Dr. Mom Online

Today was my daughter’s first day at Summer Day Camp at the school she has attended for the past 2 years.

 

My last words to her at drop off time this morning were, “Have TONS of fun today, sweetie… and remember, don’t eat anything that somebody else gives you, don’t put anything on your skin other than the stuff I packed in your backpack (sunscreen and bug spray), and drink LOTS of water… it’s hot today. I love you!”

 

So, what did I see as soon as I picked her up this afternoon? Her little face was red, covered with a rash and swollen, and her lips were blue. What on earth…???

 

No, she wasn’t dying – her lips were blue because the teachers and camp leaders gave all the kids popsicles. She had a blue one!

 

Yes, I asked her why she had ‘food’ that someone else gave her. She said, “Because it was the teacher who gave it to me.” I refrained from asking her if the teacher thought it was OK to give children high fructose corn syrup, sugar and artificial colors. Figured I better be the one asking the teacher that!

 

I did ask her, “What if the teacher gave you a handful of aspirin or antibiotics… would you just take those, too?” She said, “Mom… that’s crazy! She’d never give me something bad like that!” I muttered under my breath, “gimme a break.”

 

I thought maybe her skin was reacting to the blue dye or something in the popsicle. That is, until I hugged her.

 

As I was holding her, I got a whiff of some serious “perfume-ish” fragrance. The wheels were spinning in my little brain. Then it made sense – I asked her, “Did you use someone else’s sunscreen today?” She responded, “Yes, because I couldn’t find mine in my backpack and the teacher had a kind that smelled so good!”

 

Oh my G**.

 

I didn’t know who was I more upset with – the school/teacher, or my child. She was lucky she was so swollen… she made me feel sorry for her!

 

In my next post, I’ll show you the list of my daughter’s “sensitivities” that I wrote out for the school and turned in with her camp registration. They always ask for additional information relating to “health conditions and allergies”. So I wrote that “Yes, she has a health condition – it’s called, ‘healthy’, and I’d like to keep it that way!”

 

Her “sensitivities” are the same sensitivities we ALL have to toxic foods and other substances. Just thought if I put them in writing, I might be taken more seriously!

 

Guess you need a “real” diagnosis/label (eg. gluten sensitivity, peanut or egg allergy, lactose intolerant) to get anyone to take your child’s innate genetic requirements for health seriously.

 

As I’ve said in previous posts, her new “medical condition”, as per her parents, is “I’m-just-trying-to-be-optimally-healthy-itis”. What’s so difficult about that?!

 

By the way, her water bottle came back almost FULL! UGH! (Apparently, she drank lots of ‘little cups’ of water at school.) Hmph.

 

We’ll see how Day #2 goes!

 

Tags: allergies, chemical sensitivity, kids health, reaction, skin rash