Food Allergies & Parties

Whether it is a summer, school or birthday party it seems there is always food involved. Even after sporting events there is normally a snack.  Over the past month, I’ve scampered to be ready for parties so that my kids don’t feel left out and having something fun to eat.  With all of the end of year, end of baseball season and beginning of summer festivities, I had to add the food preparations reminders to my calendar just to keep it all straight. 

There were only two unexpected incidents.  One was good, the other was bad.  Bad news first:  We were at my older son’s baseball game and snacks were being handed out which included fudgsicles and ice pops.  My younger son wanted one.  He is now seven and outgrew his dairy allergy at age five.  But due to my older son’s dairy allergy we still don’t eat dairy so my younger son isn’t used to it.  Even so, I thought it would be alright for him to try the fudgsicle. 

He took two licks and threw it away.  Quickly he had a burning in his throat which led to his saying something was, “in his throat.”  I am sure he was having a reaction.  I gave him some antihistamine in the car on the way home and had the Epi-Pens ready.  Once we were home, in less than five minutes, he was quite upset and it all seemed to be getting worse.  There was no swelling of his face or lips, but he was crying and starting to panic.  After a few more minutes his reaction subsided, but the whole thing was emotionally awful for all of us.  We were worried, upset, even angry and of course my son was extremely scared.  No more fudgsicles for us--but was dairy back off the table for my younger son?  Had his dairy allergy returned?

Now the good news:  About three days later, that same son had an end of year pizza party in his classroom.  Knowing he never wanted to try the soy-based pizza we’ve had, I sent him in with a regular lunch of roast beef, carrots and other stuff.  But he decided to try the (dairy) pizza that day.  I found this out at dismissal and was shocked to learn that he had no reaction and tha he actually liked the pizza! 

So I am left wondering if it was something else in the fudgsicle that caused the reaction or if it was the difference between milk in the fudgsicle versus cheese on the pizza.  Or was the difference caused by the dairy being cooked on the pizza as opposed to uncooked in the fudgsicle?  I don’t know.  But I do know that despite the best of intentions and preparations, things happen at social gatherings, parties and celebrations.  I am glad that I had my sons’ medications with me and was ready to give it when needed.