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This is a post that is somewhat different to what we usually do – let us explain more!
There are some days that just plod along as normal, nothing major happens, and you get to the end of the day, and bam something lovely happens.
This happened to us last week!
So, there we were, checking the blog and comments received during the day, as we always do, and we see a link to a fab blog that we follow After the rain where we find out they have nominated us for a Liebster Award.
I’d not heard of a Liebster Award before, and after a bit of research found out that it’s given to up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers. Liebster derives from German and translates as sweetest, nicest, beloved, pleasant, cute, kind, welcome. How lovely is that!
A very big *thank you* is now winging its way to Tara! :)
I started to write this blog post straight away, but I must confess that I found it harder than I first imagined, and I like that, because it made me step out of my comfort zone!
There are some simple rules to follow when accepting the award:
- You have to post the award on your blog
- Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog
- Write 11 random facts about yourself
- Nominate 11 bloggers who you feel deserve this award and have less than 200 followers
- Answer 11 questions posted by the presenter and ask your nominees a set of 11 new questions
11 Random Facts About Me:
- I’m half French, hence the ‘h’ in my name (Nathalie)
- I can speak French fluently, although a little rusty with some words!
- My business is based on allergies due to my son and his multiple allergies, but I myself am allergic to pineapples – they make me violently sick
- I can’t eat too many tomatoes, they give me chronic stomach pains
- I hate the volume on the TV or car radio to be set at an odd number, if it is I feel compelled to change it to an even number!
- I have family dotted all over the world, and am thankful for social media which makes it much easier to stay in touch with them all!
- Ever since I watched ‘Witches of Eastwick’ I’ve not been able to eat cherries in any form, I literally can’t stand them!
- I fess up to being ‘one of those shoppers’ who takes ages to put things in their trolley, checking every single label, and sighing/ getting cross if it contains something the little dude can’t have, or if the ingredients on a previously safe product have changed and become unsafe, and wistfully remember when food shopping was much simpler (boy did I take it for granted!)
- I wish that I had magic powers to get rid of allergies the world over, and I sometimes have to pinch myself when I’m asked about the business, and meet people who tell me how it has helped them!
- I have written a number of books (cookbooks, children’s books, chick lit) based on allergies and the journey of the past 3 years, and working hard to find a publisher for them all
- I find these sorts of things really difficult to write, but I’ve actually quite enjoyed doing this one!
Q&A (fab questions Tara):
What is the story behind your blog name (even if it’s your name)?
It is based on my little boy who is allergic to lots, but still loves his food! There are many business and blog names using ‘allergy’ or ‘allergies’ or ‘allergic’, so I wanted something that would still convey that, but also be a bit different. It’s also a play on the initials GI (gastro intestinal) due to the tummy troubles he has as a result of his allergies.
Is there one particular post you are most proud of? (Please link it)
Yes there is, and it’s actually a very recent one which received an incredible amount of hits and shares. It depicts what life is really like when dealing with allergies and a little one, and many readers could relate!
https://intolerantgourmand.wordpress.com/2015/01/15/you-know-youre-an-allergy-mum-when
Has anything surprised you about blogging?
Most definitely! I love writing, I always have done, and find it very enjoyable, so I knew that I shouldn’t run out of content for the blog, although at first I was a little concerned. It’s amazing where you find your inspiration though, just a random conversation can lead to 2 or 3 blog posts, which in turn lead to more. I have a notebook with me where-ever I go, so that if an idea pops into my head, I can write it down before I forget about it!
What has really taken me by surprise is the many different countries that the blog has reached – that has truly blown me away! The blog started as a means to get thoughts and fears out there, so that what we were going through didn’t seem quite so overwhelming. As it evolved and reached more people, helping them with what we have learnt along the way it has humbled me. We receive emails all the time, thanking us for supporting and providing answers in an often bleak area, and I am so proud we have been able to achieve this! It has been an amazing journey so far, which I hope can continue for a long time yet!
What do you do when you procrastinate?
The hubby will immediately say that I grab my phone and jump on the social media networks! But I call that work, when it’s structured! For me, it’s more likely to be to write a new recipe, or to bake. Baking a cake is the best way of ‘wasting time’! And you get to eat the end result…. Happy days! :)
Do you have a favourite quote? (I’m collecting them for a quote wall in my office, which is actually my bedroom).
