Allergy show in Olympia on 18-20 May

[garliclover]

Anyone planning to go to this? perhaps we could meet in RL? Just a thought...

I went last year. Not sure about going again this year though. DS has multiple allergies and DF is coeliac. There was lots of stuff for DF but so much of it had eggs or nuts or sesame - mainly eggs that there was nothing much for DS ( I'd left him at home - good job - and gone with my parents).Having said that we nibbled our way around the show and there were some great new GF products. Other stuff was hypoallergenic bedding, excema stuff etc which didn't interest us. We didn't try out the talks so can't comment on them.

You can get free tickets here if you didn't already know.

I'm going but not taking the kids (DS multiple allergies, DD coeliac) - I'm dragging my sister along instead! Not sure which day we're planning to go yet but have provisionally booked myself on to the workshop for parents of children with allergies on the Sunday in case we end up going that day. Am planning on coming home with lots of samples (mainly for DD probably but you never know there might be some stuff DS can try too!).

Thanks for that! Will have to check my calendar.

Hi!
bump: James Garner of the Royal Free Hospital asked me to pass this onto everyone:

The Royal Free will be doing the allergy show again this year at Olympia and as we are exhibitors we have unlimited free tickets (usually £12) so please use this link to gain free passes:

www.allergyshow.co.uk/go/royalfreehospital

They would be really pleased if you stopped by to say hello! From what I understand the Royal Free commits to these events to add some balance to some of the more 'creative' allergy advisors and to offer really solid advice. Brilliant stuff eh!

AND: the Royal Free are very much aware of the difficulties that having an allergic child presents and would like to offer information and support by hosting an allergy conference for parents. This will be held on Saturday 15th September 10-12.30 at the Royal Free Hospital in North London. James is putting together the conference programme and would like to hear from you what you would like the conference to cover. He has confirmed that the programme will certainly include lots of opportunity for question/answers from the consultants etc. So please do contact James directly with any ideas - [email protected].

many thanks to you all and to the Royal Free!
tx

Hey garlic, it would be nice to meet up again! I went last year and it was manic! Not great for multiple food allergies which is what I'd hoped for. Some of the seminars were really good, and last year the anaphylaxis campaign did a support group which I found really helpful.

Anyway I won't be coming this year in afraid. Ds is 3 months now and still suffering with reflux so gettig out with a screaming baby is not easy.

I hope everyone enjoys it this year. And please post about how it was so I can think about next year. Thanks. :)

On my phone so sorry for typos.

Sorry for starting this thread and then going silent! I'm planning to go on sunday and have booked a place at the parent workshop, so if any of you are going and would like to say hello I'm the one with the boots, brown handbag and jeans with holes in them (not intentionally, just haven't got the cash for new ones what with all the freefrom food we have to buy...!).
Choca, have been meaning to pm you for ages. Am rubbish. Would love to meet up and hope to find an excuse to travel to London again soon. I hope your DS's reflux is improving?

Hi Garlic! Good to see you back. Don't worry, I only come on now and again, two LO's keep me very busy!
How is your ds doing now?
We have just got back from being at the hospital for 4 hrs with dd, absolutely shattered.
Ds is not so good, on neocate, 20mg omeprazole, domperidone and still struggling. He has a video fluoroscopy next Tuesday because they are worried he can't swallow safely and may need another route of feeding :(
Also been using wet wraps and protopics for his eczema which just doesn't want to improve either. Unfortunately he's really having a rtough time of it all, and he's only 4 months today :(
Fingers crossed your ds is much better, and you're coping with all the cooking!

I hope everyone enjoys the allergy show. :)

I'm going on Saturday and plan to attend the Anaphylaxis Campaign workshop in the morning. No idea what I'll be wearing yet but I will be the average height somewhat overweight blonde carrying a large pink handbag walking around with a very tall skinny beautiful blonde - my sister, I'm not bitter or anything .

We went yesterday - advice to everyone who is going, take your own food and drinks! They are horrendously expensive there. There are loads of stalls offering free tastings so if you like to 'graze' you'll be fine!

There is nowhere to sit down, if you have mobility problems and need a rest you have to either sit in on one of the seminars or head for the Sainsbury's cooking zone in-between demo's to get a seat. Every wall was lined with people sat on the floor as there were literally NO seats anywhere else.

Choca, I am so so sorry to hear about the difficult time you and your DS are having. I hope the medical team that's helping you soon finds a way to improve his symptoms. No doubt you have the best team helping you, after your experiences with DD. I was sorry, too, to hear she was in hospital the other day. Was it another allergic reaction? And is she ok now? Maybe you can PM me if you prefer (and if you have the time and energy after everything you're dealing with).
My DS is ok, although his eczema has come back with a vengeance after a year of almost no skin problems. He's constantly itchy and restless these days. But on the whole he's a happy boy and eating well, so I consider we're very lucky, really.
The allergy show was a bit disappointing because of the small space and large number of people, but it was good to get some useful info from the workshop aimed at parents of allergic children. I think the eczema nurse who was there may well be the one you see, Choca. She was really helpful. But one thing that was clear above everything else was the appalling lack of help parents get if they don't fight their corner! Parents at the workshop were desperate for nuggets of information that would help them work out what was causing their DCs' symptoms. It's such a shame that lack of money means the NHS will probably never have adequate resources to deal with allergies, and that so many parents have to resort to doing their own research.