Shaking my fist to the heavens tonight

busywend

Well-Known Member
TM, I am truly sorry that you have to have this worry on top of the multitude of worries life deals us already. It is scary. The best you can do is be informed and keep Duckie informed. She will always be there when something it headed into her mouth so she has to know what questions to ask.

HUGS!
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
I'm working on it with her. I guess if she were a little older or not a difficult child I might not feel so panicked. You just can't count on what a difficult child will do. :(
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
TM. One good thing is that the epi-pens are really easy to use (just point and press) compared to the actual syringes I used to (and still should) carry.

I know Duckie is still young, but she needs to be brought into her "care circle" as soon as you can.

There is just no way to completely protect her short of having her live in a bubble, and that just isn't good, even though it is scary and that is what you really want to do.

The allergies are just a bear. husband was allergic to PINE NUTS of all things and nearly died in Turkey when a local family invited him to share in pastries and tea. He was very lucky that his unit had medics on site and they were able to treat him on the spot.

husband had uticaria from childhood as well as allergic asthma so he hit the "usual" pattern on that.

At least with pine nuts you can avoid the buggers and you can subsitute other nuts for them in pastries and pesto. (nearly as tasty and a lot cheaper).

I am not an expert on shellfish allergies in this day as relates to medical dyes. I was told by my allergist to avoid the iodine-based medical dyes, but they have gone over to technicium and other dyes for a lot of stuff.

Medical personnel still need to know about the allergy, though. I do know that several years ago I was unable to have either a kidney (IVP) or a spinal cord (myelogram) test done due to the allergy.

However, CAT scans, which used to use iodine no longer do, and I have had those without problems.

There was some belief "back them" that shellfish/iodine allergies were "familial" but given that neither of my parents had ever eaten shellfish in their lives, I don't have any kind of history to follow up on (unlike AS and Bipolar...which both sides of my family are riddled with)

I do have an older cousin who is allergic to ANY kind of fish, be it shell-fish or fin-fish, freshwater or saltwater, but she just gets a rash and the runs. No hives or wheezing or swelling.

I'm glad I don't have that as well I don't miss eating shellfish, I'd sure hate to give up the fin-fish I love so much.
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
Thanks, GN. One thing I have to do (IF the result comes back positive) is get her a medic alert bracelet. The doctor didn't feel it was necessary before this because we didn't know what caused the last big reaction. It would be needed with this allergy.
 

graceupongrace

New Member
TM,

You might also want to put an index card with the allergy info in a pocket of her backpack. And I'm sure you already know this, but you should update the medical forms for school, Brownies, cheer, etc. I don't always remember to do that with a medication/dosage change, but I know I should.

(((Hugs.)))
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
TM, ironically. I do wear a medic-alert bracelet. I broke out from the basic cheapy model due to some sort of metal allergy (I am assuming nickel). I had to order a gold-plated one, LoL.

You can get both bracelets and necklaces for this and they come with a wallet card as well. The wallet card should have a copy filed with the school nurse or whatever the modern equivalent is (I understand that not all schools have nurses these days)

The one I wear looks like the old fashioned ID bracelets that girls used to wear with their "steady's" name on it, either with a rectangular or an oval medallion.

Mine's held up for a few years now, but they do get cruddy looking as the plating wears off.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
TM,
There are some great sites for medical bracelets if you need them. I just ordered a new one. Let me know if you need any of the web sites.
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
Thanks GN & Sharon. I was thinking of ordering a few different ones: a sport band, something dressy and a classic looking one. This way it won't look so out of place.
 

gottaloveem

Active Member
Thanks SW. I'm worried about what I can't control: cross-contamination at restaurants, accidental exposure at school or a friend's house. It's scary to think that a lack of vigilance could lead to a slip-up and possibly death. She's only eight and forgets everything... she left her Epipen & inhaler at a friend's house tonight. :(

I have a severe allergy to shellfish that came about two years ago. My first reaction was an anaphylactic one and I have been back to the ER twice after that for cross contamination.

Two types of food I finally gave up after these second and third more mild reactions are:
fried foods- often times if not always, restaurants will cook fries and other fried foods in the same oil as fried shrimp
Chinese food- the wok is often not cleaned properly in between shellfish dishes and others.

I haven't had a reaction in awhile since I gave up those two types of foods.

I don't think most kids bring shellfish to school so I wouldn't worry too much about contamination at school.

If you always pack her lunch and you remind her not to eat others peoples food, she should be ok. I do understand your worry though, she is young to just say no to french fries.

Lia
 

rejectedmom

New Member
TM, I too have a shellfish allergy and carry an epipen at all times. I also have a medical alert necklace and a card in my wallet. My allergy built up over time I used to swell up around the mid section and my feet. My Dr. wanted me to cut out all shellfish but I didn't until one TG a few years ago my daughter's mother in law made oyster stuffing and insisted I try some. One tiny bite and I couldn't breathe. Luckly my daughter had an epipen for her cold allergy. Needless to say I no longer eat anything that might have even so much as touched shellfish and I always ask when I go to a resturant. The staff is not always nice in which case I leave. Gotta's got a good game plan with the fried food too.

Also I have since developed allergies to Betadine and other topical iodine remedies. You may want to avoid them. I had hives for two weeks untill I sluffed all the affected skin after my elbow surgery.

This will be OK. Duckie may even outgrow it though I do not recommend experimenting. -RM
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
Shellfish allergy and iodine allergy are often one and the same. That is why the warning about IV dyes. Some of them use a type of iodine.

Many states no longer allow the cooking of any kind of fish in with non-fish items due to the allergy issues.

IL and WI no longer allow it, but you still need to be very careful at "hole in the wall" sort of places where everything winds up in the same utensil.

I have also reacted to both dyes and topical iodine products. Anaphylactic shock in the former case and hives and skin sloughing in the latter.

For the same sorts of uses you would use iodine soap or scrub with, you can get chlorhexidine products over the counter that serve the same purposes.
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
Gotta- Duckie will be so sad to give up Chinese food. :( And she's already sad that she may have to give up shrimp, mussels, clams & lobster. I think she'll be okay with french fries & other fried foods once she understands that she just won't have them at a particular restaurant.

RM- I'll ask the doctor about betadine & iodine when we get her results. I'll have to add it to her chart and notify the medic alert people.

GN- Hopefully, this is all academic and I won't have to worry about future medical test and scrubs, etc. I'll have to check with our church organizer about our fish fries to see where they cook the shrimp.
 

gottaloveem

Active Member
My allergist told me that mussels, clams and scallops are considered mollusks and not shellfish and OK for me to eat. I don't care for mussels, clams, or oysters, but I do love scallops and had them once since I came down with this allergy with no problems. I want to try them again but am kinda afraid to try again.

Lia
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
She'll be tested for shrimp, lobster, clam, crab, oyster, mussels, cod, haddock, tuna & salmon. The doctor is only checking the finned fish because she's such an atypical kid and he would rather be on safe side.
 
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