Shell Game

Another weekend, another allergy scare. We've been on a roll lately it seems.

I play in a touch football league here in Vancouver and my wife takes the kids to games whenever the field has nearby playground equipment. During the first half of this week's game our daughter was playing near the swings when she came over to my wife with something in her hand.

My wife casually looked down to see her holding, of all things ... a PEANUT SHELL!

Turns out that (I'm guessing) some kids might have been in the park the night before, eating peanuts while sitting in the swings. They left the shells on the ground. I try not to judge people's actions. I was a peanut eater before December and you just don't think twice about that pile of shells you leave at the football game, hockey game, etc. It is simply a lack of awareness.

This time around we were lucky. There was no reaction at all this but we did give her Benadryl and play the fearful waiting game. For the rest of the morning even the slightest little facial blemish looked like a 1cm wheal!

It's virtually certain that you'll see somebody eating a bag of in-shell peanuts someday soon. Consistent with cultural practice, they'll likely be throwing the shells on the ground. Please ask them politely to throw the shells into the trash. They'll likely be unaware of the potential danger to an allergic child.

It Takes A Village.