Adventures of an Allergist Mommy

10 things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving: 1. Increasing awareness of allergies and asthma among family and friends. 2. Schools that recognize the importance of not using food as a reward in the classroom. 3. The availability of novel, high-quality allergy and asthma-friendly products and foods. 4. Laws that protect the public from the dangers of environmental tobacco smoke. 5. The availability of life-saving epinephrine in Illinois schools (and hopefully soon, schools throughout the nation!) 6. A robust community of asthma and allergy parents and physicians sharing their experiences via the magic of social media. 7. Treasured patients who have put their trust in my expertise and care. 8. A steadily growing medical practice which is the beneficiary of kind word-of-mouth referrals (scheduled my 100th patient this month!) 9. The flexibility to set my own schedule, which allows me to a more involved mother. 10. My awesome family (and inspiration)... Wishing you and you...

One of the things that helps me be a better allergist is that I know, first hand, what it feels like to experience anaphylaxis.  I am severely allergic to blueberries. Here's what happened when I experienced my first episode of anaphylaxis: Red, itchy palms. They felt hot and uncomfortable (as though they were being cooked from the inside out), and I found myself rubbing them against my thighs because they were so itchy. Painful abdominal cramping.  This pain made me feel like my innards were being wrung out like a wet dishrag, and was followed by a sneaking suspicion that if I elected to go the bathroom at that very moment, I might just evacuate the entire contents of my body in a single second. Incessant throat-clearing.  I felt like something was caught in my throat, but I just couldn't clear it. I was trying to be quiet, because I didn't want to bother anyone, but I couldn't stop. When I finally spoke up for help, my voice was hoarse. Involuntary cough...

My 6 year son old just got over a rite of passage - strep throat and scarlet fever. Unfortunately, before we could even celebrate his recovery, I noticed a swelling on the left side of his neck. It was red and tender, and it was GROWING. The pediatrician in me worried, "Damn. Lymphadenitis (infected lymph node)". No sooner had we finished one course of antibiotics than we were onto another, and the side effects were bad enough to keep him out of school for another three days. Why did my munchkin suffer so? My answer: Drug allergy. Group A streptococcal bacteria (the cause of strep throat and scarlet fever) is remarkably sensitive to penicillin. Penicillin is the first choice treatment for strep throat, and has been proven to reduce the risk of developing rheumatic fever, a post-infectious complication which can result in chronic heart disease. Problem is, my son is allergic to antibiotics in the penicillin family. At 11 months of age (8 days into his second ever co...

Halloween is just around the corner! I went to the grocery store to pick up candy, and was pleased to find that there are plenty of allergy-friendly options available, both in terms of candy and non-edible treats. Here's what I picked up: 1. Smarties. Link to their Allergen info:  http://www.smarties.com/allergen/ 2. Sweet Tarts. (Wonka candies labels its products for inclusion or possible cross-contamination of the 8 major allergens- check your bag to make sure it's safe) 3. Nerds. (Wonka candies labels its products for inclusion or possible cross-contamination of the 8 major allergens- check your bag to make sure it's safe.) 4. Pencils. Yay for Target! 5. Stickers. Again, yay for Target! 6. Halloween-themed silly bands. Did I mention that I love Target? I keep the candy and the non-edibles in separate bins, and let the kids/parents choose. This year, my practice is having a Halloween candy "Buy-Back". So, I'll include the following note by the d...

You're Invited to an Open House! I am thrilled to celebrate the opening of Kaneland Allergy & Asthma Center with an Open House event for my colleagues, patients and community members. We'll be giving tours of our kid-friendly new office, talking about the latest developments in allergy and immunology, sampling yummy allergy-friendly treats, accepting donations for a local Food Pantry and giving away prizes! (iPad, anyone?) If you have a friend or family member who could use a good allergist, this is a great time to "Meet the Doc" and get a feel for the practice before scheduling an appointment, so bring a buddy! Where: 66 Miller Drive North Aurora, IL 60542 When: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 6:00pm-8:00pm I'm lucky to share my office building with great neighbors, who will also be opening their offices to the public during this time with similar events. Here's your opportunity to meet all of the professionals at 66 Miller Drive in one evening: Ligh...

In a rush to get the kids' clothes clean yesterday, I dumped the laundry basket contents into the washer without taking the time to sort... HUMONGOUS mistake. After returning home late from a business trip, DH walked into the bedroom asking me about the "crystals" in the laundry. "Crystals?!?! What the heck is my crazy husband talking about?" I wondered to myself upon being woken from my slumber... Well, this morning, it became "crystal" clear exactly what had transpired. Son #2, upon being instructed to "Throw all those dirty clothes down the laundry chute", decided to include his Pull-Up in the mix. My washer and all the clothing therein was covered in pieces of super-absorbent polyacrylate gel. Most excellent. Thankfully, it turns out the AllergistMommy is not the only ridiculous parent to have committed this laundry crime. Laura, the Mellodramamma, has walked this road before me:  http://www.melodramamma.com/?p=60 Read her pos...

 Ah, back to school... kids get back into a routine, and mom gets her life back, right?  WRONG! For most moms, back to school is anything but relaxing. However, for some of us "chosen ones", it's even more tiring: Is this the time of year when you struggle to drag yourself out of bed, despite hitting the sack as soon as you put the kids down for the night? Is your focus during the day so scattered that it takes you 3 times longer than usual to accomplish even relatively simple tasks? And when it's finally time for bed again, are you shocked to see a face 10 years your senior staring back at you in the mirror, with dark circles and puffiness? Many tired moms attribute these seasonal symptoms to the stresses associated with "Back to School".  However, if you're an allergy-mom like me, remember: your kids got those allergy genes somewhere, and you probably had a little something to do with it! As parents of kids with allergies and asthma, we are often...