If you are living with food allergies, please proceed with caution as the story is a raw description of an allergic reaction to treenuts.

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We all have a story to tell. Tonight people travelling from Ottawa to Tampa on West Jet 1274 might notice that there is a child aboard. He will be the rambunctious seven-year old who is trying to push his way past the crowd that are also eager to board, likely in Section 1.

Unless they are looking closely they will miss that he is carrying an EpiPen about his waist. And, unless they are reading this blog post – and the chances are highly slim – they will certainly miss that they are travelling with a remarkable boy who survived a near-death experience, after ingesting a single pistachio. It happened when Paul was just three years old. The ambulance crew told us later that they thought they were going to lose him.

It’s a story that has completely altered our outlook as a family. And, my husband and I are determined that our son won’t miss out because of his food allergies.

Through this experience, I learned that death is not always like it is shown in Hollywood where an entire 2-hour movie might be about the slow, and inevitable death of a frail old lady, or a person dying of cancer. In some cases, death can be quick. Had I given him the EpiPen immediately, he may have responded more quickly. But, because I delayed administering epinephrine it could have very well cost him his life.

My son’s food allergies are serious enough that he can die in as little as five minutes without medical intervention. The photo I provided above was taken during his first, and only experience with anaphylaxis. Before he reached the hospital, both eyes had closed and he was losing consciousness.

What this means for our family is that we have to be hyper vigilant about what my son eats, and how it is manufactured. I’m usually the one who reads all the labels, and plans what we eat.

Managing what my son eats is a huge responsibility.  Food allergies do limit what he can eat, but they don’t have to limit his opportunities.

Tonight, I’m terribly proud to be married to someone who acts on his word – someone who is taking our son to Tampa to visit our boat for a week, despite the fact that he had to make several calls home tonight to verify foods that are safe for our son, Paul. In the end, my husband determined that in a sea of offerings – my son could have fish and chips for supper tonight. That sounds good to me.

Planning what our son can eat requires persistence, patience and creativity. But, because we know what he needs to avoid it doesn’t have to be difficult.

I believe that, with vigilance, my son might never, ever, have an allergic reaction again. And, it is this vigilance and attitude that carries us through the idea of travelling, perhaps even circumnavigating with our family, which includes our son who has food allergies.

Here’s a picture of Paul taken tonight at the Ottawa airport.

Update

In 2024, Paul had a second anaphylactic reaction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after eating at an Indian restaurant. Despite asking the staff about nuts, and explaining that his treenut allergy was deadly, they provided us with rice, which they later said had “only a little bit of nuts”.

When he began to cough, and become itchy, we gave him an Epipen and took him to the Emergency Department at Assunta Hospital in Kuala Lumpur.

Food allergies in Asia

In Malaysia Epipens are nearly impossible to get. A doctor told me that they would need to be administered at a hospital. When we persisted, we were told we could pay at the hospital pharmacy in advance and they could arrive in six months, maybe. Epipens are not something that people carry on hand. Allergies do not seem to be as prevalent in Asia.

To reinforce the point about cultural differences regarding food allergies, I shall include a video from our go-to fried rice recipe guy, Uncle Roger. His sketch is obnoxious to the point that I wondered whether to include it here. In some places, food allergies just aren’t widely understood, and the idea of life-threatening reactions can be met with confusion or disbelief.

If you are new to living with food allergies, give this video a miss.

Assunta Hospital in Kuala Lumpur understood anaphylaxis

Fortunately, the staff at the Assunta Hospital immediately recognized the severity of Paul’s condition. They treated his allergy as life-threatening. He was immediately seen. Paul was monitored at the hospital and released hours later. Family from Canada brought us replacement Epipens.

That’s the end the Managing Food Allergies Story Arc. Thanks for reading!