Category Archives: Uncategorized

How has your dad supported you?

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Erika and Dad

Today I’d like to dedicate my post to my father. An amazing man who has been there every step of the way. He’s always stood by me, whether it be in -30 degrees or + 30 degrees! My dad has been my rock. Living with food allergies and asthma, there are ups and there are downs. As a teenager, my dream was to make it to the Olympics one day and to race internationally, in cross-country skiing! My family and friends were always extremely supportive and I am extremely fortunate.

Winters were always EXTREMELY busy, with races pretty much every weekend when I was at the more competitive levels. My dad and I were constantly away. We were a two man team a lot of the time, he would wax my skis and I would race my heart out. When I was in competitive sport, I never felt sad about my food allergies, or frustrated about my asthma. My dad would remind me to take my inhalers 30 minutes prior to my race and within a few minutes of my start as prescribed by my doctor. And he would have safe snacks for me after my race when I was needing energy! Together we made a terrific team! My dad would give me pep talks before each race and help me ease my nerves leading up to larger races. I loved hearing about how in the wax hut he had heard of a new trick to make my skis even faster, and other tips he’d gotten from other coaches or parents.

K0sk1n2d3 St4rt

He was always on the sidelines cheering me on and he was always there to cover me in a blanket or bring me my coat after the race.

My dad has always known how to enjoy the moment. We’ve had some fairly competitive races around the tracks and I will never forget those! Our family seems to get really competitive in Go Karts! I love it! :)

G0 K1rtsG0 K1rts 2rik3

In the summer it was cross-training in sprint kayak and training camps. He was always driving me around, just like the cross-country skiing races. I am fortunate to have a dad who goes out of his way to make things work, to find a solution and to keep us all smiling. So thank you dad. Thank you for being there for me every step of the way.

What are some of the greatest things your dad has done for you? Or perhaps moments you will always remember…

 

A weekend of safe meals away from home!

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Salad Raspberry

This past weekend, I felt extremely safe with all my meals, even though I was far from home! The conference I attended was held at Kingbridge Conference Centre & Institute. The kitchen staff had been provided a list of all my allergies by the conference organizers prior to the conference. Meals were buffet style for starters and breakfasts, and plated for the main meals. At breakfast, lunch and dinner, I would mention to a waitress that I was the one with multiple food allergies. They would nod, tell me to have a seat and shortly after, one of the kitchen managers would bring my plate out to me. The food was great and the staffs attention to my allergies and full understanding and appreciation of the severity of them was one of a kind.

Steak Dinner

Each meal, I felt included. My meals were almost identical to everyone else’s plates! They did a wonderful job at every meal. They even had a sorbet for me and a nice strawberry and mint fruit cup.

I had dessert with every dinner! A real treat :)

DessertSorbet

Thank you Kingbridge Conference Centre & Institute for such wonderful service. The staff were friendly and always smiling! Good safe food, attentive staff, a beautiful venue with squash, tennis and basketball courts, indoor and outdoor pool, an indoor running track and walking trails makes this Centre the perfect getaway!!!

If you are looking for a place to stay somewhere near Toronto I HIGHLY recommend a visit! The staff will take great care of you.

For food allergy and environmental allergy accommodations, I rate them as a 10/10.

 

Close friends, family, and loved ones

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Beach View

 

I have been extremely busy lately, juggling health, multiple jobs and such, and have taken some down time, to relax, re-focus and plan! Health challenges can often be overwhelming, though it is so rewarding when you finally get a grip on things. Whether it be dealing with severe food allergies, environmental allergies, asthma, a serious chest cold, or injuries from sports or an accident, it is easy to get pulled into a downwards spiral. Times when we are perhaps not as healthy, having the loving, caring and supportive family members, relatives, colleagues and close friends around will make things a whole lot better.

