Seven Children - Nineteen Food Allergies

Another day, another food allergy. This is my life, complete with eight epi-pens. I live in fear of bringing new foods into the house because I never know if one of my children is going to have an allergic reaction to something. I never thought that I would be walking through the grocery store looking for food to feed my family that won't kill someone or land someone in the hospital.

Often people have asked me "How do you do it?" The simple answer is all allergens are banned from the house. My seven year old not only has food allergies but he is also autistic. That adds an element all itself. If there is a food in the house that has a known allergen in it, there is a good chance it will get strung through the house. Worse yet, it will be one of his allergens and he will eat it. Dealing with a seven year old autistic boy who is having an allergic reaction is the stuff nightmares are made out of. I would rather wrestle crocodiles. The children have adjusted well to a limited diet. They can either do without something they like to eat or they can sit in the waiting room at the emergency room for up to six hours. Experience has taught them that one, sitting in the hospital waiting is no fun and two, watching one of your siblings almost die from anaphylaxis is scary.