Donna T DeCosta MD - A Little Bit Can Hurt: The Shocking Truth about Food Allergies -- Why We Should Care,What We Can Do

Copyright 2013 by Donna T. DeCosta, MD. All rights reserved.

Cover and interior photos copyright by Donna T. DeCosta. All rights reserved.

Cover, interior layout and logo designed by Karen J. Brand.

Edited by Margaret P. Carey.

No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photographic or electronic, without the written permission of the author.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

DeCosta, Donna.

A Little Bit Can Hurt: The Shocking Truth about Food Allergies - Why We Should Care, What We Can Do / Donna DeCosta.Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN: 13: 978-0989329101
eBook ISBN: 978-0-9893291-1-8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013909294

This book is intended to provide the reader with information about the subject matter. Any implementation of the information contained herein is at the reader's discretion. The reader should consult his or her own healthcare provider regarding information and suggestions in this book. Mention of internet websites, organizations, companies and other resources in this book does not imply endorsement by the author. Furthermore, the websites listed may have changed since publication.

Published in the United States of America

First Edition

This book is fondly dedicated
to my sons, Frank IV and Wesley;
to the millions of people with food allergies;
and to the countless individuals
who are diligently working to
make their lives safer and richer.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Above all, I thank God for His love and guidance, for providing me with a loving family and for bringing phenomenal people into my life.

My profound gratitude to my parents, June and Lawrence Turner, for their unconditional love and everlasting support of my efforts whether to attend medical school or write this book. They taught me that I could do anything that I put my mind to.

To the love of my life, my husband Frank DeCosta III, for supporting me, believing in me and helping me to fulfill my dreams.

Hugs and kisses to my sons, Frank IV and Wesley DeCosta, for reminding me daily of the precious gift of life.

I gratefully acknowledge my mother-in-law, Senora DeCosta, who has been a source of inspiration.

I express my warm and humble appreciation for the love and encouragement Shirley Dawkins has long offered me in this endeavor and many others.

I am extremely grateful for the professional guidance and wisdom offered by Dr. Miriam DeCosta-Willis during this long process.

Thank you to Valerie Burton, the keynote speaker at an inspirational retreat I attended. She helped me pinpoint my purpose and passion to raise food allergy awareness by writing this book.

My deepest gratitude and thanks to the families in the book who opened their hearts and homes to me in order to help others in their walk with food allergies.

I am indebted to Dr. Robert Wood, Ann Caldwell, Cecelia Pfeffer, Dr. Susan Rosendahl, Becky Fetters, Maria Acebal and Joel Schaefer for sharing their wisdom and professional guidance.

My deep appreciation to my friend and editor, Meg Carey, for her unwavering support throughout this project and for her patience and dedication over the years. Her long hours, attention to detail and invaluable input have taken this book to a level I could not have attained on my own.

Sincere thanks to Dr. Michael Goldman who provided the foreword and to both Dr. Glenn Silber and Dr. Goldman for their many years of exceptional medical care and for reviewing this book

My heartfelt thanks to Sam Horn for her vision and talent in helping me to develop my brand, for her belief in me, for her guidance throughout this project and for the book's title.

Thank you, Karen Brand, the creative force behind my logo, website and book design.

With love and appreciation to my extended family for their indispensable suggestions, contributions and support.

I am grateful to my church family for their prayers and words of encouragement.

I would also like to thank my colleagues and coworkers who offered support and enthusiasm for this book.

A huge "thank you" to my social media friends around the world for their thoughtful comments and suggestions.

Thanks to Kimberly Forsyth for her time and help in the early stages of writing this book.

Much appreciation to Jennifer Abernathy for her guidance and advice.

A special thanks to Barbara McNichol who was involved in the final proofreading of this book.

And finally, I thank the members of my family's Food Allergy Circle. Your opinions, suggestions and willingness to listen have inspired and motivated me.

NOTE TO THE READER

The personal narratives in Part I are derived from interviews conducted over the past seven years. The circumstances and events chronicled in the narratives are written to reflect the recollections of the subjects as closely as possible.

The professional interviews in Part II have all been conducted within a year of publication. The titles and positions of the subjects are accurate as of the time of their interviews.

Although this book has been reviewed by two allergists, it is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Rather, it is intended to serve as a support and tool in the management of your or your child's food allergy. Please consult your physician regarding medical advice.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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FOREWORD

A s an allergist who treats a lot of individuals with food allergies, and as the parent of a now twenty-year-old with peanut and fish allergies, I have experienced the food allergy world from both sides of the exam table. I was a post doctoral fellow in Allergy and Clinical Immunology in 1995 at Johns Hopkins when my then two-year-old son had his first systemic reaction to peanut butter. I had been treating patients with life-threatening allergies for a brief time, but I was now the frightened parent having to cope with a lifetime of food avoidance and risk of systemic reactions. I remember the fear and uncertainty that night as my wife and I went to the ER after giving my son epinephrine. Could he safely go to preschool, elementary school, overnight camp, college? (The answer to all these questions I now know is "yes.") At that time, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network was still a young organization, and the seriousness of food allergies was still foreign to many.

In this book, Dr. DeCosta has assembled a series of life stories about food allergies and their impact on individuals and families. It is a form of support group by proxy. These stories show you that you are not alone. Other individuals share your concerns, your anxieties. Others have gone through what you may be feeling and have come to certain solutions. While not all stories should be construed as the right way or even the medically correct way with dealing with a situation, each one demonstrates how food allergies have affected families and usually how they have triumphed over adversity. They focus on the positive as well as the more difficult aspects.

I was proud when my son told me at age 14 that he was glad he had food allergies because it gave him empathy for those with problems. I always encourage those with local food allergy organizations to get involved or start one. Everyone should join FARE and attend a FARE conference at least once. And while food allergy awareness is now much more prevalent than it was in the mid 90's, it is individual stories such as these that continue to spread the word. We are each ambassadors for the food allergy mission. The more educated, proactive, cooperative and pleasant we are, the more we advance the food allergy mission for others in the future.

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