Three-day trip

This week was the first time I was away from Chloe for more than one night, with a care-giver other than my husband.

It was nerve-wracking, stressful, and hectic preparing for the trip. My husband and I were going to leave the kids with their Grandma and Grandpa for 3 1/2 days while we went to a conference.

I love the kids' Grandma and Grandpa dearly. Andrew was, is, and will always be fine at their house, he is a hoss and can eat anything. But poor Chloe, with her multiple food allergies--I worried so much about her safety. Preparing for her to have extended time at a care-giver's house is very different than preparing for Andrew. Toss a few clothes and his toothbrush in a bag, Andrew's good to go.

For Chloe, I put together the lists of foods and strategies for avoiding a reaction in the earlier posts. I agonized over that list, going over and over it, and talking it over with my husband as to whether I had forgotten anything. I photocopied her allergy plan, as well as the sheets listing her forbidden ingredients. I answered "can she have..." questions.

I worried especially because my mother-in-law cooks very differently than I do, and at the very least, was not used to the way Chloe has to eat.

So I spent much of this past Sunday (recovering from an overnight trip to Longmont Friday and Saturday) making Chloe-safe pancakes, rice noodles, and putting together a box of fruits and other things she could eat at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Around dinner time that day, I took the box over to their house and sat with them for an hour going over everything.

As we talked I was reassured...Grandma is the most practical person I know, and when she understands the need for something, she's right on board. Grandpa wrestles, wiggles, and plays with the kids, and when it comes down to the practical stuff--he does what he's told.

I am so proud to say that Chloe was just fine!!! Grandma gave her rice noodles, beans, baked potatoes, the peach pancakes I made for her, and fruit. She tried apples, bananas, and even pickles, and Chloe refused to eat those, picky child that she is. Grandma carried the epi-pens with her and both Grandma and Grandpa got them safely to school and back every day.

I had a trial run with the kids' babysitters during that trip to Longmont, on which day my husband had a track meet and could not be home. I did the same thing for the babysitter--preparing food, going over the lists, showing how to use the epi-pens.

I'm happy to say that that day went well, too.

The only glitch of my three-day trip was true to form, similar to going on a ten-day skiing trip with no mishaps then stubbing your toe as you arrive home. I was just getting back into town when Chloe's preschool director called, saying another child had given her a dorito and she had hives on her mouth, should she have Benadryl (she had not ingested the dorito). Yes, 1/2 teaspoon please, according to plan, and then please watch her.

My three-day trip away was very successful, in terms of Chloe's care--and all else as well! I can't wait to see the kids when my school day is done. I can't wait to give them their stuffed three-stage rockets! I am looking forward to feeding them, bathing them, and tucking them into bed with stories--for the next many months.

Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa!

the beginning

I was trying to think of healthy foods to feed my eight-month-old, Chloe, and my sister suggested whole milk yogurt.

In no way do I blame her for what happened next: Chloe ended up in the emergency room with an anaphylactic reaction to the milk. Her oxygen was low and she was itchy, red, hoarse, and crying.

They gave her benadryl and steroids, and prescribed an epi-pen to carry with us everywhere.

When we got home I knew that her reality had changed for the foreseeable future, and mine and our whole family's along with it.

We have a three-year-old son and a fifteen-year-old nephew living with us. We all like to eat, and we aside from carefully introducing foods to Andrew, our son, we never really thought about food.

Now we have to think about it all the time. Or at least, as the primary chef, and chief organizer of the family, I do.

The hardest part about it is feeling like we have to reinvent the wheel all over again. We're on the learning curve, no one else is, so it's all up to us.

Sometimes the responsibility of keeping her alive and growing is overwhelming. It often feels like the juggernaut of the food production industry is totally against us.

This blog will hopefully address all the issues we, and other families coming to terms with a child's severe food allergies, often have to deal with.

In addition to being severely allergic to cow's milk, Chloe is also allergic to eggs, wheat, peanut, dog, and cat. We haven't tested her for tree nuts but it often goes along with a peanut allergy. And speak nothing of fish and shellfish--we won't test for those until farther along the road, or even introduce them.

I have my up days and my down days. Like most parents, we love our daughter so much and would do anything for her, so when people say, oh, it must be so hard!, we just smile and say, she's our daughter.