March has been a difficult month for the food allergy community. At the beginning of the month, we found out that on February 20th a bright and beautiful Michigan native at the age of 27 suffered a severe reaction to a peanut allergy while visiting Las Vegas. Chantel Giacalone is currently in a coma in a Las Vegas hospital. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family. Soon after, we learned the heart breaking news of 19 year old Cameron Groezinger Fitzpatrick and shortly after we heard about the shocking and mysterious loss of 12 year old Maia Santarelli-Gallo. We will never know what these families are truly feeling, but for most of us these stories are our worst fears. This is something that none of us should ever have to go through and hopefully never will. But these stories are also lessons and if we turn a blind eye then they will never end.
When we hear these stories, it is perfectly normal for all of us to have a level of sadness, fear and anxiety, but if these feelings are consuming you and your family's life then it is time to take a break. We all need to take care of ourselves first and foremost, otherwise you won't be able to take care of the ones that you love. We want to be our child's protector, but we can't do that if we are falling apart.
I recently attended the FACES of Michigan meeting and the topic was anxiety and allergies. Dr. K.C. Lazzara who is a licensed psychologist was our guest speaker. He gave us some great tips and also an opportunity to look deep within ourselves and find ways to improve how we handle our fears and our children's food allergies. One tip was limiting your displays of distress around your children. We shouldn't introduce our worries into the food allergy mix. He stated that a mother's mood sets the tone for the entire house. All of us laughed in the room because we all know that this is so true. So if we are feeling scared and anxious then everyone within our four walls will also feel the same way. Dr. Lazzara also stated that one of the biggest factors that effects anxiety is lack of sleep and I am sure we all can use some extra Zzzzzz's.
If you are ever having an overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety, you may benefit from speaking to a professional. Never ever feel ashamed or embarrassed for wanting to better yourself. There are so many great resources out there for us. One of those is Food Allergy Coach. I am sure you are very familiar with the blogs and facebook pages of Sloane MIller and Gina Clowes, but you may not know that they are food allergy coaches and consultants. If you are interested in finding a Food Allergy Coach, click here.
I have listed some other resources that may be helpful:
When we hear these stories, it is perfectly normal for all of us to have a level of sadness, fear and anxiety, but if these feelings are consuming you and your family's life then it is time to take a break. We all need to take care of ourselves first and foremost, otherwise you won't be able to take care of the ones that you love. We want to be our child's protector, but we can't do that if we are falling apart.
I recently attended the FACES of Michigan meeting and the topic was anxiety and allergies. Dr. K.C. Lazzara who is a licensed psychologist was our guest speaker. He gave us some great tips and also an opportunity to look deep within ourselves and find ways to improve how we handle our fears and our children's food allergies. One tip was limiting your displays of distress around your children. We shouldn't introduce our worries into the food allergy mix. He stated that a mother's mood sets the tone for the entire house. All of us laughed in the room because we all know that this is so true. So if we are feeling scared and anxious then everyone within our four walls will also feel the same way. Dr. Lazzara also stated that one of the biggest factors that effects anxiety is lack of sleep and I am sure we all can use some extra Zzzzzz's.
If you are ever having an overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety, you may benefit from speaking to a professional. Never ever feel ashamed or embarrassed for wanting to better yourself. There are so many great resources out there for us. One of those is Food Allergy Coach. I am sure you are very familiar with the blogs and facebook pages of Sloane MIller and Gina Clowes, but you may not know that they are food allergy coaches and consultants. If you are interested in finding a Food Allergy Coach, click here.
I have listed some other resources that may be helpful:
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