Hopes dashed but still having hope

So, today was allergy testing day for K.  He has been off of antihistimines since before I went to Park City.  Plenty of time for it to clear his system.  I was out of town on business and connected in Chicago last night flying in this morning for the appointment.

Well, he can eat corn without restraint which is GREAT news!  I was rather panicked at the thought of going corn free.  BUT, after a clear skin test in April and a blood test showing allergy in May, today's skin test confirmed that K is still very allergic to peanuts.  Sigh.

Why do I sigh?  K's school does NOT get food allergies.  They INSISTED on Chick-fil-a chicken nuggets for the Kindergarten Thanksgiving celebration at 10am.  K is to avoid peanuts and peanut oil.  I offered to pay for the alternative (it is a private school) but the principal would NOT budge.  So, I took a half day from work and sat between K and the rest of the kids with an Epi-Pen Jr. in one hand and wipes in the other.  I've gone round and round with the principal over the allergy issue.  She will not take it seriously :-(  Today's appointment means it is another point to confront with her.

So, now I have a child who has a special needs diagnosis that will involve visible interventions in the classroom who also has a life threatening food allergy.  I have this awful feeling in my stomach that I'm the mother of the kid that will be the class punching bag in another couple of years.  I'm working to build confidence in him to try to avoid this situation but it is honestly one of my biggest fears.  I know K will be a productive, happy, well-adjusted adult.  It is elementary, middle and high school that scare the daylights out of me as a mother.

I'm reading Quirky Kids and It's So Hard to be Your Friend right now.  Perhaps this is why I'm so focused on this.  I don't know.  I do know that kids can be downright mean.  K's allergy means he can't sit with the other kids at lunch.  He will have an FM transmitter in the classroom this year.  Part of me wants to not do those things but putting ones life on the line and suboptimtizing the rest of the learning potential due to social concerns just isn't right.

Sometimes choices are quite hard and do not have clarity at the time the choices are made.  I hope K and his classmates make good choices over the years.

I love you K!  You are an amazing boy!  I'm so proud of all you are doing this summer with Fast ForWord.  You will thrive and do great things!