Too Much

I can't imagine. I must be very challenging. If I can help with recipes, please email me. There are tons of choices that he'll hopefully enjoy. Try not to get frustrated. -www.weelicious.com

Why don't you try the social services department maybe they can help to point you in the right direction. I don't know if he will be eligible for ssi, but keep trying to apply. Don't give up.

Contact your local regional center to see if they may be able to help or provide you with guidance on how to apply for SSI or Medicaid assistance. Here's the contact info for your local center:

Inland Regional Center
674 Brier Road
San Bernardino, CA 92408
###-###-####

Just as a side note, my understand is that if a daycare or preschool receives Federal or State funds, they must accomodate your son's needs. That may mean that you need to provide all of his "safe" foods, playdough and art supplies though.

Good luck to you and your son.

J.,

There are 3 asthmatics in our home - one that suffered in life-threatening issues.

Several months ago I came across something, by accident, while looking for a way to work from my home, that made a real difference for my kids.

The company is called Melaleuca and they create home products that do not have the ingredients in them that cause and exacerbate asthma, allergies, and even eczema (amongst countless other issues we hardly even think to connect to our lotions, soaps, shampoos, perfumes, cleaners, etc).

My sister who has eczema and has suffered for years with nothing helping decided to start shopping with them too, and she no longer has the eczema.

For our family, it has been life changing. Two of my asthmatics rarely even take medicine any more (no singulair for the last two allergy seasons), the laundry soap is very gentle on the skin, and we are just finding that there is help we didn't expect to ever find.

Melaleuca is a wholesale online store, so it's like Sam's or Costco in that it has a $29 fee to join, but it has been really helpful for us. We even had to move to a new climate to help one of my kids, and now things are so much better.

Praying for you and your little guy,
T. - ____@____.com

1) See if your insurance covers hiring a Social Worker & or a case manager.

(I always associated social workers with CPS, but one of my best girlfriends just completed her masters in social work...and the curriculum and requirements blew my mind. About half of their job is finding resources for their clients. Just like a psychologist, a social worker is hireable, and billable to medical insurance.)

A good social worker should not only be able to help you find childcare, $ for food and medicine, but other community resources that most people would have no idea of.

If your ins DOESN'T cover social workers...call them up anyway...and see if they can figure something out. "Hi, my name is etc etc, I really need to hire a social worker to help figure out etc etc etc my insurnce doesn't cover etc etc etc are there any resources out there that you know of that would assist me in being able to hire you, to help me with my son?" Put the ball in their court, and see how they handle it.

2) Look into the local hospitals for daycare. Another good friend of mine in seattle has her daughter go to the daycare at Virginia Mason...for precisely the same issues. She is SOOOOO allergic to so many things, that a) she needed to be medically supervised, and b)no other kind of preschool would take her.

3) Don't worry too much about school just yet. Think about it, perhaps call up your local elementary schools (public AND private...most private schools do scholarships), and find out how they deal with those issues. But don't future trip on it. You've still got 2-3 years. So breath. :) You're doing great. (We actually homeschool...and send our son out for a bunch of classes & sports for social interaction. A side effect of that is that he isn't around food...but home schooling is only one option amongst many...and they're all down the road. One problem at a time. Although it's easy to see how you're fear is leaping you there, you've got the time.)

daycare wise put him in one thats medical certified. give the place a list of all his allergies and even have him wear a special name tag so that he isnt confused with another child. also you can go as far as packing his own food for the day to further prevent an accident. you didnt list any medications hes on for the allergies and asthma. for my daughter whos 2 and has out door allergies and asthma we give her benadryl (1/2 tspn roughly every 4-6 hours) which i think we will switch to claritn though, and for her asthma shes on pulmicort (.25 durring the summer and .50 basically from fall to the end of spring and when shes sick via nebulizer) then when shes sick our coughing a lot she gets albuterol via nebulizer or rescue inhaler. does your son have an epi pin? getting one of those and having his inhalers at school will be fine and also at daycares. youll be able to put him in a school youll just have to pack his lunch and tell him that he cannot share food with others because some will make him very sick. by 2nd grade your son will learn what he can and cant eat. i know that this is a hard thing to deal with when your child has multiple food allergies. my little niece is allergic to milk eggs nuts and cats/dogs those 3 food ingrediants are in a lot of foods. you can also find allergy friendly foods online :) good luck mama your doing a great job!

