PEANUT ALLERGY TREATMENT - INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM with WORLDWIDE INTEREST

Peanut allergies and food allergies are an International concern. They know no borders. 
It's one world  where the effects of living with food allergies cross all boundaries. 
Food allergic individuals and parents of food allergic kids worldwide are desperately seeking help for their children or themselves. 
For more information read my post "Peanut and Food Allergies". 


Since launching my blog last year I have been surprised by the International composition of my audience and their ability to find to my rather obscure blog.
As of today this blog has received visitors from over 67 countries which are listed at the end of this post.
The international scope of interest in peanut allergy and food allergy problems is evidenced by the diverse audience that has read this blog. 

Although I have not fully kept track of every visitor's country,the geographic dispersion of the audience is fascinating.

The audience is from 6 Continents and such diverse cultures as Greenland, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Nepal, Nigeria, New Zealand and Qatar. It is an intriguing list.

Thus far the majority of my posts have been about the dreaded peanut allergy. 
Why?  The answer is simple. 
My son Alexander is undergoing treatment for his life-threatening allergy to peanuts.
The new treatment is cutting-edge and very successful thus far. 
Currently Alexander is in the "maintenance phase" of treatment. He is officially "desensitized" to peanuts. 
Alexander ingests 8 peanuts per day (unless he forgets- scary but true). Thus far there are been no reactions or complications. 
Explore my blog to read the entire story. 
It is truly an amazing experience to see my son eat peanuts. Due to the life-threatening nature of his allergy we are used to altering our lives to strictly avoid peanuts. 
Stories abound about the lifestyle changes that must occur in order to survive life with a dangerous food allergy.

So I write this blog to help others with peanut and food allergies and to spread the good news that real treatment is finally available for Peanut, Milk, Egg and Wheat allergies. Click here for more information. 

Yes, access to treatment is currently limited unless people have the determination, time and resources to travel to the few places offering a treatment program or clinical trial. 

Research is ongoing and there are new treatments on the horizon for peanut allergies. Subscribe my email to be notified of future posts.

67 Countries - as of 10/24/11
United States  
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Greenland   (57,564 pop.)
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Japan
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania  (newest country on the list)
Malaysia
Mexico
Moldova 
Mozambique
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Quatar
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Ukraine
Uruguay
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Vietnam


TOP 10 COUNTRIES- (in order of highest number of page views) are:
United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Romania, India, Phillippines, Germany, New Zealand and France

Life Threatening Food Allergies-This video could save a life. Carry an EPIPEN

So many people do not take food allergies seriously. Although food labeling laws in the U.S. have improved accidental exposure and ingestion of life-threatening foods is common.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers 
to list the 8 most common ingredients that trigger food allergies. Most other developed countries have similar rules.
The 8 foods, listed below, account for 90% of allergic reactions.
Milk
Eggs
Peanuts
Tree Nuts such as almonds,cashews,pecans, walnuts)
Fish
Shellfish (especially crustaceans)
Soy
Wheat


The deadliest food allergy is to PEANUTS. It is the most common cause of anaphylaxis death in the United States. 
(see my list Where is the Peanut Hiding)


What is anaphylaxis?

According to Web MD anaphylaxis refers to a rapidly developing and serious allergic reactions that affects a number of different areas of the body at one time.

It can occur after eating only a tiny amount of an allergic food.

The reaction could start with itchy gums or tingling lips, watery eyes, zoning out, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, hives or it can be delayed, slower with the person experience the feeling of "impending doom". (not sure how to describe this one).

In the future I will write a more extensive post on experiencing anaphylaxis.

Severe anaphylactic reactions can be fatal.

Those who have a severe peanut allergy are at risk of having a life-threatening reaction and should strictly avoid peanuts and carry an EpiPen epinephrine auto injector at all times according to multiple web sources as well as allergists. 
My teenage son is allergic to peanuts. Our family policy is to carry 2 EpiPen's. 
Those are the instructions for my son to adhere to although he loathes carrying an EpiPen and has forgotten to carry one more often than I can remember.
Why carry 2?
You may need a 2nd dose,often after 20 minutes or less. (Video link @ end of post)

Thank goodness there is hope for those with Peanut, Milk, Egg and Wheat allergies.