If it’s meant to be, it will be!
I’m a big believer in fate. If something is meant to happen, it will do. We might not always get there by the simplest of means, or we may ignore the first time it calls, but if we are meant to do something, or meant to have something, it will find us!
If you had an entirely free day to spend on your own doing something for your own pleasure what would you do?
Oh wow, now this is something that I think all working mums dream of!! I’d start the day by having a lie-in, an obvious choice maybe, but my god it’s a must! Then I’d book into a spa for the day with the besties and have a day of girly catch up and pamper sessions, followed by a late afternoon tea, where I would actually get to finish a cup of tea/coffee while it is still hot!!
Do you prefer city, country or coast?
Country or coast in equal measure, as long as the coast isn’t part of a city. I really don’t like the hustle and bustle, noise and dirt of the city. I worked in the centre of London for a few years, and it really took the shine away when you had to battle to catch the tube and jostle along overcrowded pavements.
We live in the middle of the countryside with rolling hills around, the back garden backs on to fields with horses, cows, sheep etc. Sounds idyllic and it really is! The kids love it! I grew up in the country myself, and I’m so glad they are getting the same opportunity. Callum’s first word was ‘tractor’, says it all really!
Do you have a favourite book?
Ah, now this is a difficult question to answer I have been a book worm since I was a little girl, and have read many fabulous books over the years so it's really hard for me to pick just one!
Are you a morning person?
No! I struggle in the mornings, and find I’m much happier and more productive the more the day progresses! That probably stems from not getting a good night’s sleep, and then resorting to drinking copious amounts of coffee to help me through the day!
Did you have a favourite television programme as a child?
Yes, but it will show my age if I say any more!
*whispers quietly* ‘button moon’, ‘raggy dolls’, ‘rainbow’, ‘puddle lane’ and ‘sooty’ – all firm favourites!
What is the one thing you would tell your younger self?
Not to be frightened of change or doing something different to everyone else, and to always believe in yourself!
When I was at school, and trying to get into uni, a teacher of mine told me I’d never get far because I had no idea what I wanted to do or be. It really dented my confidence. I’m sure most 18 year olds don’t really know what they want to do with their life, and go to uni or start working to find what is right for them. When the time is right, the answer will come, and they will end up doing what is right for them!
I would like to present my awards to the following bloggers:
And if you accept the award I would like you to answer the following:
- Why do you blog/ what made you start blogging?
- Do you have a favourite place where you like to write your blog posts?
- What would you like to achieve with your blogging (if you haven’t already)?
- What is your most memorable blog post and why (please post the link)?
- Tea or coffee?
- Sweet or savoury?
- What is your favourite meal and why? (I’m writing an article on people’s favourite meals and how it influences us/ makes us feel)
- What did you want to be when you were younger?
- What is your favourite time of the day?
- What would your dream job be and why?
- What one bit of advice would you give to someone just starting out in the blogging world?
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- Category: Allergies
As anyone who follows this blog knows, we are determined to change the way allergies are dealt with, how they are diagnosed, and how to manage them.
Our passion and determination has been as a direct result of the difficult, and often harrowing journey our little dude Callum has gone through from just 10 weeks of age.
Just imagine, a tiny baby with the following:
- covered with weeping sore eczema all over their little body
- unable to feed properly
- writhing around in severe pain
- colicky
- filling a ridiculous amount of nappies on a daily basis with frothy, mucous filled, blood flecked, horrible smelling stuff that doesn’t look anything like baby poo should do
- projectile reflux type sickness where you can’t quite believe something so small could contain so much fluid in their little tummy
- wheeziness all the time
- dark circles under their eyes all the time
- swollen eyes
- swollen fingers/ hands/wrists
Now, imagine having to fight for months, and yes you read that right, months, to get a diagnosis and finally have the chance to get your child well.
It has been a journey of despair, fear, disbelief, anger, frustration, and more. The journey is not over yet, and we still face a long battle ahead of us to keep little dude safe and well.
