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.

Send us Fan Mail

The first Halloween after my daughter’s reaction, I hated the holiday. Like, really hated it. Allergens everywhere, candy companies, and a future where I pictured her always being the kid on the outside looking in.

Four years later, it’s a different story. In this episode I walk through every Halloween we’ve had since: pre-loading neighbors’ candy bowls with fruit leather, awkwardly cutting in front of my daughter at doorsteps to explain her allergies to strangers, a Stormtrooper who was a little too much, the $10 princess sticker book that saved the night, and finally this year a Winnie the Pooh family costume, zero allergy speeches, and a girl dancing around in glow-in-the-dark glasses who never once asked about the candy.

I also talk about the Teal Pumpkin Project (I’m still looking for my first one, if you want to be that house next year), our take on the Switch Witch, and why I’m not in a hurry to hand out dyes and corn syrup even if her allergies are someday gone.

Heads up: my husband and I don’t fully agree on this one, and you might not either. That’s okay. These are just our choices, feel free to take what helps and leave the rest.

💬 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.