All moms are awesome, we know that. But food allergy moms are something special. They go above and beyond to make sure their food-allergic kids are included, safe and protected. Whether it means staying up until 3 am baking allergy-friendly goodies for the bake sale or advocating for them at the PTA meeting, food allergy moms are always up to the task. Happy Mother's Day!

1. Psst..Thanks
Mom…
6 Reasons
Food Allergy
Moms are
the best.

2. They
Do Better
Research
Than the
CIA and FBI.
And Their
Cases Are
Just As
Stressful.

3. I have two sons, the older one with 3 severe food allergies and the younger one
without any at all. When I want to try new and exciting foods with my younger son,
it’s easy and convenient. Here ya’ go son, try it out. With my older food-allergic son,
there is a process. Of course, I always read the label thoroughly (3 times), and
proceed to look on the bag/box for any small warning that may be hidden
somewhere. But a er that, If I’m not familiar with the company, I end up calling
them and playing 20 questions. It’s a lengthy, and in my view, very necessary
process. Then comes the stressful part, testing the food out. I make sure the
epinephrine is within reach and the phone is ready to dial 911 should the worst
happen. I sit, nervously waiting the 5-10 minutes a er he’s taken a bite to make sure
his throat and tongue don’t start to swell and he’s not itchy anywhere. I drive my
son crazy asking “Do you feel normal?” every 30 seconds. If all goes well, once the
pressure is off I grab a beach towel to wipe my brow and write the product down on
my “safe list”. Phew…
Has It Been 10 Minutes Yet?

4. They Make Sure
You’re Included.

5. Image
courtesy
of
Pinterest
A food allergy mom will spend countless
hours baking cupcakes and goodies for
upcoming birthday parties their kids are
a ending. They’ll make sure that if there’s
a school function where food will be
served, their child isn’t le out of the fun.
Food allergy moms know that their
children probably already feel a bit alone
due to their allergies and no parent wants
to see their child excluded. Food allergy
moms don’t mind going the extra mile to
make sure their children are safe.
We Dig You Too,
Mr. Gosling

6. They Prepare You For
Whatever Life May
Throw Your Way.
Photo
credits:
www.picturesof.net,casstrelle.deviantart.com

7. Look, But Don’t
Touch.
That’s an oldie but a goodie. We all know
the usual safety tips we give to our kids.
Don’t talk to strangers, look both ways
before crossing the street, know your phone number in case of an emergency, etc.
For kids with food allergies, the danger is literally everywhere. Most places people
gather has food kicking around somewhere. I know I have drilled the basic rules into
my son’s head about his allergies.
§ Know what your allergies are
§ Know how to identify your allergies
§ Never touch anyone else’s food
§ Never let anyone else touch your food
§ If you feel funny a er eating, alert someone immediately
§ Etc., etc., etc. (If I listed all of them, we’d be here all day).
It may seem like a hassle now, but you’ll thank us later, kids!

8. They’ll Go To Bat For
You.
Whenever, Wherever.

9. You don’t want to mess with a food allergy mama, we’re feisty. Look, most of the
time we’re docile, calm and co-operative, ready to make the sacrifices necessary to
ensure the happiness of our children and sanity for ourselves. But make a snide
comment about our children’s allergies, or endanger them in any way and you will
see a wrath worthy of rivaling Richard Sherman’s post Superbowl interview.
Not A Good Look.
Photo
credit:
Parents
Magazine
(Aug
2012)

10. They Think About
Their Kids All The
Time…Seriously.

11. I Think We’ve Single-Handedly
Kept Tylenol® afloat.
Honestly, the brow furrowing and eye-twitching that ensues from years of worrying
about whether or not your food-allergic child made it through lunch and snack-time
alright, is enough to drive anyone to a migraine. I remember when my son was in
daycare, what seems like many moons ago, I would have an alarm set for when lunch-
time began and nervously await a phone call, hoping not to receive one. Paranoid, you
say? A li le. But a er seeing him in anaphylactic shock 3 times by that point, I
allowed myself some paranoid tendencies. A er I knew lunch-time was over, it was
like a weight was li ed from my shoulders, until the next day of course. Just thinking
about it now is making me…where’s that Tylenol® bo le again?

12. They’ll Be There Through
Thick And Thin

13. Our food-allergic kids are terrific. There is way more to them then just their food allergies,
we know that. They are our joy, our heart and we love them more than anything else on
earth. Which is why, while we love to have fun with them and see them grow and succeed
in life, we also have to deal with the tough times that inevitably come from dealing with
food allergies. The toughest of them all being anaphylaxis. For those of you reading this
that may be unfamiliar with the term, anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic
reaction. My li le dude has unfortunately experienced it 5 times in his almost 7 years.
While I hated doing it, I’ve stuck him with the epinephrine needle. While it was hard to
watch, I rode with him in the ambulance, held him down with they put IV’s in his arms, and
listened to him scream from being so scared. While it was difficult, I’ve waited the 12-24
hours holding him in my arms, waiting to be released from the ER.
Do I hope it never happens again? Always.
Would I hesitate to be there for him every time? Never.
Never Fear, Mom is Here!

14. You Rock Our Socks, Mom!
HappyMother’sDay.

15. So, Did We Do Mom Proud? Tell us!
As always, AllergyAble™ aims to help people with allergies live better lives,
at home, at work and at play!
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