His allergies are very common. I have many friends with children with the same allergies. I believe the teacher will have to have an epi pin to give him if he were to be around peanuts. I know that teachers will make everyone in the class aware of the allergies. I know it's overwhelming, but there is lots of information out there regarding the diet change and what will help. Lots and lots of moms are doing it, you can to. Check out support groups or mom groups that deal with the same kind of issues. You will definitely find ideas and support there. Hope this is somewhat helpful.

I am not sure were you are located but have you thought about applying for food stamps. It sounds like you may qualify. Foodstamps can help you buy food that he needs. also as for school have you looked at some charter schools. Some charter schools have rules as too what kids can bring to school and eat. some public do to like peanut free schools. I would look into hose schools. good luck I jhope you find a way to help your son.

Now I know food stamps are run by the state but if ssi keeps denying you food stamps can help you buy food that he can eat. also have you heard of WIC its a nutritional program for kids under 5. they give you checks that you can go and buy food and they deal with allergies all the time and are a great resource. They have nutritionist working there and may be able to help get you some help with food your son can eat

Check out NAET.com, this is an allergy eliminating treatment done my chiropractors. It works. I hope you can find it in your area.

J., I can't really respond to your request for help about ssi, disability, as I don't know anything about that. BUT I just want to say hang in there!! I have 2 kids with multiple food allergies. (as well as eczema and one has occasional asthma symptoms) They are now almost 6 and 9 and were diagnosed as babies, their allergies have gotten so much easier to control, I did find preschools that would take them and they both go to public school. I know it seems like the end of the world right now, but it really does get easier! You WILL be able to put him in school! You will just always have to be very diligent in communication with teachers/school nurse, etc. And you will always have to provide his own food. Please contact me if you have questions or need a supportive ear. Good luck with the ssi. Janet

I have had great success having my allergies cured, and so have my grandchildren. I am also a massage therapist by the way. I go to Dr. David Karaba in Fullerton at the East West Medical Group, in case you would like to do a free consultation with him to see if NAET is something you might be interested in pursuing. Just tell him M. sent you and he will talk with you for free.

Best wishes

M.

Sorry to say, but you absolutely won't qualify for ssi, or much else in the way of governmental help. That is for severe, debilitating conditions where the care for the child goes far and above what it takes to raise a child without disabilities.
But you do need to find a day care that is more sensitive to his needs. When he starts kindergarten you need to have a conference with the teacher, school nurse and administrators telling them what precautions to take. Write in the top of admission forms in bold ink "SEVERE FOOD ALLERGIES" Do this every new school year. Kids learn quickly and can also help take precautions. When my 2 year old is offered food, he knows to ask if it has "regular milk" in it. Good luck.

Dear J.,
I know it can be over-welling to have a child with so many allergies ..asthma and eczema. Fortunately you say you love cooking. You need to get a good cook book ...I have one for Gluten free cooking...The Gluten-Free Gourmet..none of the recipes use wheat, most don't use soy. You just have to eliminate beans, tomatoes, cinnamon,and corn from the diet. Eggs can be replaced with...guess what...egg replacer:) http://foodallergies.about.com/od/commonfoodallergies/qt/...
and dairy make with rice milk or just water or a juice may work in most recipes. It is a trial and error basis. I have done much with gluten free and if you want I will check my books for recipes which have none of your listed items for you. (emails me ____@____.com)

Also in baking xanthum gum which can be purchased at health food stores, helps hold things together.
The basic flour (Gluten free) is 6 cups rice/2 c. potato starch/1 c. tapioca and I usually it up and keep it in the refrigerator. It can be used in pancakes, waffles, muffins and most quick breads.

As far as school...I had to take my own lunch and by school age I knew that I couldn't have the cookies, snacks, cupcakes etc that the rest of the kids did. My mom supplied something special like candy I could eat for parties. He will understand by 1st grade...because he will not want to get sick.

Right now, I think you should try the public school that has preschool for various types of children...see if they can help you. Some daycares should be willing to take him...just have to find the right one. Where do you live...perhaps if you mention the area, people can suggest one..I will check out the one at our church and ask them...I know they have had autistic children and other special needs at various times. My niece is extremely allergic to peanuts, walnuts, pecans, etc...and it is life threatening too..have had her to an emergency room numerous times. They say the dairy allergy may be outgrown about 5 or 6, but meanwhile I assume the doctor has him on calcium supplement..

You will be in my prayers...
H.

