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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Food allergies and Compromises

Yesterday was the pre-opening of the new Emergency "Department" Hospital in town. It is a stand-alone emergency room and my brother-in-law will be one of the directors there.

We picked up JMonster and his cousin S (to be known from now on as Flower at her request!) from school, headed to pick up E & A from school, and then to see the new ED. Unfortunately, we forgot snacks.

Fortunately, when we walked in the door at the new hospital there was a table with cookies and waters all set up as if they just KNEW 4 kiddos were going to be visiting.

They were kind enough to let us view the nutrition labels of the cookie packages to see if they were "safe"...you know, peanut and tree nut free.

THEY WERE NOT. "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, and all known allergens to humans as well as all animals." (Okay, it didn't REALLY say all that. It just seemed like it!)

My sister said, "Oh come on. It's not as if it has it for sure. And you ARE in an emergency room if anything happens."

SO JMonster ate possibly tainted cookies. I held my breath.

And everyone was okay!

It did make me think, if they serve this type of thing and if doctors and nurses eat peanut butter sandwiches and crackers and such for lunch, dinner, snacks...what if someone comes in with the worst kind of allergy? One that they can't even be in the same room as the allergen? Then what? They go to the hospital for stitches or a broken bone and end up with anaphylactic shock? I guess they'd already be in the right place to be treated, wouldn't they?

1 comment:

ThatsBaloney said...

They have medication for people who think the way you do. Just kidding. I think that way too - but mostly about cooties.