On June 25, 2009, I was 13 months old and our day began as usual...no school for big sisters, baby brother was not yet born, and we just enjoyed our summer vacation together. While Mommy prepared dinner and the sisters and I waited for Daddy to arrive home from work, we watched a bit of television and had a snack. Big sister Kinsley chose to have Peanut Butter Sandwich (Girl Scout) cookies for her snack. I had recently become very good at pulling myself up to the end table and managed to swipe the pack of cookies from Kinsley.
I only took a few small bites (little mouth, remember?), and right away I knew something was wrong, so I began to whimper and whine a little. After catching Mommy's attention, I began having trouble swallowing, so I just allowed my saliva to escape freely from my mouth. Mommy still didn't realize what I was going through. My eyes got really red and watered terribly, as did my nose. Soon after this, my face began to swell. As my face grew to the size of a regulation soccer ball, I began to gag and vomit profusely. My face was covered in little red dots and I had purple color under my eyes. Mommy gave me some Benedryl because she recognized the connection of the symptoms with the snack I had eaten. She called Daddy and told him to meet us at the hospital. I vomited and gasped for air all the way to the hospital...which thankfully was only about a mile away.
Mommy held me the whole time while we learned of Michael Jackson's death, I struggled to regain a regular breathing pattern. Lucky for me, the Benedryl had slowed the reaction significantly, so I didn't require a shot of adrenaline. We sat in the tiny hospital room for 3 hours waiting to see if my reaction would get any worse. The doctor gave me a diagnosis of an allergy to peanuts. We left the hospital armed with whatever information the doctor could verbalize, and instructions to see my pediatrician. Blood tests later confirmed what the ER doctor had already told us...Certain peanut allergy, complete avoidance necessary. I was given a prescription for Benedryl and an Epi-pen, and instructions to carry both with me at all times.
Mommy cleared our home of all things peanut...including the jar of peanut butter that was set aside specifically for removing gum from my sisters' hair...this would later prove to be a problem :) Mommy & Daddy learned all they could about peanut allergies and how to keep me safe. We learned which restaurants were "safe" and which were not. We also learned to read the labels of each and every product in the grocery store, and how to locate the allergy information on the label before putting it into the cart. Did you know that Oreo cookies are safe, but Oreo Cakesters are not?
I don't really notice a difference in my life because I was never exposed to peanuts or peanut butter before that one time. I don't miss PB & J sandwiches because I've never tasted one. I don't know that I am missing out on the wonderful taste of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup since I've never even seen one. I'm ok with all of this because it is all normal to me. The stuff that is hard is when Mommy & Daddy have to tell me that I can not have a sucker because it is considered "unsafe" because it is manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts products. I love suckers, so it makes me very frustrated when I don't understand why I can't have one. I also become very upset when I can't play at the play place inside of McDonald's. Since my Mommy & Daddy do not know what types of foods the other kids who play there have eaten or touched, it is hard for them to relax and let me play because there could be cross-contamination which could lead to another reaction for me. I am getting better at understanding though since I am almost two and a half years old now. When mommy tells me that something could have peanuts in it, I understand that it could make me sick, so I don't fight as much anymore.
In a few years, I'll get to go to school just like my big sisters. I wonder if they will still allow the other kids to bring PB & J sandwiches to school for lunch or snacks. I hope not, but if they do, I will have to do my best to "deal with it." I like to go to church and play with my friends too. Every Sunday after the service, everyone goes to the fellowship hall and has cookies and punch together. Sometimes my family and I don't stay because there are too many items around with peanuts in them. I get mad then too. I don't understand why I can't have cookies like my other friends do. I can't even sit with them while they eat their cookies because the table could easily be contaminated. Mommy and Daddy aren't willing to take that chance...they love me too much to risk my life for a cookie. I sure am glad they love me so much, but sometimes I just want to do what the other people are doing...especially when eating cookies is involved.
I grow and learn a little more every day and Mommy and Daddy work very hard to teach me about my allergy in a way I can understand. Someday I will be able to control my environment and exposures all on my own. Until then, that responsibility lies with my family and other people who love me. Not everyone knows how severe my allergy can be though, so sometimes other people think its ok to have peanut stuff around, as long as I don't eat it. What other people don't realize is that if they eat it and then touch me, it can kill me. If they touch it and then touch me, it can kill me. If they touch it and touch the door knob, then I touch the door knob, it can kill me. Mommy, Daddy or I have no way of knowing...no human does...if there is peanut residue on things.
My doggy will know. My doggy will be able to tell me if an area is "unsafe." Mommy and Daddy will still have to work very hard and I will still have a lot to learn about how to handle my allergy, but my doggy will help keep me safe from the things that we don't see. My doggy will also give me a little more freedom to go places that are uncertain...like the park or the zoo. My doggy will know if it is safe to sit on Santa's lap because my doggy will be able to detect the scent of peanuts if it is present on his breath or anywhere near him. My doggy will be able to tell me if a sucker that "may have been processed in a facility that also processes peanuts" actually has traces of the peanut protein in it. Sometimes that label is "just to be safe," but if it is truly "safe" then I can have it. My doggy will help Mommy & Daddy to not be scared of what they can not see.
Please, take the time to follow my story. We have a long road ahead of us, but Mommy and Daddy are confident that my doggy will come home soon...with your help.
Thanks for reading my story,
Delanie :)