This is why we are so passionate, and why we are unwavering in our constant work:
- To share our knowledge
- To bring allergies to the forefront of people’s minds
- To make the health care professionals sit up and take note
- To train the health care professionals on the benefits of early diagnosis, so that suffering is kept to an absolute minimum
- To support parents as they navigate the long and difficult path to improvement
- To give parents the tools they need to improve their situation
I won’t lie, it’s been an incredibly hard road to travel, and it’s by no means over. Every single day, you live in fear of receiving a call to let you know there’s been a really bad reaction, or they can’t breathe very well and are in serious need of medical intervention. Just writing that gives me shivers.
We’ve experienced both scenarios, on more than one occasion, and it literally makes your heart split in two, and your stomach drop to the floor, filling you with pure fear.
It’s because of this we will not stop or give up until diagnosis is much improved, treatment pathways aren’t hit and hope, and survival rates of severe allergic reactions are vastly improved.
We are making great waves with our various clients, and for this we are immensely proud. The work currently undertaken has made a huge difference for the better already, and we’re thankful and hopeful that this can continue for years to come.
On top of this work, by sharing Callum’s journey with the press, we are able to make people aware that the problem they are dealing with, is real and it can be fixed, it really does get better, and to provide hope (where possible) that there is an end to the horrible journey anyone going through this has to deal with.
The last article Callum was featured in went viral, which is beyond what we could have hoped for.
His story is featured in this weeks ‘That’s Life’ with their own unique interpretation of his story. It is on the shelves now (see picture below), and we really hope to have a similar response so that many more little ones can be helped!
If just one little one doesn’t suffer or go through the lengths we had and still have to, to get them better, then all of this hard work will have been worth it!
To help us spread the word, and help others in a similar situation to us, please share this post, so they can get the help they need too!
As always, thank you lovely reader for your support, as it helps us to do what we’re doing, making the allergy world a safer and kinder place than it has been!
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- Category: Allergies
I see many posts all over the internet about allergies, how to cope with them, and the classic, ‘you know you’re an allergy mum when….’
It is true, there’s some sort of kinship! And relief, that you’re not the only one in the whole universe that’s experienced hell in a league beyond anything you’ve ever witnessed before, when talking with a fellow allergy survivor – and yes I do mean survivor!
The months of sleepless nights, the 24hr fear and worry over what the hell is actually wrong with your child.
The endless conversations around poo, and no I don’t mean the usual ones that take place when you become a parent. I mean the ones where you’re discussing green, orange, red, frothy, up to 20 times a day ones! The ones where you feel as if you’re single handedly keeping pampers/ huggies/supermarket own brand ones in business!!
The 10 times a day impromptu outfit changes and bath times to hose everything off! And the futile attempt that comes with it of holding your breath, and trying to soothe your inconsolable little one, whilst trying desperately not to gag, or worse, puke due to the seriously bad assault on your nostrils that hits the back of your throat and pulls your stomach contents up quicker than a shot of Jägermeister used to as a student!
The constant writing down of food and drink consumed, in the vain hope of finding some sort of connection to the snivelling, snotty, ill, unhappy, eczema encrusted, puke filled, poo machine, sorry mess of a child in front of you.
The despair of never truly knowing the answer of what is going on.
The teeny tiny bit of hope that one day your child may just grow out of whatever freaky thing is going on, or that there’ll be a miracle cure found, or that it will become acceptable to wrap your child up in cotton wool/ bubble wrap, because let’s face it, nothing else seems to be working!
The sheer bloody awe that you yourself haven’t become some quivering wreck in the corner. I came scary close at one point, when on 2hrs broken sleep a night. And my good god, sleep deprivation doesn’t half make things worse! It’s like the world, his wife and his dog is totally against you, right?! Stupid little things, like a tissue not being pulled out the box right can induce you to a fit of rage that the Incredible Hulk would have been proud of!
Yep, we’ve all been there! (stop laughing!)
That my friends, is a true depiction of ‘you know you’re an allergy mum when….!!’
We’ve had a ‘good run of it’ recently. Callum has seemed fairly stable, a few days where you question if something would happen, but on the whole, he’s been doing really well. That usually means something will happen sooner rather than later.
And boy did it!
We got some magic straws for Chloe and Callum to enjoy on Chloe’s birthday (Christmas Eve!), so as a special treat, as it was Christmas, we let them have them for breakfast! Chloe had the strawberry one, and Callum the chocolate one. The labelling suggested that all was safe, although the ‘chocolate flavouring’ left some unanswered questions….
