Allergies suck
 

I am usually just go with the flow. I have always been able to "fix" stuff that comes up with allergies, but dd just asked to go to the circus. One of her friends went and she wants to go. I then I had to explain to her why she probably will never be able to go to the circus because of the peanuts and its too dangerous for her. She was so sad. I told her she could go to the zoo, but she said the animals don't do tricks. Some circuses do peanut free shows but not any that come around here. This is the first time I have not been able to "fix" it. Usually I can do something she she is not left out and gets to eat and do whatever she wants but i can't fix this one and it sucks.

I just want to wallow a little in self pity. I don't want to hear about how cruel the circus is or how they should be illegal. It is 2 very different things to choose not to go to a circus because of ethical reasons and for it not to be an option because it could kill you.

Re: Allergies suck
 

Allergies do suck. Sorry :hugs:

Re: Allergies suck
 

I'm right there with you, sister. My dd is almost 7, and she has never been able to eat a piece of regular cake or pizza at a birthday party. She's never been able to eat out a restaurant. She recently cried all the way home from her sports team's holiday party, because, the way it was set up, it was not safe for her to participate in the dinner at all.

Some days I think about what a brave, responsible, and empathetic little girl she is because of her allergies, but some days it just SUCKS.

Re: Allergies suck
 

Yeah. Anything that has come up we have been able to work around so far. Sometimes we don't figure it out until after but she always knows that we will do something instead. She has cupcakes in the freezer for parties and i always bring safe versions of whatever they have at parties- we've been lucky that most have been at homes rather than food places. Food parties at school last year the teacher would wait until an hour before pick up time to have the food. She would get to participate in all the games and stuff and then I pick her up and get her something special to eat. I have always made safe substitutes. This year I am there for all food events and responsible for at least half the food. She has a friend that wants her to come over but her mom is concerned about dd's safety so said no. no biggie the friend can come over here. We've skipped partied but went to the children's museum instead. This is the first time I can't do anything about it. She want to see the animals do tricks- thats what she told me when i said we can go to the zoo instead. the zoo animals don't do tricks. So I told her we'd go to sea world. I might try and find a circus dvd and see if that makes her happy.

Re: Allergies suck
 

What about something like Cirque de Soleil? I know it's not exactly the same thing--no animals doing tricks--but it IS a genuine circus and it is also supercool.

Re: Allergies suck
 

I feel your pain completely. DS1 has so many food allergies it's ridiculous

Re: Allergies suck
 

That is a good idea. I love the show we went to. I think she would love it. I'll have to see when the next one comes close.

I agree. Allergies can be so hard and frustrating.

Fwiw, we went to the circus last year and I didn't even know they sold peanuts. I don't remember seeing any if they do.

Is she not able to breathe the scent in?? If she xan I would take bleach wipes & wipe her seat/surrounding area. You may even call- I know some baseball stadiums ect offer peanut free zones. Ds2 Is allergic to eggs, milk (worst), soy, peanuts, treenuts & shellfish. Even though he will break out in hives if he touches milk I do let him play at BK playplaces. He's only had 1 reaction. If I limited him out of concern he would never go anywhere. :/ I take both his Epi pens & benedryl & be as prepared as I can. I've only used benedryl for hives a few times.

Re: Allergies suck
 

Its not about breathing the scent. Its about inhaling the dust. Because they are in shell peanuts that will be cracked open (and according to Ringling Brother often thrown on the floor and sometimes thrown, they will not help) there will be dust everywhere. She is a mouth breather so she could end up with peanut particles in her mouth. She would not keep a mask in place. She is contact reactive. We don't know if she would react to inhaled (through nose rather than mouth) dust or not. She is a class 6 and its not something we will risk or experiment with. Our doc also recommends not exposing her to dust. Her one and only exposure and reaction is suspected from contact. Her dcp didn't know what happened but swears she wasn't fed anything that wasn't in the lunch we provided. Other children were eating peanut stuff. As far as we know she did not have oral symptoms (she was too young to verbalize), good thing because her doc said she probably wouldn't have made it with the level reaction she did have. Her whole face was swollen to the point that her features were not recognizable. Her eyes were swollen shut and the rest of face looked like a marshmallow. We have practiced strict avoidance since. We don't go places with peanuts so we don't have to worry about it. The only other exposure she has had has been through scratch testing (an new test to check for other allergies, 2 years after her 1st). She ended up with hives and a rash that lasted 2 weeks with benedryl.