It's Totally Nuts (and oh yeah, I'm Back)

Sometimes there are really difficult choices to make in life. Where to go to college, whom to marry, which house to buy, which sandwich to take in your lunch...you know, major decisions.

Yes, I did say that..."which sandwich to take in your lunch." Last week JBB went on a field trip (translation: MUST bring sack lunch no matter what so don't forget because the cafeteria isn't there to bail you out). He requested his all-time favorite: two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

About an hour later he changed his mind. I asked, "what about...[fill in the blank]?" so many times that finally he recanted and once again requested peanut butter and jelly.

The indecision was apparent. My sweet six year old JBB was filled with angst. Even after deciding on his favorite sandwich, he was still only moderately satisfied. This seemed fairly dramatic to me. We are talking about...lunch. Right?

Since I am a mother I felt an irresistible compulsion to drag the answer out of him. "Well, Mommy, I'm tired of sitting with The Peanut Butter People."

Hmmmm....it seems that some of his friends have some food allergies which dictate that they sit at the non-PB&J table. Since JBB exclusively likes PB&J sandwiches, this whole situation is a bit of a conundrum for a little boy.

The whole issue of food allergies is a bit of a conundrum for parents too. I have heard that some parents resent their kids being "segregated" based on food allergies. I have never met any of these people before, but they do seem to lurk on message boards.

Before I had children what I remember most about pediatric food allergies is from some women clustered together and chatting at the mall. Yes, I am embarrassed to admit this. They seemed hyper-vigilant and quite hyper on caffeine too. Dressed down in upscale yoga chic, they gasped with righteous indignation as they talked about permitted and prohibited foods. They were the sort who acted as if waiting in line was a personal offense and not a fact of life. I was distracted from the issue by the women who presented it to me.

Of course, as a pharmacist, I can talk to you about your Epi-Pen and your allergy medication...that is, the treatment of allergic reactions. During my tenure in pharmacy school, I do not recall a lecture on topics such as how to keep big groups of kids safe when some have food allergies and some don't or how to make sure you read labels carefully because some chocolates are produced in the same factories that process nuts.

No, what made this whole food allergy business very real to me was Donald Trump. Well, not so much Donald Trump, but he likes to take credit for everything. Actually, it was Trace Adkins' appearance on Celebrity Apprentice. (Now I'll just tell you...if you don't like country music, you won't like Trace's music. If you like country, you probably already know Trace. His personality...well, even The Donald fell in love with that.)

His chosen charity was the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network.
He explained that because of his daughter's severe food allergies, any school lunch period or birthday party or sleepover or snack time could result in her death if they failed to plan.

Do you know the things that I freak out over? Big things (cars, trucks, and things that may fall) and little things (tiny cars and trucks that may be choking hazards, chemicals to swallow), but not food.

Sure, with each news report we wash our lettuce more vigorously or cook our meats a little longer or buy organic this or that, usually in the name of pursuing a healthier lifestyle. It's rarely life or death.

It's fair to say that episode of Celebrity Apprentice changed my life. I look for those little signs that say things like "strawberry-free classroom" or "nut-free zone." I want to watch out for other children and be another set of eyes for those concerned moms and dads. I would surely want someone to do that for me.

JBB had a lot of fun on the field trip. Field trips are usually pretty great anyway. He loved his sandwiches. PB&J is one of my specialities, after all. He had a lot of fun with The Peanut Butter People. They are a pretty tight group by this point in the school year. He saw his other friends on the playground so it was all good. And the other friends didn't see his PB&J so it really was all good.