a bread roll nearly killed me <newspaper article>

[eragon]

http://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/news/a-bread-roll-nearly-killed-me-1-7024756#.VKLf2bowdv4.twitter

[GoingNuts]

Great article, and a great description of what anaphlyaxis feels like. 

[Macabre]

I'm sorry, but this article really infuriates me.  She's ultimately doing a good thing by talking about her experience and implying that she should have had her epipens with her. 

But this:

"But all of this could potentially have been avoided if the restaurant had let us know what bread they were serving with our soup. Not rocket science – but potentially lifesaving."

It kills me.  If she had asked she may have known.  Pinning this entirely on the restaurant when she didn't take two simple steps to keep herself safe makes me really angry.  It makes our community look like spoiled brats. 

[GoingNuts]

Yes, this is true.  And I drum this into DS ad nauseum.

[SilverLining]

She didn't do well in her research either.

This was me, 30 years ago, experiencing my first reaction to nuts. What I had reacted to was the marzipan residue on the icing. It was made of almonds.

Of course, nobody had heard of nut allergies back then.

I have a medical book from the early fifties that has a chapter on allergies....including food allergies.

[Macabre]

I took it to mean that the general public hadn't really heard of them much.  I'm pretty sure nameless would concur. 

[SilverLining]

I cut my quote to early.

Of course, nobody had heard of nut allergies back then.

With even hayfever dubbed a 'summer cold, food allergies were unacknowledged by doctors or scientists.

My son's friend was diagnosed with multiple food allergies (dairy and egg being the two I remember) shortly after his first birthday. He was born in 83 or 84.

Doctors in UK may not have been acknowledging them, but scientists were.

And IMO, it's just one more thing this woman got "wrong". Like leaving her dusty expired epi-pens at home, and expecting a server to tell ingredients to someone who doesn't bother asking. Post ingredients won't help people like her. You have to take the time to read them.

[YouKnowWho]

I asked and DS1 still had a reaction.  I wanted an allergen chart - "allergen manager" came out and said the honey mustard dressing was egg free.  DS1 reacted and she said but it just has three ingredients, honey, mustard and mayo.  WTH?

I guess I was more disturbed because she had allergies herself.  It was like our corn allergic allergist being surprised there was corn in Cracker Jacks and recommending Gator-Aid as being safe for supposedly corn allergic DS.

[Macabre]

I've asked and have had a reaction as well. And I've asked and have avoided things because they told me.  And more often than either, I've kept asking   questions like "what else is fried on this oil?" "Are shellfish cooked on the same grill" and have avoided far more things than if I had simply asked ingredients. 

The thing is, she has no right to blame the restaurant at all, because she didn't give them the opportunity to give her the information she needed to stay safe.  She didn't even begin the conversation. 

Here's the deal--eating out with food allergies is always. a. risk. Always. It  can be mitigated a bit, but never made fully safe.  That said, we do it. But if we don't get the information needed, we leave. And even then--it's a risk. 

[guess]

1.  Isn't this the sort of pervading issue local to the allergy scene in the UK?  Why eragon has to lead the charge so often to educate.  I always got the sense she's in tune with USA best practices comparatively to her native population.

2. That article title, tho.  It's trivializing and sensational.  This is the sort of thing that contributes to the 'jokes' about anaphylaxis.  I'm all for gallows humo(u)r or the self-deprecating variety.  This is... neither.  Granted the author most likely did not pick it or have editorial power.

Would it create empathy in the average reader?  Would it reach people who need to incorporate better practices? 

[Macabre]

No. It sounds whiny.

But the reaction description--that is helpful internally. I read it to DS. 

[lakeswimr]

This stood out to me.

'Fortunately I neverbefore found myself in a life-threatening situation but I have lost count of the times my mouth or tongue swelled or my skin flared up in reaction to contact to Walnuts, Almonds, Peanuts.. the list goes on.'

Tongue swelling is automatic epi on most any food allergy plan.  It would only have to keep on swelling a bit more to block breathing.

Nevermind this,

'I would experience wheeziness, shortness of breath, but never so serious I was admitted to hospital.'

I wonder what she thinks has to happen to warrant using her epi pens? This sounds like her doctors have not educated her properly on food allergies.  I think that can be common for people diagnosed long ago before current recommendations existed. 

[lakeswimr]

I hope she learns more about food allergies and anaphylaxis.

I agree-she is the reason she had this reaction, not the restaurant.  She has been really lucky up to now.