A voice in the back of my head questioned whether it was wise, but we kept it to a small amount, and crossed our fingers and hoped for the best! *Note to self, don’t ever ignore that little voice!*
You can guess what happened…..
Yep, it backfired spectacularly on us!!
As soon as breakfast was finished, and everyone was washed and dressed and ready for the day, Chloe wanted to open her birthday presents.
So picture the scene, Chloe getting all excited over her big pile of presents, and starting to open them. Me, sat with pen and paper trying to write down who gave what, to make the thank you cards easier to do.
Mid-way through comes this mournful ‘mummy mine feel sick….’ Followed with a splat, splat ‘uh-oh’ splat, splat…….
Running, I find Callum surrounded by sick, and it was still coming thick and fast….
Those bloody straws!!!!
Not quite the chilled out, happy Christmas Eve we were planning!! Instead, Chloe was opening presents, whilst I mopped the floor, and Callum curled up in a ball on the sofa in the playroom, feeling very sorry for himself!
In the end, it took until the afternoon for poor Callum to start to feel more human again!
Always, always trust your instincts peeps, it usually isn’t wrong!
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Happy New Year everyone, we hope you had the most wonderful Christmas break! We had a busy but lovely time, and will tell more in our next post!
As with most people at the start of a new year, thoughts turn to plans for the coming year. So, what will happen with Intolerant G in 2015? There are already a number of projects in the pipeline, but we thought we'd push ourselves even further.
Not being the sort to sit back and relax, we've come up with a challenge, a brand new shiny challenge, that we're not sure whether we'll completely achieve, but we'll give it a damn good go!
The challenge...all those recipes that no-one would even consider touching/ amending, to become dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, wheat-free as standard. You know the ones I mean, the ones you can only dream of, those amazing recipes that invoke lovely memories that you wish your little ones could also enjoy.
The idea came about from discussing a tradition in our family.
We have a lot of French influence, and one French tradition for the new year is to have the family over to enjoy a 'Galette des Rois' (Cake of Kings).
The cake is cut into slices, and the youngest member of the family has to hide their eyes, and decide who in the family gets which slice. Hidden inside a slice is a little toy/ figure, and whoever finds it is crowned the king for the day. It's a lovely tradition that holds many happy memories for me as a child, and one that I would love to pass on to Chloe and Callum.
The cake is traditionally made using dairy products, egg, ground almond and so on. It tastes absolutely divine, but is obviously totally unsuitable for the little dude due to his allergies.
Callum is always so good when I tell him a food isn't safe, and I always give him something else to make up for it. But this year, I've decided that 'making up for it' just isn't good enough. I want to be able to give him a totally safe version of everything that we eat, including the not so usual recipes. The harder the challenge, the more I want to be able to achieve it!
So, I have already managed to almost get a 'Galette des Rois' recipe to the point where I'm happy, and is a pretty good alternative.
My challenge to you, fab reader, what recipes would you love to see become totally safe? I'll add them to my list and work on creating a fab new recipe!
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- Category: Allergies
Thank you so much to all of our wonderful followers and supporters during our first year of blogging!
We couldn't do what we do without you and your feedback, you've all been fab and made this year amazing!
So, it's now time to say 'Happy New Year' one and all, here's to a fab, allergy safe, reaction free 2015!
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- Category: Allergies
I can’t quite believe that it’s been 3 months since Callum’s repeat allergy testing back in September. I know I’ve said it before, but my goodness has this year flown by!!
So, 3 months after allergy testing can only mean one thing, yep, consultant time yet again.
I don’t mind these appointments, there’s nothing to be worrying about, getting concerned about or having sleepless nights compared to when they allergy test.
These appointments are actually fab, especially if you do your homework!
They’re the best opportunity to discuss observations, voice concerns, request advice, suggest possible addition/ alternative routes that the consultant may think is sensible to try.
Ultimately, to make a success of these appointments, you need to work as a team with the consultant. They should know your little ones history inside out, know what’s worked previously, be fully aware of other issues and concerns, and pre-empt any possible questions you have.
I’m well aware that sadly, it’s not always the norm, and that’s what Intolerant G was set up for!
