Anaphalyxis Grading Charts

Those totally awesome people over at the Food Allergy Support Boards have done it again. I think I previously wrote about their resources page that contains tons and tons of great and useful information before. At the bottom of this general page they have added a link to two great things.

The first is an Anaphalyxis Grading Chart. These are charts that help you figure out when you should give the epi-pen. They have even put up two versions of it, the Medical Professionals Chart, and the Average Joe Chart. These charts help assign a grade level to the anaphalyxis based on the symptoms of 5 different body systems, such as cardiovascular and respiratory. They also bold face the symptoms that they feel make an epi-pen necessary.

The second piece of great info is a link entitled Top Ten Mistakes People Make When Using an Epi-Pen. These are some really useful tips to think about now, and not in an emergency situation.

A Wonderful Suprise

We have headed back into our non vacation schedules with full force, and I have been so busy I have not had a chance to do anything except try to get 3 little children to school, from school and around town. I forgot how hard it is to get everyone dressed, fed and out the door by 7:40 am every morning. I am exhausted by 8:00 am.

Because I am not so happy with our present pre-school, and our present pre-school director is kind of well annoying and ignorant, I have decided to transition Conor to that really cool peanut free school he is going to attend for kindergarten next year. I just realized they had a preschool that where he could go 2 or 3 days a week for half days. Woohooo. Since he does not seem so fond of his present school, I thought he would be excited to go to that other school he had a great time visiting a few months ago.

Boy was I wrong. Apparently Conor is very upset that he is not going to the same kindergarten and school as his older brother and sister, and has told me in no uncertain terms that he does not want to go to the school "in the little blue house". I felt so bad that I had to explain to a 4 year old that life is not fair, and unfortunately the school his siblings go to is not safe for him. Of course he does not understand why it is not safe, and why life has to be unfair (then again I do not understand why life is unfair either), and somehow thinks it is in my power to control things. If only I had such powers.....

I dragged a very unwilling little boy to visit the preschool side of the school a few days ago. I tried to explain to the staff why he was mad, and engage him in the activities they were doing. He did loosen up a bit, and it seemed a good fit, but it made for a very stressful morning. I don't know how many times I said "he really is not usually like this - very outgoing and personable", and have them look at me and think "of course lady", and working on prying an angry preschooler from my leg.

I decided to start Conor two days a week, and keep him at his other school two days a week to help the transition. I guess it is better to deal with this now, then when we start kindergarten in the fall. So I took my registration packet and headed home to fill out tons of stupid paperwork.

As I went through the papers later that day, I came upon a wonderful surprise. There was a paper entitled "Consent Agreements ---Peanut Free Zones". Apparently before anyone is able to enter the school they must sign and agree to abide by the schools Peanut and Nut Free Rules. This rules include hand washing when entering the classrooms, and that outside food must be okayed by a staff member. They also provide education on to the parents on life threatening food allergies, and ask the parents to all help educate their children on these allergies.

I want to go over there and hug anyone and everyone who helped put this together. I had always heard that the school was very good regarding peanut allergies, but this is more then I could have ever hoped for. It really does make such a difference when people take the time and energy to be educated and help facilitate our children's disabilities.

Now if only I can pry Conor off my leg next time we go.....

Things I Am Glad I Did Not Get For Christmas

Peanut Shaped Soap

"Fun, realistic looking "peanut" shaped soaps! These soaps vary in size, just like real peanuts from a bag would vary. Peanut soaps are like the real "in shell" nuts, complete with textured finish. This soap set is scented. Each "nut" ranges from about 1.25" - 1.5" long and about 1/4 - 1/2" wide & thick." Check them out here.

The Quirky Peanut Characters

"History & Heraldry have created a quirky resin character that you'd be nuts to miss out on! The cute little nut characters are styled in a whole variety of occupations from Doctor to Bus Driver... so there's a nut for everyone! Each figure stands on a resin base fitted with a spring to add movement. The relevant job titles are engraved on each base and the nuts sit in nifty brightly colored open presentation boxes." Read more about these exciting peanut figures here.

You can get them in almost any occupation or character you can think of. I know a really annoying non understanding former pre-school teacher I could get this one for. he he he

A Resin Nut Bowl here.

"NUT BOWLS

Even those with nut allergies won't be able to resist our mixed nuts bowls. Designer Harry Allen casts walnuts and peanuts in white resin, capturing these everyday items and elevating them to the level of modern art. The perfect catchall for fruit, or even the daily mail, and a fun conversation piece. Made in the USA."

Somehow, I think I will be able to resist it.

New Years Resolutions - 12 Personal Commandments for Myself

After discovering the great quote from my last post "The Days are Long, But the Years are Short", I also discovered a great blog where the movie is posted called The Happiness Project. The author of this blog Gretchen wrote a really great post about making personal commandments for yourself for the New Year. I was inspired by her idea, and thought it was particularly applicable for those of us dealing with life threatening food allergies and all our challenges. After some thought, here are mine below.