A new TREATMENT is now available. 
My son, Alexander is currently being treated successfully. 
As of the date of this post he is EATING 12 Peanut Per Day. This is his dosing amount as part of his peanut allergy Treatment Program.


So many precious children and adults have died from a severe allergic reaction to food. It breaks my heart. That is why I am writing this blog. 
I want to get the word out about this new treatment program to everyone, along with all this other food allergy information I can post.

Please send a link to our blog Just A Little Peanut. Pass along to as many people as you can think of 

because 

you don't know who your friends may know with life-threatening food allergies. Think outside the box. The information is useful to people worldwide.
I know of one family planning to move from India to Dallas so their daughter can be treated for her peanut allergy.

Alexander's story and Treatment program is detailed in my blog. 
Click here to go to my Home page where you can perform a search using the word Alexander or click on the titles below for a few of the posts.
Countdown to the BIg Day , Treatment Day 1, Peanut Allergy Treatment #3 and #4, Countdown to 1 Whole Peanut,  Dose Delayed, Allergic Teen EATS a PEANUT 

Remember you could save a life. Please pass this post via FB, Twitter
Too many people have died due to food allergy to peanuts, tree nuts and other life-threatening food allergies. 


Click here to watch a VIDEO on HOW TO USE AN EPIPEN .


Sources- Mayo Clinic , EpiPen, AllergicChild

Are FOOD ALLERGIES CONSIDERED DISABILITIES under the American's with Disabilities Act

Are food allergies considered "disabilities" by law under the American's With Disabilities Act? (ADA).
YES.
The following is the current text of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), including changes made by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-325), which became effective on January 1, 2009.  

Sec. 12102. Definition of disability

As used in this chapter:

(1) Disability

The term "disability" means, with respect to an individual;

(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual

(B) a record of such an impairment; or

(C) being regarded as having such an impairment (as described in paragraph (3)

To learn more about the ADA, click here to visit the ADA website. To read the current version of the ADA click here.  Note- it is very long and detailed.


Here is an excerpt from an article published by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) that addresses this important question.
"a person with a disability is described as someone who has a physical or mental   impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, or is regarded as having such impairments. 
Breathing, eating, working and going to school are "major life activities." Asthma and allergies are still considered disabilities under the ADA, even if symptoms are controlled by medication."

Click here to read the AAFA article which was updated in 1995.

To read more about Treatment for Peanut, Milk, Egg and Wheat allergies click here 
for my posts on Just A Little Peanut- food allergy blog. 

Peanuts to CURE Peanut Allergy

CBS News reports on a research and clinical trial conducted at Duke University Medical Center using peanuts to "cure" peanut allergies according to the CBS interview.
subtitled- "Patients with Sometimes-Deadly Allergy Consume Tiny Amounts of Peanuts Daily to Build Up Immunity in Pioneering Studies."

Our son Alexander just began Oral Immunotherapy TREATMENT for his life-threatening peanut allergy.  This is a full treatment program not a study or clinical trial.

Its a 3 year long Treatment program offered by Dallas Allergy and Immunology.
The initial desensitization phase can take 6 to 12 months depending on the patient
followed by a maintenance phase of 2 years.

I am documenting our entire treatment process on this blog.


The Duke study shown in this video used Oral Immunotherapy also.


After participating in the Duke study the 11 year old boy in the video is no longer deathly allergic to peanuts.
He eats a handful Peanut M&Ms as his daily "medicine"


Per this CBS interview the doctor stated "We don't know that long-term it really will make it (the peanut allergy) go away: and that is where the studies are concentrating now."


Watch the CBS NEWS VIDEO by clicking here 

Peanut De-sensitization Program- watch this video interview

The day is fast approaching that we will begin a new food allergy de-sensitizing treatment.
The treatment is for patients with life-threatening food allergies, specifically peanut allergy, wheat allergy, egg allergy and milk allergy.
Learn a little more by watching the new interview below with Dr. Wasserman of Dallas Allergy Immunology.
VIDEO on the Treatment we will begin Nov 18

PEANUT ALLERGY SCARE C'mon Man! What are the chances of this happening.