We’re lucky though, Callum’s consultant is really good, one of the best. The fight for us was to get to see him in the first place, but once that happened, things really started to change for the better for us, as anyone who regularly follows this blog will tell you.
So, back to this latest appointment….
We have been trialling a wheat free diet on top of everything else that he has to avoid, due to blood in stools, severely distended tummy, very moody behaviour, and so on.
Well, after just 3 months, even the consultant agreed there was a substantial improvement. Callum’s tummy looks ‘normal’, there’s no more blood in his stools, he seems more comfortable, his shiners under the eyes have reduced even more – it’s all really positive.
We also had trialled baked egg in the form of a tiny bit of cake, but Callum reacted within an hour, with hives all over his body. Having taken photographic evidence, the consultant was able to make an informed decision. No eggs!! He clearly can’t cope with them at all!
Callum’s eczema seems mostly in control too, there’s a few patches that are stubborn to steroid creams, but on the whole, it’s fairly well managed.
On top of that, it looks like the asthma is quite well controlled too. The consultant wants us to trial montelokast (think that’s how it’s spelt) to see if it helps Callum at all, especially due to him suffering with what the consultant described as a ‘multi system allergic response’. He did mention that it sometimes has an adverse reaction to behaviour/ moods….
So, my question to you lovely lot, do you have experience of using montelokast? Have you seen a change in behaviour/ mood? Is it worth doing?
I want to make absolutely sure it’s right for our brave soldier, before giving even more meds to deal with!
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There is a real festive feeling starting to descend on our house this week! It's lovely!
The advent traditions have been going strong for almost 2 weeks now, but it's as the rest of the Christmassy things come together, that the festive glow starts to build.
It started with Jon's work christmas do last weekend, followed by the baking of Christmas goodies at the beginning of the week. Then came Chloe's nativity at school, and Christmas jumper day today!
But the one big event in any house is the decorating of the Christmas Tree!
We always have a real tree! To me, Christmas Day is all the more special when you're sat there with the smell of a real tree, with the fire going, whilst opening presents with your nearest and dearest!
I was worried about how it might affect Callum with his asthma, but thankfully it doesn't seem to be one of his triggers!
There's a nursery in the village next us, that we always go to.
So we rock up with the trailer hooked to the back of the car, über excited kiddos in tow!
Then comes the exciting 'run' to the Christmas trees, followed by the choosing of the 'perfect' one, before paying and heading home to decorate it!
I always say it, and this year is no exception, the tree is an absolute beauty this year! Evenly proportioned, perfect height, and lovely deep bluey green colour!
It's been the perfect afternoon and evening, with the whole family involved in decorating it!
I think it's safe to say that we're all getting a little but excited about Christmas now!
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- Category: Allergies
Wow, how on earth is it 1st December already?! This year has absolutely flown by hasn’t it!!
If you’re anything like our house, today marks the beginning of a level of excitement in the kiddiwinks that the rest of the year simply can’t match.
And why?
The return of the advent calendars of course!
Now, if we were a regular house, and had no worries over allergies, advent calendars would be far simpler than they are. There are so many options on the shelves these days, Thomas the tank, One Direction, Barbie, Spiderman, Cadbury’s, Mars – there’s almost too many to choose from.
Trouble is, they are all totally unsuitable for Callum.
So, what’s an allergy mum to do?!
Well, this is where the special ‘make your own’ advent calendars really come into their own.
And ours are a little bit special.
When Jon and I first started dating, many moons ago, we decided to get each other an advent calendar with a difference for our first Christmas together. I got him a ‘Father Christmas’ one, and filled it with his favourite Lindt chocolates. And he got me a ‘Christmas Tree’ one, and filled it with my favourite chocolates, also Lindt! For many years we kept the tradition going, until the kiddos came along!
Chloe now has my ‘Christmas Tree’ one, and Callum the ‘Father Christmas’ one.
They’re really special now, and the Christmas countdown just wouldn’t be the same without them!
The beauty of these calendars, is that we can fill them with whatever we want, and this is perfect for Callum.
Dairy-free chocolates here we come!!
They’re both none the wiser, and are so excited when they see them for the first time. This morning was no exception,
with the little dude exclaiming a ‘whoa look, loads of mine chocolate, amazing!’
