I have 4 sons. My youngest is 10 and was diagnosed with T1D 8/2008. He has severe atopic dermatitis, and severe food allergies to egg, milk, tree nut, peanut, sesame and shellfish. In addition, He has just been newly diagnosed allergic to : corn, wheat, gluten, soy and corn. It would be great to meet other families or even a familiy dealing with the same issues......
Hi Chris,
I have type 1 and was diagnosed with celiac disease about three weeks ago. So, I've been adapting to a gluten-free diet. If your son can have rice, there are a lot of rice-based gluten-free products that are probably free of his other allergens. I bought some brown rice tortillas for making wraps at lunchtime and I've also been enjoying rice crackers with hummus. Nature's Path makes some good buckwheat-based frozen waffles. You may want to consider getting a bread maker and trying out some wheat/gluten-free bread recipes. I haven't done this myself but I know a few people with celiac who bake their own safe breads. Other than that, fresh fruits and veggies are always a good option. Perhaps you could find some real-fruit popsicles if you're looking for something more dessert-y. Hope that helps!
Laura
Chris-
This is interesting, as I used to be allergic to egg, milk, cheese, and corn. Just a year or two before I was diagnosed with T1D, those allergies seemed to fade, and I began drinking milk and eating everything else. I've read several things about the diagnosis of T1 being linked to increased intake of cows' milk and other dairy products. Seeing as I only began drinking milk and eating cheese just a short while before I was diagnosed, this research has always interested me.
There may be a link to T1 and these food allergies. It may be something interesting to look up.
Sorry that this probably wasn't the kind of feedback you were hoping for, but I couldn't help but throw this stuff out there.
|†~*Sarah*~†|
Chris - My 26 year old son was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was 6. He was diagnosed with more food allergies than I can remember at age 9. His allergist explained that while you can't desensitize someone for food allergies you can for things like pollens, molds, dust etc. By doing so you hope to lower the person's "allergy load". My son took allergy shots for about 3 years (I know, MORE needles) but he was gradually able to add foods back to his diet. He can now eat just about anything, in any amount he wants without the hives he used to get. Occasionally during the height of pollen season he might have to take some Benadryl or Zyrtec if he starts to itch. You might want to discuss allergen immunotherapy (the medical term for allergy shots) with your doctor. It really does work. And I speak from personal experience too. I don't have diabetes but I do have all the allergies. Good luck!!
My daughter was diagnosed at age 6 (she will be 9 in a few weeks). She never drank cow's milk. She had suffered from reflux. The year previous to diagnosis, she had seen a gastrointerologist and an immunologist. She was alergic to milk, rice, wheat, sesame, gluten, beef, strawberries, whey, fish, etc. etc. At the age of 5 she was too young to undergo injections. She had horrible dermatitis. She has eczema. Because of her allergies, she was basically on a low carb diet...we went on a vacation and I was not able to completely control what she ate (a lot of carbs). Toward the end of our trip I knew something was really, really wrong with her. I suspected Type 1. Her allergies were not life threatening (as in tree nuts or shellfish). Once she started on insulin, the reflux almost disappeared. I remember feeling so overwhelmed by all the special dietary needs with the allergies....it prepared me well for her diabetes. I switched Immunologists and she was re-tested (about 1.5 years after diagnosis) and many of the foods she was allergic to no longer even showed up as a problem. I strongly feel (having food and serious environmental allergies myself), that the test results can be subjective. I do know the feeling of trying to prepare meals for a family and for a child with allergies and Type 1...it can be overwhelming and baffling. Add to that 3 weekly visits to the allergist. It was suggested by her Endo and the Pediatrician to take it easy, to ease in foods. So far, so good. She is eating most things with little or no reaction (but again she does not have tree nut or shellfish allergies). I remember being shocked by the changes that took place after she was on insulin for a year (i.e. reflux almost non-existant, sores from dermatitis gone. I do know the challenges (and the feelings) you face with every snack and every meal. So far, it has gotten much easier..the first year after diagnosis was tough.
Kindly,
Greta
Hi Chris,
My name is katelyn and im 15 years old. I was diagnosed with diabetes and celiac disease 5 years ago. My allergens are not nearly as bad as your sons are obviously, but i can share some of the pain. gluten/wheat free diets are not easy, thats for sure. But alot more people are being diagnosed with it and more people are becoming aware. i dont know all of the ingredients that are in it, but the bread that i eat is really good. The company is sammys bakery and its called millet and flax seed bread. it taste just like regular bread but like i said youll probably have to check for the other ingredients in it that your son is allergic to. Once you get the hang of this diet and find food that your son enjoys that he can eat, its very easy. diabetes AND food allergies is really hard but it is liveable [: its really hard especially when you are with all of your friends and theyre eating cake and cookies and whatever and its like oh man i havent had that in a long time, you know? but you then learn the consequences that occur when you eat things that you are allergic to and then you are grateful that they do make things that you can eat. i hope i helped and supported you a little bit, i tried!
take care.
- Katelyn
I also share some of these allergies- shellfish, tree nuts, milk, latex, iodine, cantaloupe, and some other things that I'm still trying to narrow down. My reactions are also all skin based, besides tree nuts and shellfish- those cause anaphylaxis distress. I have some scars on my body from contact with these things =o Luckily I have pretty limited allergies compared to lots of diabetics out there. Haha I'm allergic to dogs too =p so I can't visit my dad for too long.
I take multivitamins, probiotics, and calcium to keep me going with some of things I'm missing. I stick to olive oil for making food tasty =) When cooking I look for foods with LOTS of flavor, peppers, olives, mushrooms- I'm turning into a spice queen lately. Actually studying other cultures eating habits really helps with dealing with allergies. There are lots of people who have written about how their cultures eat. Studying other ways of living/ eating are at the top of my list how to prosper with allergies. It can be a little tricky but I frequent Asian markets for different veggies and beans. It requires patients if you don't speak the language of the people there so i have to read up on exactly what to look for before I go. It is really worth it!
It isn't imposable, just different. You could end up having the most creative and best tasting meals on the block!
heey chris. yeeah i'm dealingw tih sorta the same thing i have T1D and was diagnosed about a year ago &if that wasn't hard enough just recently diagnosed with celiac it's hard to fine things, but meeting people with the same thing &getting ideas of different foods i can eat have helped alot. it gets alot easier as time goes by. i hope everything gets on track. best wishes.