PS. This looks like a good site for lists http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/stevecarper/marg... of dairy free margarines (Fleischmann's Light Margarine (sticks and tubs) "P" Sweet Unsalted Margarine (sticks and tubs) "P"
are suppose to be and they have that in my grocery store. Also has information on non-Dairy Milk substitutes...mostly creamers, but coolwhip is dairy free and you could use that on top of fruit and other items as a treat. I would have to experiment, but mixing crushed fruit such as strawberries, peaches, etc. and then freezing (stirring a few times as freezes) may work as ice cream if there are not dairy free ones:)

First of all, SSI and disability are for children with severe and pervasive developmental disabilities. Allergies and asthma do not fall under this category. If the medical care is an issue, you can apply for Healthy Families or Medical. Check your local school district to see if they have a state funded preschool program. You could also look into Headstart. If you want teachers more highly skilled at dealing with medical issues, look into your local school district for special ed infant programs. They often take typically developing children as reverse mainstreamers. Unlike most preschool teachers or daycare providers, the teachers have college degrees and teaching credentials.

I take my kids to a chiropractor that does clincial nutrition and she has been able to give us rememdies to rid the body of fungus, molds, etc so my son could eat peanuts again, or least not react, if she gets some.

I would find a good naturopath in your area and consider seeing a pediatric chiropractor...you'll be amazed.

I also see people who have vaccinated have far more allegies, so you might want to look that stuff up as well. Esepcially the egg and dairy/whey, since most vaccines are grown in an egg base, so then the body mounts an immune response against it.

You will not be able to get SSI. My son couldn't walk, and was denied. BUT, if you are in O County-call the regional center. At 3 they probably wont be able to do much for you, but, they should be able to refer you to some one. ALSO, CHOC has social workers that can help guide you to places that will help. My son is now pretty "normal" . For some reason, it all clicked in 2nd grade. there must me some maturity switch that gets turned on. But, by then you son should definitly be able to screen what goes into his mouth. Also, call your school district about preschools, my middle child has 2 super allergic kids in his class, and I never would have known, until they were in the hospital for their ecxema. (i never knew that required hospitalization). Their are resources, but, no $. ngood Luck w/ your search.

Hi - I am not sure what ssi is. I wonder if there is an accupuncturist/ chinese medicine dr that can help him? I know of a highly recommended one is Santa Monica. Let me know if you are interested and I will give you the info.

I hope your son's allergies get better as he gets older.

Take care,
L.

Good Morning J.,

I have terrible allergies myself. I just recently found NAET.com. NAET is a group of allergists who eliminate allergies. That is the best thing for your child, to eliminate the allergies. You can log onto NAET.com and find an allergist in your area. Also, Amazon.com has a book written by the dr who created NAET, Say Goodbye To Illness, by Dr. Devi Nambudripad.

If you have any questions about NAET you may contact me ____@____.com Well.

N.

If you want helping him with the allergies, I can send you a dvd that has helped many others. I wasn't sure if you were looking, or if you just wanted help with SSI. Let me know. God Bless!

J.

Hi J.,

I so feel for what you are going through in so many ways. First, my daughter had 21 major food allergies and it is hard, in the beginning especially, to adjust to the changes but it is very possible. Go to www.tacanow.org and check out the GF-CF Diet section listed at the top of pull down menus. LOTS of information there.

At the same website, you will find a huge resource of material and help for your son regarding Regional Centers, SSI, school requirements, etc.

For your son's ezcema, I represent a natural based skin care line that helped my daughter's eczema tremedeously and has helped so many other families, especially those with allergies to wheat (gluten), dairy (casein). It is Sensaria Natural Bodycare www.sensaria.com/J.
Once you figure out everything that your child is allergic to, remove it from their diet and enviornment, the eczema and the asthma should calm down and even may go away.

NAET is something that has been so helpful for so many people. It is a process, without the allergy shots (vaccines are probably what caused all of this for your son in the first place!) that helps someone reduce and even get rid of their allergans.

Also, please make sure YOU have done the research on vaccinations for YOUR child. The AAP recommended schedule of shots for children is too many, too soon. Here are sites and books that I always recommend for people to start their research:

Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders, by Dr. Kenneth Bock

www.909shot.com
www.tacanow.org
www.generationrescue.com

The Vaccine Book, by Dr. Robert Sears
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Childhood Vaccinations, by Dr. Stephanie Cave
Evidence of Harm, by David Kirby

YOu probably know this already, but for some children with these allergies, even just being near another person who has eaten/touched these things, it can bring about a reaction in your son. Or, if he breathes/smells the substance near him as well.
Always have your epi pen with you anywhere you go. And make sure that anyone who is caring for him, has one too.... in the car, in your purse, at home, grandparents home etc. But, these people would need to know how to administer it to him as well....

