But how do they feel?

In our continued struggle to keep our sons safe, we are often called overprotective by others that do not have to deal with anything like this.

Most people will think of an allergic reaction as getting itchy hives or a runny nose and sneezing – not a drastic drop in blood pressure like Liam’s reaction. There have been times when we’ve stayed up most of the night to wake Liam up every 15 minutes or so to make sure that he’s responsive (Liam tends to react multiple times after the initial attack). Thankfully there’s been no need to use the epi-pens that he carries with him anytime that he’s out of the house (although he did jab one into his leg accidentally once while playing).

Sometimes in all of our efforts to keep our children safe, we can lose ourselves. We think that we are making things better for them while giving quick answers to questions like, “Why can’t I sleep over at John’s house?” or “Can I go to Greg’s house for supper?” Hopefully you’ve talked honestly and openly with your child about their allergy and not tried to protect them from that too.

One thing that we found to help keep our focus in this came from AllergyMoms.com – 10 Things Children with Food Allergies Want You to Know. It’s humbling the first few times through.

To what lengths have you gone to keep your child safe? Have you lost sight of how they feel about their allergy?