Friday, June 3, 2011

a rare visit to the big city...

Though we are all hyped about Vancouver over here...
and rooting for the home team right about now...
truth be told...
I haven't visited the big city since the Olympics of last year.  


But I had reason to do just that this week.

No...
there were no tickets to any important event.

There was just an appointment that needed keeping...
and a little girl that wanted Grammy to come along.

Maggie had an appointment with an allergy specialist in Vancouver...
and so we made it an outing.
When it took us over two hours to get to the doctor's office...
we knew why we don't like to go to the city more often.



And while we waited for the doctor to arrive...
Maggie checked out his room for him.

She decided it was all in fine working order...
especially his chair!

Though we never learned a whole lot more about her allergies...
we did have a lesson in using the Epipen.

And the doc confirmed that if the packaging says 'may contain peanuts'...
it is not for Maggie.
Have you ever read the fine print?
That is written on most products!

There is only one brand of ice-cream that is safe.

Peanuts, strawberries, kiwi, coconut, almonds, peas...
all are on the forbidden list.

That means we all have to give a 'second thought' to what we are eating when Maggie is around.

She's pretty good about it.
She usually checks to see if a treat is 'safe'.


Water?
Oh yes.
That is always safe!
Vancouver boasts the world's purest tap water.

By the time we were done with the doctor...
and Ikea...
the day was done as well.

It may only be sixty miles away...
but it can take a lot of time...
visiting the big city!

13 comments:

  1. Challenges for sure! You will have to take up making ice cream at home...the best kind anyway. Did the doc say if Maggie would grow out of the allergies? Are they mostly food related or do they include pet dander, etc.?

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  2. Oh I feel so bad for the growing number of families that deal with allergies. Did the doctor know why it is so common now?
    I was going to suggest as Vee ..that you get an electric icecream machine. .no grammy should be without. I'll have to put some recipes on the blog. .without strawberries of course.
    Sweet Maggie. .that list of forbidden are all so tasty.

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  3. Dealing with food restrictions for little ones - our grandson is on GFCF - is really difficult. One has to be ever so vigilant. Unbelievable that a visit to the doctor's office takes so long nowadays. Glad you could be with your little one - for them going to the big city is probably still a desirable adventure!

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  4. Like Lovella, I wonder why this has become so common in recent years. Glad that she is a good sport about it, but I know it is difficult for her and all of you.I have read that many children outgrow them. I pray that is the case for sweet Maggie!

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  5. What a shame to have to restrict so many things. At least if you make your own food you know what has gone into it.

    Even a bag of peanuts will have 'may contain muts' written on it!

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  6. Oh sweet Maggie. What an interesting list of forbiddens. Thank goodness for the variety of food we have to enjoy. Too bad about that whole processed deal and peanuts ending up in the least expected items...

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  7. Your mention of IKEA makes me want to go to Charlotte and visit the only IKEA in our state....HMM, but do I want to head south to Charlotte in this heat? Maybe...
    Praying that your granddaughter will grow out of whatever she is allergic to in short order.
    Sandy in NC

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  8. Oh poor sweet girl.. those are a lot of allegies to handdle! I have noticed that so many products say "may contain peanuts" ... Why are so many children (incuding one of mine) allergic to peanuts?

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  9. Judy I live 11 miles from Manhattan and it can sometimes take me two hours to get into what we call "the city"..lol! It also costs $30, and up, to park in a garage if a spot can't be found on the street, which is usual most of the time ..all challenges that make me take the bus and train.

    The increase of peanut allergies in children these days are a puzzle. I have flown on planes where the stewardess tells everyone that they can not eat peanuts if they brought them on board as someone who is flying is allergic! My grandson's pre-school will not allow any food to be brought in that is not packaged and labeled..no more home made cupcakes for birthday parties.

    I hope and pray that Maggie will get less sensitive with age. In the meantime you all have to be prepared with that epipen unless you make the food yourself. There was a case here in NY of a young girl getting very ill after eating chili, not thinking that peanut butter was a "secret ingredient" that was used as a thickener, so please ask, even if you don't think a food has peanuts in it.

    My daughter is allergic to the cold -- a very unusual allergy to have. She gets hives all over when she is exposed to very cold air or high air conditioning. The pediatrician told me she might "outgrow it" but she is almost 30 and still has this sensitivity. She has to bundle up a lot in winter and stay out of super air conditioned building in summer.

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  10. Thanks for coming grammy :) She really is good about it all, though she did cry a little bit yesturday at the spag. factory when the table next to us got their ice cream ... thank goodness for chapmanns, though telling her she can have some when we get home isn't always a consolation.

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  11. Food allergies have become so common - our son developed serious allergies to fish and poultry when he was in his 20's. It's all a mystery.
    I feel for little Maggie, and hope that she'll grow out of some of these.

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  12. Allergies...YUCK..sounds like Maggie is a trooper though. My trip to the city is to go to Calgary. Everytime I come back I am so glad to be back to small town living. Give me the peace and quiet, the "hi Dawna", the comfort of being safe.....all those "small town" things anyday!! Have a great day!

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  13. Food allergies are so hard to explain to little ones.

    A trip to Ikea is often part of going to that city - we do it from this direction, too. I heard a rumour that Ikea was moving into Abbotsford???

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