1) Remember the goal is the journey

2) Laugh often

3) Lighten up - Keep things in perspective

4) Be kind and gentle to everyone, including me

5) Smile, it's only life

6) Choose not to take things personally

7) Remember we all are what we are when we are and how we are. Find the beauty in that and embrace it.

8) Accept pain, difficulties and obstacles, acknowledge them, and use them to learn and grow.

9) If you want to cry, try and find a way to laugh instead.

10) Action, not reaction

11) Make alot of mistakes, just never the same one twice

12) Love Life

The Days Are Long, But The Years Are Short

So, a new year is upon us, and I have been reminiscing about the year that has just passed. It seems as the years go by time speeds up and slows down at the same time. I just found this absolutely profound little movie, and I have to say, it really expressed how we should enjoy what we have right now. Check out the movie here. It ends with one of my new favorite quotes "The Days Are Long, But The Years Are Short".

All these thoughts have me remembering the year past. 2008 for us was filled with big changes, and little moments all of which created a year of memories, growth and learning. So without order, here are some of my reminiscing of the year.

Mick and I celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary.

We made a move of over 300 miles from Southern California to Northern California where Mick started a new job with a new company. This was a complete shock to me, and if you had told me a year and a half ago that we would be moving that far, I would have thought you crazy. While the move has both good and bad elements (farther away from sick grandma, but nice little town, better job, etc), it again reminds me that life is frequently unexpected, and all the planning in the world can not make it come true. I never planned to have 3 children 18 months apart, I got the shock of my life when I discovered Conor had a life threatening allergy to peanuts (I never even heard of a life threatening allergy before), and even grandparent illness can come on unexpectedly without notice. Life can and frequently will change in an instant, it is more about how that instant effects our change long term.

Conor decided his Nana was cute, and now refers to her as Cutie. He likes to go by her and say "Hi Cutie" and run away, proud of his cleverness. It makes everyone smile including Conor.

I ran my first Marathon. (I finished, but had a little visit to the hospital after for dehydration. Long story)

We got our first real nebulizer. (No more of those sissy inhaler things for us!)

Michael and Natalie started Kindergarten this past September.

Conor taught himself to read a month before his 4th birthday.

Conor outgrew his allergy to eggs, and we now have eggs back in the house again. Yea!!!!!!

I started this blog, which has turned into a great outlet for me to express all my frustrations, triumphs, emotions, and joys. It has now turned into sort of a memoir for myself of our past year and our day to day journeys. I have always loved to be creative, make things, and write for myself, but never over such a long term. The fact that I am able to put together a blog that people might even read - (yikes, someone is reading this???) is a great accomplishment for myself for the previously year.

Happy New Years!!!

Wow, time flies when you are having fun!! I have been out of my blog office for ages now. We had a wonderful holiday, but I am suffering from my Holiday illness. It seems every year at about Christmas or New Years, I get sick with some sort of stomach bug. A few times I have ended up at some sort of urgent care getting some sort of medicine to stop the vomiting. - fun!!

This bout with the evil illness was short lived, and I am on the road to recovery now. We had a great holiday, without any other big issues, faux paus, or traumas. There were no food allergy issues, close calls, or well meaning but scary gifts. (One year Mick brought home some peanut brittle from work without realizing it. When we opened it, it was like a bomb was in the house, and it had to be removed very quickly and carefully before it exploded. Thankfully no one was injured in the process :))

Everyone is very excited today, as we are heading off to a Noon Years Eve party at a local children's museum. They celebrate New Years at Noon instead of midnight, so all the little people can play along, and I don't have to feel guilty going to bed before midnight. As long as no one throws peanuts at noon, it should be lots of fun.

Everyone, have a safe, fun and happy New Years!!!

Track Santa on Your Computer

Happy Holidays everyone!!!.

I have come across this really cool website where you can track Santa's progress to your house on Christmas Eve. As I write this now, it appears that Santa is in Cameroon, and soon heading towards his next location. This site has a really nice story behind it.

"For more than 50 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa’s Christmas Eve flight.
The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement for children to call Santa misprinted the telephone number. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline." The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born

In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD. NORAD inherited the tradition of tracking Santa.
Since that time, NORAD men, women, family and friends have selflessly volunteered their time to personally respond to Christmas Eve phone calls and emails from children. In addition, we now track Santa using the internet. Last year, millions of people who wanted to know Santa's whereabouts visited the NORAD Tracks Santa website.
Finally, media from all over the world rely on NORAD as a trusted source to provide Christmas Eve updates on Santa's journey. "

You can also track Santa in 3D, watch video's about Santa, and take an interactive tour of his village on the North Pole. I just found a video on there also where Santa visits the International Space Station. WOW!! he really gets around.

Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to everyone!!