Tag Archives: allergies

Recommended Reading: The Unhealthy Truth

I have to admit: I got to the library at least once per week. I read pretty much everything I can get my hands on regarding nutrition, how food effects us and our children, allergies, intolerances, and raising our kids to be healthy. I love a lot of books. But, I am starting with this one, not because it is my usual easy-breezy fun and inspiring style, but because it is so important. And I read something in author, Robyn O’Brien’s blog yesterday that scared me. Robyn said, “Our children have earned the title “Generation Rx” and “Generation XL” due to their escalating rates of obesity and these other conditions.” Ouch. Wow. I read this and felt as if someone had kicked me in the stomach. Do you agree?

These other conditions that she is referring to includes asthma, allergies, diabetes, ADHD and autism. And not to worry, she’s not judging. Her own daughter has food allergies, too. As a parent of a kiddo with a few different health concerns, I sure am grateful we have champions like Robyn in our corner. I am looking forward to hearing your impressions of this book.

Overwhelmed? I know, I am, too. But, from Robyn’s Blog, here are just a few things we can start with at home:

Instead of:	Choose This!
Cheetos	Fritos or Natural Cheetos
Fat Free Miracle Whip	Original Miracle Whip
M&M’s	Chocolate Chips
Lenders Blueberry Bagels	Lenders Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Hawaiian Punch	Minute Maid Fruit Punch
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese mix-yellow	Kraft Macaroni and Cheese mix – White Cheddar
Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake mix	Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake mix
Prepackaged noodles with powder mix	Bag of noodles with butter/olive oil
Prepackaged mix of rice	Bag of plain rice with salt/spices added
Lowfat Ice Cream	Original Ice Cream
Strawberry Ice Cream	Vanilla Ice Cream with your own toppings!
Blue Yogurt	White yogurt – add your own toppings

Weekly Take Your Medicine Sticker Chart

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One of my biggest challenges as a mom is staying organized and mot missing medicine doses. (Puh-lease tell me I am not the only one who forgets all three doses of a medication each day!) Not to mention, Posey’s not always all that into taking all of her meds. I’ve done my fair share of giving her asthma meds to her teddy bear first…bribing, threatening, and chasing. So, I’ve found that a sticker chart does WONDERS. First, it helps me keep track of what we’ve taken. No more walking in the door from running carpool and not being able to remember if she had her morning dose. Secondly, it is incentive for Posey to take her meds. I stocked up on really fun stickers (Hello Kitty, teddy bears, and Snoopy) — I do not think regular old foil stars do the trick! And if she fills up the whole sheet for the week she gets a small prize. (And I do mean small. Posey has her eye on twisty straws from Wal-Mart. You really want to save your big incentive gifts for things like blood draws, medical procedures, and of course birthdays!)

So I want to share our medicine chart: Weekly Take Your Medicine Chart.

Posey takes 5 medicines each day. I have 6 medicine slots — if you need more, just put two pages next to each other! I even include our miralax on here — just to be sure! Let me know if this is helpful to you in your quest to get the meds organized! If I can do this, anyone can! Good luck!

Hi, I’m Posey’s Mommy

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Hi, I’m Patricia! I’m Posey & Millie’s mom (all names have been changed to protect the sassy & somewhat innocent). Over the years, we’ve had health challenges with the girls. Some heartbreaking, some frustrating, and all took me by surprise! Several years ago I went to lunch with a friend and her daughter. The little girl had a peanut allergy and wore a medical alert bracelet. I remember so distinctly feeling sorry for her. It was only a few months after that lunch that Posey had her first taste of a cashew nut. Disaster. The anaphylactic reaction that followed set off a whole new normal for our family…and it has been quite an adventure ever since! We’ve also dealt with GI issues, and now our latest: asthma. And I’ve said time and time again: I should’ve gone to medical school! I love researching the latest and greatest information on Posey’s challenges. I am keenly curious about how diet plays into childhood disease. Why are allergies and other ailments are on the rise? How do I protect Posey from too much prodding and poking. And how do I work with the medical community when mommy’s instincts are hard to explain? How can I ensure Posey’s childhood is happy and productive and that people (like me) don’t ever pity her or feel sorry for her situation?

One of the hardest things about having a kiddo with medical challenges is thinking you’re the only one. I mean, all the other children can just pop into an ice cream shop and order whatever they want, right? And no one else needs a star chart to keep track of daily medicines! And you must be the only one who has ever been blown off by a doctor who can’t see your child’s pain. But, I know there are other parents out there! I cannot be the only one up at night, tossing and turning, wondering if you’ve done enough? I know that all parents of children with allergies, asthma, celiac, diabetes, arthritis, Crohn’s, and everything else kids deal with on a day-to-day basis have felt the way I do.

I am here to tell you: yes, you’re doing a great job! Your kids are great, too. You are the super moms (and dads!) of super hero kids! And together, we can do what we could never do alone. Thank you for coming! Posey says thanks, too!