Well now its time to tell a few stories about our "scares" in food allergy land.  On Halloween this year we travelled out of town for the day.  Our only choice was to fly Southwest Airlines due to the time we had to arrive at our destination for an event.  This is always a scary choice as SW Airlines serves peanuts on all its flights.  Thankfully they do allow you to let them know if someone traveling has a Peanut Allergy.  We appreciate this fact. I made all the necessary arrangements ahead of time and again at the gate.  They designated the flight a "non-peanut" flight and serve pretzels instead. (Of course they cannot control the food brought aboard.)


We carry wipes aboard and my son wipes down the seat, seat belt, tray, armrests etc.
We settle in. All went well with our outbound flight. The first flight of they day usually results in a clean plane, so all went well.


The return flight- same bat channel- all the precautions.  Of course the plane has ferried passengers to their destinations all day full of peanut munchers  (note- I actually love peanuts myself so no offense meant to my fellow peanut lovers).  Needless to say the plane is not clean nor any effort made to clean up the peanuts.  Yes when we chose to fly on SW we expected this might be the case.  Yes this is a  little nerve wracking.  


Alexander takes it in stride but he must be a little fearful.
I don't think the prospect of a peanut emergency in mid-air with an Epipen that only lasts 20 minutes (and a 2nd Epipen a few more minutes) and thus  the possible scenarios have dawned on him. (is this a run-on sentence?)


We take off.  Usually and wisely a SW flight attendant announces that there is a "peanut allergy aboard" but this time they did not.  Sure enough about 30 minutes into the flight the lady next to Alexander pulls out her snack. I wish I had a pictures.
It was a GALLON SIZE BAGGIE full of every kind of peanut imaginable. I've never seen such a thing.  A gallon baggie full of peanut M&M's, spanish peanuts, salted peanuts, dry roasted peanuts.  You get the idea. YIKES!


I thought "what are the chances?".  The chances of the only person in the universe with a gallon size baggie full of peanuts plopping down right next to a kid with a peanut allergy 
(not to mention the "mid-air" part.)
"C'mon man!"


Alexander did not say a word.  When I noticed this baggie I whispered to Alexander that he needed to tell her he had a peanut allergy etc.  He say "no" and I thought "are you crazy".
Not able to convince him, I waited to see if she was going to eat some of her "snack".
A little while later she started to open the bag.  It was open maybe 1/2 inch and the strongest peanut "aroma" I had ever encountered wafted through our aisle.
I had to let her know my son had a peanut allergy. I was nice and respectful and she was nice. She immediately put away her peanuts. (Thank you whoever you are). Near disaster avoided. God answered my prayers for protection.  


"What are the chances".  Tell us your "C'mon man story"


Share your food allergies stories. Email your stories to me at salt.light.truth@gmail.com and
I will post them on the blog.
I know some stories might not turn as well as the story above but I am sure they will help others.  
After all there is a world out there waiting for help or encouragement.

Where to begin?

Where to begin?  This is my first post and my first blog.  Until a few months ago I knew literally nothing about blogs.  My friend Kay Wyma told me she wrote a blog called The MOAT. I loved it. I then realized that I had in fact visited a few blogs while searching for recipes.

All that said, I decided to write this blog Just A Little Peanut as my feeble but heartfelt effort to help others with food allergies.
My teenage son Alexander has a life-threatening peanut allergy.  He is 15 years old.
We are embarking on a "peanut adventure" of sorts as we begin a new Treatment program using oral immunotherapy to de-sensitize my son to peanuts.
He is "off the blood chart" allergic to peanuts. 

This food allergy treatment program is also available for Milk, Egg and Wheat allergic patients. It is only offered in a few places in the U.S.
This is not a clinical trial but a full fledged treatment program!
Alexander will be treated at Dallas Allergy Immunology.
(more details will be provided in later posts as we proceed with treatment).

So join us on our journey.  This new de-sensitizing treatment program just may be the "miracle" breakthrough all of us with a peanut allergy or peanut allergic child have been praying for....