacts to he only because he was low down on the scale for soy.long story short he can have soy he also can have wheat.
Wow April, sounds like you and your son have seen it all Allergy wise! Thats so hard. So glad he can have soy and wheat now, I know how huge that is!!
This piece is spot on!! Thanks! – a mom to a son with peanut and tree nut allergies.
Absolutely Jessica!! We sure do!! And wow, your son had so much!! I am so sorry, that is so hard. I am so glad he has at least out grown some of them!!! You sound like an amazing Mama!! Hes blessed to have you!
So glad you enjoyed it Dana! Thanks for stopping by Mommy Talk!
Love it. My son was diagnosed with food allergies at 20 months. He was allergic to corn, wheat, yeast, eggs, milk, soy, all tree nuts, cat and dog dander, dust, mold, mildew and many trees and grasses. Fast forward 9 years and he has outgrown a few of these and some have moved lower on our list. Eggs, tree nuts, soy and corn are still his worst. But there was a time that I thought he would live in a bubble and only eat fresh fruits and veggies. I always carry snacks, epi and inhaler but we do anything for our babies!!!
Absolutely Jessica!! We sure do!! And wow, your son had so much!! I am so sorry, that is so hard. I am so glad he has at least out grown some of them!!! You sound like an amazing Mama!! Hes blessed to have you!
Yep x 10!
Yep x 10!
Very, very well stated!
I am the Mama to a dairy allergic boy and husband who has life-threatening allergies to mango, pistachio and cashew. It has been nothing but a challenging, and an at times heart-wrenching journey, but one where we are still standing tall and alive!
Thank you for writing this. It is important that we get the word out, so as to protect our children in a world that always doesn’t “get it”.
Katie O’Grady
Liam’s Story
https://www.facebook.com/LiamsStory10?ref=hl
Thank you so much Katie, I am so sorry both your husband and son are allergy sufferers! That is tough for sure! I stopped by and liked you Facebook page! Great site! Thanks for stopping by Mommy Talk!
Very, very well stated!
I am the Mama to a dairy allergic boy and husband who has life-threatening allergies to mango, pistachio and cashew. It has been nothing but a challenging, and an at times heart-wrenching journey, but one where we are still standing tall and alive!
Thank you for writing this. It is important that we get the word out, so as to protect our children in a world that always doesn’t “get it”.
Katie O’Grady
Liam’s Story
https://www.facebook.com/LiamsStory10?ref=hl
I see myself in here! I love it, thanks for putting this into words!! 🙂
Absolutly! Thanks so much for stopping by Mommy Talk!1
Thank you for writing this! Only people who have been through it know all the facts. All but number 10 are exactly how I am!
Hopefully #10 will be you soon!!! Thanks for stopping by Mommy Talk!
Thank you for writing this! Only people who have been through it know all the facts. All but number 10 are exactly how I am!
Hopefully #10 will be you soon!!! Thanks for stopping by Mommy Talk!
Thank you so much! You were spot on! I felt like someone finally got me. Still holding out hope for #10
Yes, never lose hope for #10!! That is all of our ultimate goals!! Glad you like the post! 🙂
Thank you so much! You were spot on! I felt like someone finally got me. Still holding out hope for #10
Yes, never lose hope for #10!! That is all of our ultimate goals!! Glad you like the post! 🙂
Well said. I can relate as my kids have multiple intolerances that land them sick and in pain most of the time. It’s hard enough to leave them with people or get thru the weekly grocery shop etc let alone those mummy’s dealing with anaphylaxis. Am in tears just reading and I’m so sorry to you all. Extremely tough
Thank you so much, you are very sweet.
Well said. I can relate as my kids have multiple intolerances that land them sick and in pain most of the time. It’s hard enough to leave them with people or get thru the weekly grocery shop etc let alone those mummy’s dealing with anaphylaxis. Am in tears just reading and I’m so sorry to you all. Extremely tough
Thank you so much, you are very sweet.
If I get a response it’s not likely to be polite but where were all these kids when I was growing up? I still don’t know one now. The only kids that ate any sort of special diet or food at school were diabetic and I come from a large city. What, besides mothers being hypochondriacal about their children, happened in the past 10 years? I feel really bad for the children who don’t get to try food that tastes good only because mom latched onto the “now * * * * is the only right way to eat” bandwagon.
