Angry As Hell

[Anonymous]

What kind of parent would knowingly give a child with a peanut allergy food from Chik-fil-A? My husband comes home today and tells me that he took our child to Chik-fil-A, "remembered" that the food is processed in peanut oil, yet proceeded to allow the child to eat the chicken nuggets anyway because in his words "we were late, he was hungry, and I didn't have time to stop to somewhere else -- besides I watched to make sure that he was okay and there was a hospital near by". Now, up all for the rest of the night to monitor the child's breathing.

I am beyond angry, and just don't know what to do. I'm married to a moron who blatantly put our child's health at risk.

[Anonymous]

well did your child have a reaction? Maybe he really isn't allergic to peanuts. Your husband was irresponsible IF your child actually has an allergy but if you are not in the emergency room, what's up with the allergy? Just a thought.

[Anonymous]

The PP has a point. Maybe your DH doesn't believe your child really has an allergy? Is that possible? Otherwise, yes, that is extremely stupid and I would be mad as hell too. Did the child end up with a reaction?

[Anonymous]

Agree with pp. Maybe your child outgrew the allergy? Just a thought if there was no immedate reaction. I out grew mine as a child. I would be pissed beyond believe though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:well did your child have a reaction? Maybe he really isn't allergic to peanuts. Your husband was irresponsible IF your child actually has an allergy but if you are not in the emergency room, what's up with the allergy? Just a thought.

Well, according to his pediatrician and his allergist he has a severe peanut allergy. We learned this when he was about 2 years old and undergoing testing for asthma-related symptoms. From the red welts on his back from the food allergy testing, I'd say he has a peanut allergy.

He has never had any exposure to peanut products before, so I don't know what to expect in the way of an reaction. And I don't know what amount of exposure would produce a reaction. He does have a prescription for an epi-pen which we've never had to use. The chick-fil-a incident happened about four hours ago, the child is now asleep, and my husband just fessed up. So a bit late to take him to the emergency room, given the lapse in time without any visible reaction.

[SurelyYouNest]

I was just at the allergist recently for some testing and one of the handouts we got said that most nut-allergic people will actually not react to things cooked in peanut oil. That said, I wouldn't welcome a demo of that theory on my child if I were you. My brother had/has multiple allergies including peanut allergy and he definitely reacted to peanut oil (back when we were kids it was used more commonly). So sorry about what must have been/is a frightening situation.

[Anonymous]

OP here - I should also mention that he gets tested every year. As of the fall, he still has the allergy.

[Anonymous]

I'm not getting into the husband issue ("there was a hospital nearby..." Oh, OK then.) but I had a friend with a severe peanut allergy and for some reason, her kid could eat chik-fil-a nuggets -- something about the processed peanut oil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:well did your child have a reaction? Maybe he really isn't allergic to peanuts. Your husband was irresponsible IF your child actually has an allergy but if you are not in the emergency room, what's up with the allergy? Just a thought.

Well, according to his pediatrician and his allergist he has a severe peanut allergy. We learned this when he was about 2 years old and undergoing testing for asthma-related symptoms. From the red welts on his back from the food allergy testing, I'd say he has a peanut allergy.

He has never had any exposure to peanut products before, so I don't know what to expect in the way of an reaction. And I don't know what amount of exposure would produce a reaction. He does have a prescription for an epi-pen which we've never had to use. The chick-fil-a incident happened about four hours ago, the child is now asleep, and my husband just fessed up. So a bit late to take him to the emergency room, given the lapse in time without any visible reaction.

Hello, I am the "moron husband" (sorry dear). Quite frankly I am not used to having my business aired out on DCUM, but oh well - such is life. I did make a terrible mistake, and yes I do know that our son has a peanut allergy. I will not got into the details or reasons for this mishap, but take full responsibility. I will monitor the situation and though he has never had a severe reaction, we are armed with the appropriate medication (EpiPen, etc). It was several hours ago, and if i need to stay up all night by his bedside to ensure he is safe, I will.

And DW, if you would like to further discuss this live (I am but 3 feet away from you as you work on your laptop), let's do this and let the other readers tackle another topic vs wasting time on my mistake.

[maynie]

[Anonymous]

Okay, so I guess everyone knows I'm "not speaking" to my husband. I think perhaps I (we) should log off and have the conversation. Thanks for letting me vent.

[Anonymous]

I want to say thanks...I am another dumb husband who did the same thing!...albeit unknowingly. I had no idea about the peanut oil. BTW, my 2y/o was fine also, for what it's worth. Thanks for the info.

[Anonymous]

According to our allergist, peanut allergies are caused by a reaction to the protein in the legume, not from the oil. This is why peanut oil is not a problem as long as all particles are strained out.

As previous posters have mentioned, I too would not welcome an experiment on my kid.

Glad you two are talking to each other again!

[Anonymous]

I believe it depends on the type of peanut oil. Highly refined is generally supposed to be non-allergenic; cold-pressed, expressed, or extruded peanut oil on the other hand can contain peanut protein and be highly allergenic. The problem, of course, is you often don't know which kind you are dealing with, and I suppose even highly refined oil could be contaminated.

Based on my limited experience (limited to my brother, who has a potentially fatal peanut allergy), I suspect that if your child were going to have an allergic reaction to the peanut oil it would have happened already. My brother's reactions were always nearly immediate. But it never hurts to be extra-cautious.

[Anonymous]

My DS has multiple severe food allergies (including peanuts and tree nuts)...so I can totally relate to your feelings right now. There is nothing quite like waiting to see if your child is going to have a reaction. I would be livid too. Especially as it wasn't a joint decision.

For what it is worth, we see Dr. Wood, a world acclaimed expert on peanut allergies. He told us that most of the time, any type oil is hydrogenated enough to not cause an allergic reaction. However, he said definitely DON'T take the chance with peanut oil. You can't be 100% sure how it was processed and don't take the chance. A miniscule amount of peanut can cause a very serious reaction.

Food challenges, especially for a food that causes severe, life threatening reactions, should always be done in the Allergist's office in case of a reaction. What would have happened if your child started having trouble breathing when they were driving home from the restaurant???!!???

It does sound like your DH understands and regrets the decision. That speaks volumes. Hopefully next time you can talk about the subject beforehand.

Best of luck. Allergies are hard...and each day is a new challenge.