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Allergies and intolerances

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Anaphylactic DD worries about food increasing

2 replies

heinrichvonkleist · 04/05/2014 20:20

DD is anaphylactic to three kinds of nut and three kinds of seeds. We've got along reasonably well since she was diagnosed aged 4 (now aged nearly 12) but suddenly she is terrified of everything. Even meals I've been making for years. We've switched to packed lunches at school, given up on eating out and I take a daily quizzing about what I'm putting in my cooking at home. Is there anything I can do to make life easier?

OP posts:
eragon · 04/05/2014 22:17

yes.

loads.

teach her to cook. cook together.

does she come food shopping with you? get her to read labels, and check things.

does she carry her own meds, know how to use an epi pen? etc etc?

The more control she feels she has over her own condition will help in the long term.

Take care to mention that there have been more days without a reaction than with and that proves that your allergy management plan is working. And that we all know what to do if you had a reaction. ( btw how comfortable are you with this and establishing when you need to use an auto injector?)

underscore the reasons you carry auto injectors and that they work to stop a reaction from getting worse. They are our safety belt and we are lucky to have them.

in time :

discuss steps to ensure a safe meal at a restaurant, establish 'comfort zones' and chat over the reasons behind them.

go to restaurants, as a family and even if she just eats a plate of chips, that's fine. leave it at that.

have friends around your home, and provide some social situations that aren't stressful or need food around iyswim.

(how did you used to handle eating out and whats changed?)

IF you have had a recent reaction, this high level of stress is the norm and you need to respect the wish to not eat outside comfort zone.

if things aren't getting better, go to gp ask for referral to childrens mental health support. sometimes talking to non parent helps kids express their fears and concerns with less stress or concern.

heinrichvonkleist · 04/05/2014 23:23

Thanks! A lot of those things have been in place for a long time. She enjoys cooking with me and is actually a better, less fussy, eater than many of her non-allergic friends. Eating out has always been limited, i.e. certain types of food are a no-go so it's been a sausages and chips option for a while. Now she won't even eat a plate of chips. No recent reaction, just getting older and more vulnerable in general in herself ...

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