{"id":93,"date":"2013-10-20T23:01:06","date_gmt":"2013-10-21T03:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.allergyhome.org\/blogger\/?p=93"},"modified":"2013-10-30T14:45:32","modified_gmt":"2013-10-30T18:45:32","slug":"food-allergy-from-the-perspective-of-a-pediatric-allergist-and-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allergyhome.org\/blogger\/food-allergy-from-the-perspective-of-a-pediatric-allergist-and-father\/","title":{"rendered":"Food Allergy From the Eyes of a Pediatric Allergist and Father"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nShare on Facebook<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

Written by Michael Pistiner, MD, MMSc<\/p>\n

“We were going through the exact thing that I had heard about in so many office visits – high emotions, grasping at alternate scenarios, and relationship dynamics influencing judgment and action.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Seven years ago my wife and I introduced walnut to our almost 4 year old son. \u00a0I was in the midst of my pediatric allergy fellowship and we were following all of the current guidelines of the time: delayed introduction to potential allergens.\u00a0 \u00a0With\u00a0those\u00a0first bites he seemed to love it.\u00a0\u00a0 What was not to love?\u00a0 It was a chewy chocolate bar with tiny pieces of walnut\u00a0mixed in. \u00a0\u00a0After about thirty seconds he commented, \u201cI can\u2019t get the taste out.\u201d\u00a0 We thought that maybe the texture was bothering him and told him it was ok to put his fingers in his mouth to\u00a0pick out any\u00a0stuck chocolate.\u00a0 He seemed panicked and agitated.\u00a0 Within minutes, he vomited.\u00a0 He began crying and pulling at his shirt collar.\u00a0\u00a0 Then it was our turn to get upset as we witnessed\u00a0his\u00a0reaction progress to sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy ears, coughing, and ultimately hives.\u00a0 Even as his reaction was worsening, my wife was not fully convinced that this was\u00a0an anaphylactic reaction.\u00a0\u00a0 She thought that maybe he was working himself up over a strange texture and that I was\u00a0blowing things out of proportion\u00a0and suspecting a reaction because of my profession. “You’re such an allergist” she said. We were going through the exact thing that I had heard about in so many office visits – high emotions, grasping at alternate scenarios, and relationship dynamics influencing judgment and action.<\/p>\n

“…my job and special interest in food allergies collided with my personal life.”<\/h1>\n

In a bizarre twist of fate, my job and special interest in food allergies collided with my personal life. I was hurled from the role of pediatric allergy fellow, seeing patients in the clinic, to that of a parent experiencing the heart-wrenching sight of my own child suffering through anaphylaxis, life threatening allergic reaction.\u00a0 After he recovered and my wife and I dealt with the initial shock of it all, we dove headfirst\u00a0 into the day to day management a child with food allergies.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“It took my wife and I about two months to get comfortable…”<\/h1>\n

Since that initial event I have seen firsthand how challenging\u00a0it can be to care for a child with food allergies. It took my wife and I about two months to get comfortable with\u00a0adjusting to\u00a0our new management strategies.\u00a0 Prior to that I was always a fly by the seat of my pants kind of guy and spontaneous when it came to daily life and activities.\u00a0 This has obviously changed. We have needed to make modifications in our daily family routines. \u00a0We have made mistakes along the way and have experienced some frustrating and awkward situations.\u00a0 Just like everyone else, relationship and social dynamics complicate matters.\u00a0 Being a pediatric allergist doesn’t change the social dynamics in our family life, friendships, school community, or the rest of the world that we interact with.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Advocacy and education<\/h1>\n

Advocacy and education have become very important parts of who I am and what I do. The creation of education tools and resources for families (kids and parents), schools, eating establishments and the surrounding community is a passion; as is speaking out and advocating on behalf of families with food allergy, especially in the school\/daycare, healthcare and restaurant settings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“No one has to do it alone.”<\/h1>\n

I have learned so much from my son, family, patients, colleagues, \u00a0advocates, educators, and bloggers; our entire food allergy community.\u00a0 It is my hope to share some of what I’ve learned as well as some of the challenges and triumphs that I’ve experienced.\u00a0 We can all keep learning from each other and help one another so no one has to do it alone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

More to come……<\/h1>\n

This is the first of potentially many blog posts where I’ll share my perspectives as advocate\/educator, pediatric allergist, father, and member of our food allergy community.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For \u00a0more on recent collaborations and projects please see\u00a0Two Health Care Professionals Chat About Filling Needs in Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Education<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Michael Pistiner, MD, MMSc is a pediatric allergist \u00a0for\u00a0Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates<\/a>, as well as a voluntary instructor of pediatrics at Boston Children\u2019s Hospital. He is the father of a child with food allergies and serves as a voluntary consultant for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, School Health Services. He is a fellow in theAmerican Academy of Pediatrics<\/a>, where he is a member of the Council of School Health and the Section of Allergy & Immunology.\u00a0 He is also a member of the\u00a0American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology<\/a>, where he is a member of the Adverse Reaction to Food Committee and Co-Chair of the Food Allergy Awareness in Eating Establishments Subcommittee.<\/p>\n

He served on a team assembled to implement a law designed to increase food allergy awareness in Massachusetts eating establishments and\u00a0is chair of the Medical Advisory Team for\u00a0Kids with Food Allergies Foundation<\/a>.\u00a0 Additionally, Dr. Pistiner serves on the board of\u00a0<\/a>Asthma\u00a0&\u00a0Allergy\u00a0Foundation\u00a0of\u00a0America,\u00a0New\u00a0England\u00a0Chapter<\/a>, and is \u00a0a member of the\u00a0National Food Allergy Management and Education\u00a0<\/a>Advisory Board. Dr. Pistiner is the author of\u00a0<\/a>Everyday<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>Cool<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>with<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>Food<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>Allergies<\/i><\/a>, a co-author of\u00a0Living Confidently with Food Allergy<\/a>, and is co-founder and content creator of\u00a0<\/a>AllergyHome.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Share on Facebook Written by Michael Pistiner, MD, MMSc “We were going through the exact thing that I had heard about in so many office visits – high emotions, grasping at alternate scenarios, and relationship dynamics influencing judgment and action.” Seven years ago my wife and I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":60,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[19,7,5,10,18,20],"class_list":["post-93","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-allergist","tag-anaphylaxis","tag-food-allergy","tag-michael-pistiner","tag-pediatric-allergist","tag-pediatrician"],"yoast_head":"\nFood Allergy From the Eyes of a Pediatric Allergist and Father - Blog @ AllergyHome.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As a pediatric allergist and father of a child with food allergies I have learned so much from my son, family, patients; 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