Having someone who is not afraid to give you a pep talk and get you back on track is key! When things are not going so great, it is easier to lose sight of our goals. I’ve learned that the best possible thing I can do to prevent myself from losing sight of my goals, dreams and other plans is to be able to kick myself out of the blues. A quick pep talk usually gets me back on track, though often times, a hug or chat with a close friend or my sibling is needed. I like to go for a walk, or sit on the beach and listen to the sounds of the waves breaking, or watch the calm water on a day when there is no wind.

Do you ever find you are overwhelmed by health challenges? If so, how do you get back on your feet and try to see past the present struggles? Do you tell yourself it is only temporary? Do you tell yourself you’ve gotten through it before? Who do you call for a chat?

Shampoo, conditioner and body wash

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Natural hair products

In following up to yesterdays’ post…

If you are anything like me, the products at the pharmacy or local grocery store just won’t cut it when it comes to shampoos, conditioners and body washes or bar soap. All the fragrance, perfumes and other scents always make me itchy or give me hives. Have you ever read the ingredients on your shampoo bottle? Or on the bar soap you use? If you haven’t I’d suggest having a read. All I can say is that most conditioners have wheat and/or soy.

Did you know that… another common ingredient you will find in most of the products on the market these days are parabens. Parabens are used as a preservative in many products, beauty products mainly. I’ve gotten hives from them in the past.

My scalp used to be itchy all the time! I switched to these natural products and now, I could never imagine trying a new product. They work great and I never feel itchy. If you are considering switching to a natural soap, be sure to read ingredients VERY diligently as you’ll notice that a lot of the different brands out there use soy or almond. When I first set out to find new hair and body products, I spent a lot of time reading and re-reading labels.

And when I go to the hair salon, I either bring my own products, or go prepared to have an itchy scalp for the next 24 to 48 hrs… Read an earlier post of mine; Time for a Haircut? about trips to the salon.

Tomorrow’s post will be about perfumes and makeup…

Wearing a mask on the bus

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photo

Have any of you considered wearing a mask on public transit or on chartered buses? I have worn a mask when on larger chartered buses for longer trips, like 1 hr or more. I have never worn them on public transit. I will be taking a chartered bus at the end of the month and know, without any doubt that I will be wearing a mask. I have a stock at home and am ready to sit next to the window and strap my mask on. I’ve had reactions in buses before and wearing the mask makes me feel safe.

So what’s the difference with wearing a mask on local public transit over a chartered bus? Well, triggers are definitely the exact same, so the benefit would be the same. Well worth it! The difference is that I would get a whole lot more stares and feel much less comfortable on public transit. The crazy thing is that other countries wear masks all the time. But here it would get quite a bit of attention. People wear them for colds and illnesses, however wearing them for allergies might not actually be all that common, if in fact it happens at all.

How do you deal with triggers on the bus. Would you wear a mask?

The triggers on the bus go…

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What a way to start the day! Sitting right next to us on the bus was a girl dowsed in perfume. I was trying to keep my antihistamine use to a minimum as I’m prone to getting really drowsy from most of them. This morning I’m starting it off drowsy. The perfume coupled with other triggers on this bus have my nose running, eyes itching and some coughing to go along with it. This bus is quite a closed trigger environment. I can’t wait to get outside. Another 10 minutes in this trigger filled environment. Never been more excited to get to work.

And just when I thought I had had my fill! Here comes the cologne. Eek. This is getting absurd… :(

When you take public transit, do you get ups and downs with triggers? Perhaps some bus rides trigger your allergies and others don’t? That’s what happens with me. Especially when you are on a bus with smokers, perfume, pet dander and a ton of dust! Fun, fun, fun.

It’s Friday!

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The weekend is finally here! What do you have planned for the weekend? Perhaps dinner out at a restaurant you trust with friends and family? Over here on Canada’s west coast the weather is looking quite decent and some walks along the beach are in order :) I’m also working on a new project that I will be sharing with you all very soon! for right now we are headed to the airport to take a few pictures with my new camera!! Wishing you all a fun, safe weekend!