Food Allergy Awareness Week: May 5-8 in Canada, May 10-16 in the United States
Saturday is the last day of Allergy Awareness Week in the United States, which followed Allergy Awareness Week in Canada last week. This will be my final post for official Allergy Awareness this year (but certainly NOT my last post on allergies or awareness!). Just a few thoughts and some links to a handful of allergy sites/blogs. There are so many great ones out there; these are just a few of my favourites. These links will lead you to more. Thank you for reading.
As Allergy Awareness Week finishes up I find myself thinking – obsessing really – about allergies, as I go through the process of registering Son-S for school in September. My aim is balance; balance between being totally paranoid about my son’s allergies, and letting him live a normal life – I never want him to live life in a bubble. Balance between the ‘mama bear’ that is inside, who wants to come out roaring when schools and the like try to get in the way of keeping my child safe and the cool, calm, reasonable mother who is much more likely to get results. Balance when trying to explain the dangers of anaphylaxis to our friends and families but not wanting to scare them to death so much that they’re afraid to be around us. Balance between searching the playground compulsively looking for fishy crackers, and teaching and trusting that Son-S knows to stay away from said crackers. Balance between being a strong advocate and being an annoying zealot. Balance between reading, researching and making rational, informed decisions about Son-S and being totally consumed by the weight of it, frantically wondering if I’m making the right choices. Balance between being normal and being kooky.
For more information about Anaphylaxis:
- Anaphylaxis Canada
- Allergy Anaphylaxis Information Association
- The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network
- Allergic Living Magazine
- MedicAlert Canada
- Avoiding Milk Protein Blog
- Please Don’t Pass the Nuts
- Rational Jenn
- Allergy Moms
- Allergy Sense
- Gravity of Motion
Photo by Pink Sherbet via flickr.
Hooray Kooky! For what it’s worth you are one of the most balanced people I know. Kooky yes, but balanced.
Ya…you are kinda kooky, but you wouldn’t be my BFF if you weren’t.
Yeah, it’s always hard. You don’t want to be “that mom”, but it’s difficult when so many people just don’t get it. “Milk allergy? So he can have goat’s milk, right?” “Oh I didn’t think “nut-free” meant I couldn’t bring in my almond butter on toast…. it’s peanuts he’s allergic to, isn’t it?”
You said everything so well… echoed my thoughts exactly. I want this balance! The balance that keeps me rational and well-informed but not consumed by fear.
By the way, my husband thinks I’m kooky after hearing my (very mature) surprised squeal at seeing your link to my blog. I’m glad our paths have crossed!
Oh I know just what you mean! I struggle with this all the time! (Thanks for linking, too!)
Very well put! You summed up very well what we mamas are trying to achieve. I don’t want to be “that mom”, the one everyone rolls their eyes at when her name comes up. But I still need to know my kiddo will be safe. I want to keep learning, but not become one dimensional in my knowledge. Balance. Sounds so simple.
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