Does your Doctor(s) have any knowledge of resources that can help you? I imagine they would, since they must deal with these cases all the time....

Or if you can't find a daycare for him... could a Nanny that comes to your house work out? I don't know the cost of a Nanny, but comparing it to daycare costs... maybe it would just even out.

All the best to you,
Susan

My now 13 year old daughter has had the same issues as your son (minus the cinnamon, green beans and tomatoes) since she was 6 months old. She's been on asthma meds and we have had to carry an epi pen since then.

First thing I want to assure you of is that, even though allergies etc. can be a major pain to adjust to, your son can have a relatively normal childhood and school experience.

I was able to find a preschool that was willing to work with our family. Training videos and test epi pens are available for staff. I instilled in my daughter from the very beginning that she was only to eat what she brought from home. That solved 98% of food issues at school. Teachers know to let me know when there is a celebration (usually involving pizza and cake) so I can provide special foods for the day. Classmates soon adjust as well and know to be careful. It takes longer to find the right place that is willing to take on this challenge but you can do it!

She's been in small, charter schools for elementary and middle school and the entire staff knows about her allergies and asthma and have been very supportive. There won't be much your son can eat off the lunch menu so just get used to brown bag lunches for the rest of his childhood!!

I'd suggest making your son very aware of his food options. Focus on what he can have and the fact that though there are so many things that are off limits it's not tragic. There are many rice based products at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. We shy away from trying to recreate cakes / baked goods and stick to Rice Krispie Treats (with Nucoa margarine) and jello for special occasions. Rice, beans, meat, veggies and fruit can seem limited but most days, my daughter is satisfied!

I know it's hard but if you stay positive, your son will learn to make the best of what can be a challenging situation. I keep thinking that many kids outgrow their allergies when they hit puberty... something to look forward to!

Hang in there and good luck!!

The conditions you describe are not qualifying conditions for assistance from SSI, DDS, etc. Those depts. exist for assistance to families to keep children with developmental disabilites (ie, cognititve or intelligence disabilities) in the home, rather than having to be institutionalized, and will not help with a medical condition such as the one you describe. Unfortunately, medical insurance will do very little to help you either. But I do have information on how to get your school to take the dietary and other restrictions seriously. First of all, are you working with a Dr.? You need to get at Dr. (MD) to prescribe the dietary and environmenttal restrictions, if he has not already done so. If you are working with a nutritionist or someone else (like a homeopathic practitioner), they could write the letter, but a Dr. letter has more clout. So even if someone else has prescribed the restrictions, show it to your pediatrician and ask him to write a letter prescribling it too. If your prediatritian is not sympathetic, get a new one who is. You can outline the things that you need the letter to say for him, that will usually get them to write it quicker. For example, So and so is my patient since__________. This letter is to verify that he has the following conditions____________,
I have prescribed the following dietary restrictiosn_________, in additions he needs to avoid exposture to the following environmentatl substances at home and at school________________. Failure to follow these restrictions will likely result in the following health and behavior problems_________________. The Dr. will probably charge you for an office visit for this letter, or some have an official charge for letters. This letter must be attached to all enrollment papers. Public schools cannot deny your child access to programs because of such a health condition, they must accomodate it. Sinc youe child is three, ask fo have a free assessment to see if he qualifies for an IEP. If the allergies have affected his development to the extent that he has a 30% delay in any area (cognitive, language, social/emotional, gross motor, fine motor), he may qualify for a School District Special education preschool. These are usually half day, and four days a week, so you would still need daycare, but it's a start. In this case you must make sure the Dr. Letter is part of the IEP (Appentix A), or is one of the numbered pages of the IEP. Then, by law, the school has to respect it. Oh, IEP stands for Idividualized Education Program. The "qualifying condition" in your case would likely be "Other Health Impaired", since it is not someting like Autism, Cerebral Palsy, metal retardation, etc. But even if he does not qualifiy for an IEP, the school has to respect the limitations and accomodate them if there is a Dr. order. They ask for an allergy sheet with the enrollment papers each year, the Dr. Letter should be attached to that, and make sure that the list of restrictions is posted in the classroom so that teachers and aides that deal with him know about it. If this is helpful and you want more information, write to me privately. B.