Just makes your heart melt doesn’t it!
On top of the calendars, this year, we’re also doing the ‘book advent’.
I really love this idea. 24 books, individually wrapped, 1 a night right up to Christmas Eve, with the 24th book being ‘The Night Before Christmas’.
We always read a book to the children, every single night, no matter how late they get to bed. It’s a lovely chance for some extra cuddles with them before the end of the day!
When they saw the pile of wrapped books all ready to go this morning, they were in awe.
24 nights of special cuddles, reading special books, during the most special time of the year.
What more could a mummy ask for?! 
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- Category: Allergies
One thing is for certain when living with allergies, you have to be totally aware of everything going on around you!
You literally have to know what is going to happen, almost before it happens, so that you can stay one step ahead of the game.
It’s hard work, and a tiring, all consuming process, but one that ultimately keeps your little one safe as much as possible. Or at least it usually does!
I’ve written a post before about attending birthday parties, and how to cope with them when dealing with allergies.
You need eyes in the back of your head, especially with a fast little dude like Callum.
Callum is incredibly lucky, not only does he have me watching him wherever we go, but he also has Chloe, his fabulous big sister, who is always watching out for him! She’s simply fab!
Truth be told, she is an absolute godsend! To him, and to me!
She watches him like a hawk, tries to include him in all the party games she’s involved with, and also makes sure that he doesn’t eat anything he’s not meant to. To be fair to Callum, he’s very good, and doesn’t eat anything that I’ve not given him, but it’s incredibly reassuring to know that Chloe’s also watching to make sure he’s ok – especially if my back is turned for even just a moment.
Now, I like to think I’m fairly clued up when it comes to allergies and parties, or just going out in general. I write articles about how to cope, I coach on the top 10 things to look out for, how to deal with tricky situations, and I support other parents who’ve had bad experiences.
Well, here’s where I confess that even the best of us get caught out!
Yep, we really do!
A couple of weekends ago, we were at a party, and I had done my usual party lunch box for Callum, so that he could eat safe food.
I’d also checked out the party room, so I knew where the possible danger areas could be, and moved any dangerous foods (ie likely to cause a severe allergic reaction) out of his reach.
I even asked the parents to do an announcement to everyone in the room not to feed Callum, and the quick version of the reasons why.
I’d also made sure that the area where Callum would be sitting whilst he ate, was totally safe and had no residue on the table (a potential source of allergic reaction).
Brilliant, or so I thought. Everyone was aware of his situation, the dangerous foods were out of reach, and maybe I could actually relax a little bit after all….
Yep, that didn’t last long!
The entertainer had heard the announcement about not giving Callum ‘anything’ at all.
Sadly, it wasn’t taken on board.
Any allergy mum will tell you that you get a kind of sixth sense, you just know when you need to watch your little one closely. Thankfully my awareness radar was on full alert!
Once all the children had eaten, they went on to play party games with the entertainer. I was helping to clear up some of the party food, but then stopped and started to watch Callum closely.
Thank goodness I did!!
The entertainer had started a game of musical statues, and was tapping the ones doing well, and placing a large chocolate coin on their head.
Callum was chosen.
And had a chocolate coin placed on his head.
A chocolate coin.
A dairy filled, severe allergic reaction inducing chocolate coin…..
Oh god!!!
2 mothers either side of me, noticed my immediate sharp inhale of breath, and the rush of panic going through me.
Thankfully, Callum is very well trained by us, and so good at knowing what he can and can’t eat. I’ve never been more proud of him.
He looked at me, I shook my head to indicate ‘no’, and he came running to me straight away with his hand out, to give me the chocolate coin.
I always carry ‘safe’ sweets with me, so that he never misses out. I’m not ashamed to say, I gave him double the normal trade off, plus a big amount of cuddles!
There were no tears, no tantrums, no stamping of feet, no rage.
Just a calm acceptance.
We have always been totally honest with Callum, and as a result, he knows what makes him feel utterly rubbish, he knows what makes him sick, gives him nasty nappies, causes nasty eczema patches.
He knew to stay away.
For that, I am so incredibly proud!!
I may not have been able to prevent him from being given the contraband on this occasion, but by staying on the ball, a major crisis was averted.
