Well (sigh)

  Im very sad to report that my inlaws have done it again. Just when I
thought I finally had them trained they whack me one. On New Years Eve day
we went to a local Dutch store/restaurant here to help support a fundraiser
that my brother in law is associated with. Part of the festivities included
them selling OliBolen (a Dutch pastry). As this is part of the Dutch
tradition on New Years Eve we bought a dozen. In chatting with my brother in
law and his business partner we told them how Geoff (my hubby) makes his own
OliBolen from scratch and used Rice milk in lieu of normal milk and Zack
just loves them. My brother in law pipes up and says "These are from a mix
and there is no milk in them" (can you guess where Im going with this?) Well
I say, let me see the box. Guess what, the ingredients are in Dutch (I am
not Dutch, just married one who doesnt speak the language). Fred (brother in
law) is off somewhere now helping a customer so Yacko (his partner) says he
will translate it for me. This is what he read.."Flour, Baking Powder, Sugar
and Yeast and note, do not mix with milk use water". Well all excited I
return home and give Zack one. He eats it. Even asks for another. Eats that
one. Then its time for off to Grandmas house for the night so Geoff and I
can go out for New Years. I sent along 2 more OliBolen for Zacks snack.

  When I pick Zack up the next morning Grandma tells me that he was fine,
ate 2 more of the OliBolen and went off to bed. But she mentioned at around
midnight, he woke up coughing and coughing and wouldnt stop. She also
noticed that his lips were swollen and his skin was blotchy. She gave him
some Benadryl and sat up for a bit watching over him with Epi-Pen in hand
until he seemed to settle a bit. I reprimanded her for not paging us and
administering the Epi-Pen and she swore never to wait again. We were
confused as to what he ate that caused such a strange reaction. Normally
when Zack gets dairy he vomits and then the anaphylactic symptoms start. I
was still very wary of the OliBolen as it was the only new food. Well my
brother in law stopped in for a coffee on New Years Day and I got the box of
OliBolen mix (yes I bought some) and told him to read me the ingredients
WORD FOR WORD. Well this is what I got "Self Rising Flour, Whey Powder,
Sugar and Yeast and note do not mix with milk use water". To say that I
freaked would have been the understatement of the year. I called Yacko to
let him know that his ommission could have caused Zack his life. You cant
assume that in translation something means something else and since there is
a restaurant part to his Dutch Store he had better learn his ingred.s or
someone may lose thier lives. Yacko said that since learning English he
ASSUMED whey powder meant the same thing as baking powder. He had no clue
what whey powder was. How can you own a restaurant and not know the
difference????That fact alone scares the heck out of me!!!!! Ever had a
restaurant worker come back to you and say " Nope there is no milk in it".
DONT TAKE THEIR WORD! I never do, and thats why I am so upset over this.

  I spent the next 2 nights staying up watch my lethargic little boy suffer
like nothing I have ever seen before. Fevers, night sweats, general misery,
and for what....So I could give him a pastry that his daddy already had some
safe ones at home? I have beaten myself up for this error for days. When I
think what could have happened...Normally Zack vomits the offending food up
immediately and then goes anaphylactic. I wonder what was different this
time? I guess I will never know. I have always had a policy that if I cant
read the ingreds. myself then Zack doesnt get it. But once again I depended
on the intelligence of others. <sigh> Zack seems better now, although not
quite up to snuff yet. His asthma is raging and he has been VERY miserable.
Even the mention of his upcoming 4th birthday doesnt seem to help. Doc says
that because its in his blood we just have to wait it out. <sigh>

  Im sorry for writing a novel here but I just had to vent my frustrations
of the past few days to some people that understand. I hope that you all
have a wonderful Allergy Free New Year! God Bless!


Keep the Faith ;-)

Rita
A.S.K. Inc. (Allergic Specific Kids Inc.)
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