Yes there are more allergies nowadays and probably several different things that are correlated with that trend but this article isn’t talking about moms who randomly decided to go gluten free or who jumped on the you should eat paleo or whatever diet trend. This article is talking about moms of children who are probably anaphylatic towards their specific allergens; meaning their child could DIE if exposed. That is why the epipen is the first picture, to save their child’s life. I wouldn’t feed my child yummy food that could cause their throat to swell shut either. Majority of these children who are anaphylatic towards an allergy, have probably been allergic since birth, it has nothing to do with being a hypochondriac.
Thank you for responding to this comment so calm, and eloquently. My first though was to scream reading the posters comment. However, what you realized is simply that this person is misinformed not mean. We really don’t get anywhere yelling at each other, your response was way effective than mine would have been (and I would have been mad all day). Thank you!!
Our food supply.
Our food supply. The immune system is 80% in the gut.
I am no expert but that’s what the connection/change in the past 10+ years.
Danielle, You are right in the fact that over the last ten years allergies have become more prominent, and I actually asked my child’s allergist the same thing… “How come all these kids have all these allergies now-a-days, I don’t remember ever hearing of someone having an egg allergy when I was a kid” and he said that a lot of it is attributed to the artificial hormones, and other chemicals that are in our food that were not there years ago. Our bodies do not know how to respond to them, which would be the reason why more and more adults are being diagnosed with allergies that they never used to have. It also explains why many babies have them right from the beginning of childhood, because their bodies cant handle what is being introduced to them. An allergy is not a choice. Its not like I am choosing not to give my child eggs because the are fattening, or not good for them, like some diets suggest you do. I am not giving them to her because they would make her throat and air way passages close. She would die, which is why we have to carry around an Epi Pen every where we go. Trust me, this is not the life I choose for my child. Its heart breaking. It keeps me up at night because every day could be the day she accidentally touches or eats something she shouldn’t. I hope this helps you understand where we (allergy parents) are coming from. I know its sometimes a hard subject for people to really understand until they have lived it themselves, but I also feel there is always room to grow, and become educated on a topic that may be foreign to you. I appreciate you stopping by Mommy Talk and expressing your opinion. and I hope I was able to shed light on your concerns. I hope you have a blessed day.
If I get a response it’s not likely to be polite but where were all these kids when I was growing up? I still don’t know one now. The only kids that ate any sort of special diet or food at school were diabetic and I come from a large city. What, besides mothers being hypochondriacal about their children, happened in the past 10 years? I feel really bad for the children who don’t get to try food that tastes good only because mom latched onto the “now * * * * is the only right way to eat” bandwagon.
Yes there are more allergies nowadays and probably several different things that are correlated with that trend but this article isn’t talking about moms who randomly decided to go gluten free or who jumped on the you should eat paleo or whatever diet trend. This article is talking about moms of children who are probably anaphylatic towards their specific allergens; meaning their child could DIE if exposed. That is why the epipen is the first picture, to save their child’s life. I wouldn’t feed my child yummy food that could cause their throat to swell shut either. Majority of these children who are anaphylatic towards an allergy, have probably been allergic since birth, it has nothing to do with being a hypochondriac.
Thank you for responding to this comment so calm, and eloquently. My first though was to scream reading the posters comment. However, what you realized is simply that this person is misinformed not mean. We really don’t get anywhere yelling at each other, your response was way effective than mine would have been (and I would have been mad all day). Thank you!!
Thank you BHM for being so polite in this response because I promise you I would have not. Being an epipen toting mom myself – having a daughter that is allergic to eggs, dairy, soy and fish, Danielle’s uneducated response was very offensive. My daughter has been allergic since day one. And FYI…dairy also included my breast milk. I would not wish this on ANYONE, especially not my own child whom I love more than life itself.
So maybe one of the reasons that there are more children diagnosed now with this is because 30 years ago they just died within the first few days/months/years of life from an anaphalactic reaction. Ever see My Girl with Macaulay Culkin and Anna Chlumsky? Dead from a bee sting. Why? They didn’t have epipens back then.
And FYI, I grew up with an allergy to peanuts, so allergies were there. The funny thing is, that as a child I avoided all those foods naturally. Mom tried to give me peanut butter, I REFUSED to eat it. Guess sometimes your body just knows
Our food supply.
Our food supply. The immune system is 80% in the gut.
I am no expert but that’s what the connection/change in the past 10+ years.
