I found myself a little down and discouraged this week. I had two sick kids and two complete nights without sleep. During this time, instead of praying and trying to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel, I found myself dwelling on the struggles of being a food allergy mom.

The struggles are real

This winter as been a hard one for us. This was the third stomach bug for my oldest son and I have felt so helpless watching him go through the distress of not being able to keep food down.

When you have a child with the stomach bug it is common to wonder if they got sick because of something they ate. But when you have a child with food allergies who eats 95 percent of his food at home, you always wonder if it could have been something new you made him.

The minute they cough, sneeze, wheeze or vomit, there is this checklist that runs through my brain. Was it something they ate?, What did they eat last?, Did I make it right? What were the ingredients?, Are they allergic to something new?. And last, and only after I have exhausted all other possibilities I consider the fact that they are just kids and they may have just picked up a bug.

Letting go of fear

Being a food allergy mom makes it very hard to let go of fear. I think I have mentioned before, but my oldest son is allergic to tree nuts, eggs, dairy, corn, and has a gluten sensitivity. I have had to call 911 for him at least 5 times in his life so far and there is not a day that goes by that he does not wish he didn’t have food allergies.

As his mother, I think I would give my right arm to make this wish come true for him. I feel very helpless to not be able to give him something he wants so badly.

These are the times I really try to remember that fear is not something that God had planned for us. I try to pray that my feelings of fear will be lifted and replaced with feelings of joy and thankfulness. Thankful because we have found food options that are not only safe, but also delicious.

I am not alone and neither are you

As isolating as it feels at times, I have to remind myself that I am not alone. And in fact, the population of food allergy moms is currently increasing. There are so many of us that have this insane desire to keep our kids feeling safe, healthy, happy and included.

This is just another reason I started this blog and the stay gluten free community on Facebook. I feel like we are creating an amazing circle of friends and it has been fun sharing what we are making and our grocery store finds. I look forward to growing this community more.

The light at the end of the tunnel

I got the answer to the questions in my head two days after my oldest became sick. Yes, you guessed it, the baby got sick in his sleep. I had forgotten how it was having a sick baby. The best way I can describe it is -you never know when it’s coming. What a mess.

But being a food allergy mom does have a silver lining. It forces you to make healthy choices for you and your family. It means knowing every single thing that goes into the mouths of your children. And it gives you the opportunity to truly appreciate something that so many times gets taken for granted, food. Every time I make something we love and enjoy I am reminded of how far I have come on this journey and I am so thankful.

What is your biggest challenge as a food allergy mom? Share below