Send us Fan Mail

When my daughter was seven months old, I gave her less than an eighth of a teaspoon of peanut butter mixed with breast milk because that’s what everything I read said to do. Within three minutes there was a blister on her lip and a rash creeping up her neck, and within the hour I was holding her down in an ER room while a team I’d never met gave her epinephrine.

In this episode I walk through that whole day: the pavlova I made that morning (yes, really), the car ride, the room full of doctors, the one sentence from a nurse I still haven’t been able to shake, and the allergist visit a week later that turned “peanut” into “peanut, egg, and wheat.” I also get into why her skin prick test and blood work told us two different stories.

Then I share what I wish someone had told me before that day: what anaphylaxis can actually look like (it’s not just hives), why you always carry two epinephrine devices, why Benadryl won’t stop a reaction, and how to store your EpiPens so they actually work.

Trigger warning: this episode talks about a child’s anaphylactic reaction in detail. Please protect your own peace and skip it if today isn’t the day.

I’m not a doctor and nothing here is medical advice. Anaphylaxis info and statistics are from foodallergy.org.

💬 Come hang out with us on Instagram: @allergyfamilylife — I share the day-to-day there, and my DMs are open if you want to tell me your story.

⭐ If this episode meant something to you, follow the show and leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s the #1 way other allergy parents find us, and I read every single one.

📲 Want an episode on something specific? Send me a text using the link above.

It’s Not for Us is not medical advice. Always talk with your allergist or doctor about your child’s care.