Danielle, You are right in the fact that over the last ten years allergies have become more prominent, and I actually asked my child’s allergist the same thing… “How come all these kids have all these allergies now-a-days, I don’t remember ever hearing of someone having an egg allergy when I was a kid” and he said that a lot of it is attributed to the artificial hormones, and other chemicals that are in our food that were not there years ago. Our bodies do not know how to respond to them, which would be the reason why more and more adults are being diagnosed with allergies that they never used to have. It also explains why many babies have them right from the beginning of childhood, because their bodies cant handle what is being introduced to them. An allergy is not a choice. Its not like I am choosing not to give my child eggs because the are fattening, or not good for them, like some diets suggest you do. I am not giving them to her because they would make her throat and air way passages close. She would die, which is why we have to carry around an Epi Pen every where we go. Trust me, this is not the life I choose for my child. Its heart breaking. It keeps me up at night because every day could be the day she accidentally touches or eats something she shouldn’t. I hope this helps you understand where we (allergy parents) are coming from. I know its sometimes a hard subject for people to really understand until they have lived it themselves, but I also feel there is always room to grow, and become educated on a topic that may be foreign to you. I appreciate you stopping by Mommy Talk and expressing your opinion. and I hope I was able to shed light on your concerns. I hope you have a blessed day.
Well, you’ve now met one of them! Someone who was diagnosed in the olden days (1966) at 2 years old with a tree nut allergy. That was before epipens so my mother carried pills… I got an epipen when I was in my early 20s, took a little while to be convinced to switch from my isuprel pills.
But we’re here, the “early adopters” (ha ha) and let me tell you, things are so much easier for me now that others know about allergies. And restaurants take it seriously, and ingredients are printed on everything. …
Thank you so much for posting this! It blessed me!
My daughter is environmentally allergic to things (although not quite anaphalactic praise God though we still have an epipen) so you could have added a #11 “She is the mom at the park scanning the other families to see if they have crackers or cheese sticks in their hands. You know that if she needs to she will wipe down EVERY piece of that playground in order for her child to play like everyone else. She tells her child “don’t let the other kids touch you” which makes her sound crazy but her child would break out in hives so she doesn’t care what other people think.”
But seriously why let your child eat and run around anyway haha I will never understand that. Here Johnny heres some small grapes you could easily choke on go run around the play ground smh
I am so glad it was a blessing to you!!! And you’re right.. there really isnt any need for food while playing on a play ground… And I dont even just think about the allergens, but just think of the germs too… ewwww haha
Thank you so much for posting this! It blessed me!
My daughter is environmentally allergic to things (although not quite anaphalactic praise God though we still have an epipen) so you could have added a #11 “She is the mom at the park scanning the other families to see if they have crackers or cheese sticks in their hands. You know that if she needs to she will wipe down EVERY piece of that playground in order for her child to play like everyone else. She tells her child “don’t let the other kids touch you” which makes her sound crazy but her child would break out in hives so she doesn’t care what other people think.”
But seriously why let your child eat and run around anyway haha I will never understand that. Here Johnny heres some small grapes you could easily choke on go run around the play ground smh
I am so glad it was a blessing to you!!! And you’re right.. there really isnt any need for food while playing on a play ground… And I dont even just think about the allergens, but just think of the germs too… ewwww haha
I totally understand how you feel, both my boys have multiple food allergies and my oldest also has asthma, I’m new to blogging but wanted to start to connect with parents in similar situations and share some of my food recipes.
Mrs Darcheville,
In addition to this fantastic blog (thanks mommytalk73!!!! your post was fantastic), check out http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org. they also have excellent discussion forums….including things you may never consider (like what happens after youu use an epi pen discussions.
Oh, and at my wedding 8 years ago I had someone allergic to tree nuts (me, the bride), mango and avocado, peanuts and chocolate. The chef took it as a personal and professional challenge to serve fabulous, high end, delicious, fancy meals and desserts without using those ingredients. And he did a great job! That day there were four epipens and gallons of benedryl carried but never used. Win!
Oh, and at my wedding 8 years ago I had someone allergic to tree nuts (me, the bride), mango and avocado, peanuts and chocolate. The chef took it as a personal and professional challenge to serve fabulous, high end, delicious, fancy meals and desserts without using those ingredients. And he did a great job! That day there were four epipens and gallons of benedryl carried but never used. Win!
My heart is literally crying out “YES” to every point!
Being an allergy mom is such a tough job isnt it Cassie? But I do believe God gives us these babies because he knows we will do our very best to keep them safe at all times!!