Hello, again,

Two points made here encourage me to post support for them, because they're
easy to miss:

1. "Restaurant and hospital foods can be dangerous" ... Being careful at
restaurants seems obvious, and I've greatly reduced the frequency of my
reactions by learning how to communicate clearly and assertively with
restaurant staff ... but the risk at hospitals is just as real and far less
obvious. If you're conscious, don't put anything in your mouth until after
you consult with a dietician, and emphasize that cross-contamination must be
prevented during preparation and transport. If the dietician lays out a
great menu for your needs, and if the kitchen then manages to prepare it
with fresh gloves away from contaminant risks, it's all for naught if the
transport person lifts lids to check what's what and in the process some
cheese falls off someone else's salad onto your food. (I've twice had
hospital dieticians arrange just to leave some basic seasonings in my
room--garlic and onion powders, salt, and pepper for example--to keep things
simpler for the kitchen staff.)

Another note about hospitals ... there's not going to be a consult with a
pharmacist unless you or someone advocating for you requests it. But, many
(perhaps most) prescription pills contain lactose. As someone who almost
lost my life to unrecognized pharmaceutical-grade lactose in prescribed
medicines, I've become a big advocate for checking ALL prescription
medicines with a licensed pharmacist, preferably the one who already knows
you and your allergy well, before taking anything. (The pharmacist will also
help read labels on OTC meds if needed, of course; I just usually do that
myself, since the information's easily available.) Even IV medicines could
conceivably contain milk derivatives, and the regular doctors and nurses are
highly unlikely to be familiar with the need to check these for allergens of
this nature. Involve a pharmacist, period.


2. "Cosmetics, for example, and soaps may contain milk" ... In my
experience, the biggest risk here isn't from failing to read labels, which
becomes habit after you've lived with an allergy for a time, but from
situations where labels are unavailable. For example, don't use Cracker
Barrel's fancy soaps, often found on the counter in the ladies' room. (No
idea about the men's room, sorry!) They may contain milk, and you may not be
able to see the labels. I discovered that one after getting bright red
swollen hands and arms for dinner--no fun at all! Similar situations arise
in other businesses and in private homes other than your own. The decorative
soap decanter on the counter is pretty, but you have no idea what's in it. I
carry a little trial-size container of liquid soap, as well as a
little-bitty bottle of Purell, in my purse. If I'm not sure about the soap
in someone else's bathroom, I use my own. (Cosmetics are a little easier,
because we usually only use our own! But if I had a teenage daughter with a
severe allergy, I'd discourage trying friends' make-up, because it's a more
common thing to do then.)

OK, I'll hush now, since I've posted enough for a bit!

Weavre Cooper

-----Original Message-----
From: Milk/Casein/Lactose-Free List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 5:00 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: dairy-free living

Hi --

I get the list in digest form, so I'm merging replies to various topics from
the day's messages ...