Went and got an epi-pen...

[Alex Franke]

It turns out my youngest is allergic to tree nuts... and now I'm starting to see "made on machinery that also processes tree nuts" just about everywhere! It's weird how allergies work -- the only other allergy anywhere in the family is seasonal hay fever.

Well, at least they have the warnings now-a-days!

[crokett]

Sorry to hear that. My wife is allergic to some protein or other in milk so can't have any dairy at all. Also bees. I have no allergies that I know of and my kids don't appear to either.

[cabinetman]

I pig out on cashews, and have noticed the label says "may contain peanut and other tree nuts". A low percentage of those allergic may outgrow the allergy. That would be a good thing.
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[Mr__Bill]

Sorry to hear that. My wife is allergic to some protein or other in milk so can't have any dairy at all. Also bees. I have no allergies that I know of and my kids don't appear to either.

I too am allergic to milk protein. This is the first time I have come across someone else that is also allergic and not just lactose intolerant. When I get too much milk I get an attack like hayfeaver that progresses into a Migraine headache. What are her symptoms? And more importantly what does she use instead of milk in cooking and baking? I would be interested in exchanging ideas on substitutions.

Sorry to hijack the thread, I know nut allergies are tough and it's going to take some training for you, your youngest and friends, and teachers and..... I really sympathize with you.

Bill,

[dkerfoot]

On the truly tragic front, my hay fever now includes wood dust and is getting worse all the time. Even if I wear a full face respirator and wear a smock which I take off outside of the shop, before I remove my respirator, I am guaranteed a nasty headache. I am not ready to give up woodworking, but it does stop me from ducking into the shop for 20 minutes - I try to make it worth it.

[BearPipes-1]

The dairy allergy in my family isn't all dairy, and the allergist says it isn't an allergy.

The allergist says it's a "toxicity," and what's weird is that cow's (only) milk (and related products) is the problem.

For example, they sell evaporated goat's milk. Having made a pumpkin pie from the stuff, I'll never be buying *that* product again. But maybe somebody out there likes goaty pumpkin pie.

Unflavored soy milk is an easy substitution in most recipes that call for some milk. Pumpkin pie has worked best when made with oat milk that I've evaporated. Nucoa margarine works for cooking, and we use Earth Balance for spreading.

The killer is that until one is used to registering things like "whey" as being off-limits, one can check for milk products and still not notice them. Many times, a well-intentioned person has asserted that something is safe to eat, and has been wrong.

In this case, symptoms start with a headache, then the neck muscles cramp up, and a very high fever comes next. That's as far as it's gotten so far, thank heaven.

[Alex Franke]

Thanks, guys. It will be an adjustment, for sure.

Another tough one is Celiac disease which is a reaction a protein found in wheat. Wheat is everywhere, too...