Peanut Oil in Potato Chips

Some of the most well known makers of potato chips use peanut oil in their cooking / manufacturing process. This makes for yet another potential disaster for anyone who has a peanut allergy. Our family has been to parties (I'm specifically thinking of a wedding reception) where bowls of potato chips and pretzels sit on the tables, allowing you to devour them prior to the main meal. Considering we don't know the ingredients of the potato chips, we never know if Christopher can have them or if we should even touch them. We do our best by inquiring about the ingredients in the potato chips and making decisions based on the outcome. But if there is ever any doubt, we always ere on the side of caution.

Why do Reese's peanut butter cups have to taste so good?

When I was growing up, I used to love peanut butter... especially in the form of Reese's peanut butter cups. I had my own special way of eating them. I would basically eat around the edges first and then pop the rest in my mouth. Since Christopher's peanut allergy entered our lives, I haven't eaten as many peanut butter cups. We definitely do not keep any peanut butter in our house. Occasionally, during a business trip or on a weekend trip with my wife, I will indulge in a peanut butter cup. Also, during the "candy" holidays of Easter and Halloween, I make the "sacrifice" of eating any peanut butter candy in order to protect Christopher. While I can easily give up peanut butter cups alltogether for Christopher, I still ask myself "Why did they have to make Reese's peanut butter cups taste so good?" Who knows, maybe Reese's will make a peanut substitute cup someday for those who have a peanut allergy.

Sunflower Kernels could be a great alternative

One of the alternatives to peanuts that we have discovered are sunflower kernels. We, being the health-conscious individuals that we are, always get the salted kind. Truth be told, sunflower kernels not only taste good, but they're good for you. Christopher loves them. It almost seems to give him the feeling that he can eat a snack like salted peanuts, even though they're not. He likes them in his salad, as well as just right out of his hand. As a reminder, please, always check the allergy information on the label. Some companies that produce the sunflower kernels may also produce peanuts...please read the label for allergy information. All this talk about sunflower kernels is making me hungry... I'm gonna go grab some sunflower kernels.

Take me out to the Ballgame... Maybe

One of the songs that Christopher loved to sing this past Summer was "Take Me Out To The Ball Game". Because of his peanut allergy, we tend to replace some of the words in the line that refers to "peanuts and cracker jacks" with snacks that he can eat, and yet still keep the rhyme. When going to a ballgame this year, we were confronted with the oversight of peanut shells. Of course... one of the biggest food associations with baseball, besides hotdogs, is salted peanuts. I loved going to a game with my Dad when I was young and eating peanuts in the shell. The best part was that it was somewhat acceptable to litter by placing your empty peanut shells on the stadium floor. Now that I have a child with a peanut allergy, those memories take on a different feeling. Fortunately, Christopher had no reaction to being near the peanut shells; we tried to keep him as far away from any empty shells. We had a fun time at the game, but sometimes I found myself distracted, looking for peanut shells. I know in my heart that someday, Christopher will be able to go to a baseball game with his son (or daughter) and share some peanuts and hotdogs, and just have a great time watching the game instead of looking for empty peanut shells.

XOLAIR - prescription medicine for peanut allergy?

Some of the beginning clinical trials which I referenced in my last post ("Other Clinical Trial sites") are studying whether an existing prescription medicine for asthma-related allergies could also be effective in the treatment of the "dreaded" peanut allergy. The name of the prescription medicine mentioned for the trials is XOLAIR. From checking out the XOLAIR web site, the medication appears to be an effective solution for Allergic Asthma. I'm assuming the trial is hoping to utilize the medication to prove that it is as effective in battling peanut allergies as it does allergic asthma. My preference for Christopher is to pursue the "cure" which involves building up a tolerance for peanuts through the consumption of minute amounts of peanut flour... the desensitization program. Why can't this process move forward quicker? Maybe I'm just impatient.

XOLAIR FAQ link

Other Clinical Trial sites

As I continue to search for clinical trials involving the "dreaded" peanut allergy, I continue to become more hopeful. I found a web site called CenterWatch which provides incredible information on clinical trials being performed. Considering we live in the Midwest, I'm hoping to find something close to home. For Christopher, I will fly / drive to Duke University or Arkansas if necessary though... but it'd be nicer if the location of the clinical trial was a little closer to home. The CenterWatch lists clinical trials by state which is nice.The next step is coming up soon... I can feel it. The time when we begin to "sign-up" for a clinical trial.

CenterWatch link including clinical trials by state

Connection between Vaccinations and Peanut Allergy?

With all the talk of H1N1 a.k.a. "Swine Flu" and the race to create a vaccine for the dreaded virus, do you sometimes wonder what these vaccines may be doing to our bodies? Does the benefit outweigh the potential side-effects? These are personal questions that we each have to decide for ourselves. You are probably wondering, "What does this have to do with 'Peanut Allergy'?" I found an article that proposes a connection between vaccinations that we receive to save our lives and allergies that it may be potentially creating in us. Whether you agree with the article or not, I find it to be an interesting reading.

Vaccination and Peanut Allergy article