![\"Close-up](\"http:\/\/whensparksfly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Indian_food_naan.jpg\")
Copyright: Image by StockUnlimited<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n Usually when food contains something that he is\u00a0allergic to, it “makes his tongue hurt” in his words. Not this time. It was a half-hour later when he started to have trouble breathing that we got scared. We had an Epi-Pen with us, but the first thing you’re supposed to do after administering it is call 911. Not likely in rural Guatemala.<\/p>\n To get to the nearest hospital, we would have to walk 15 minutes to the dock, arrange\u00a0a private 45 minute boat trip across the lake, then get in a taxi for a 30 minute drive to the hospital in Solol\u00e1. Fortunately the heavy\u00a0dose of Benadryl that Jen gave him worked, and his breathing became easier. We decided to look for an apartment closer to civilization.<\/p>\n Quinn’s food allergies did give us pause before we embarked on our trip. It’s difficult enough dealing with food allergies\u00a0at home where we know the language, where restaurants are becoming more and more accustomed to allergy issues, and supermarkets carry a variety of allergen-free products.<\/p>\n Copyright: Image by StockUnlimited<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n Strangely enough\u00a0food allergies seem to only be a phenomenon of highly-developed countries. Why that is is anyone’s guess, but it means that depending on where you travel people may not be as accustomed to the problem as they are at home.<\/p>\n Even though we knew Quinn’s allergies would present a challenge, we ultimately decided to embark on our trip. Here are the things we did to prepare.<\/p>\n Think about the things you say most often at home, mostly in restaurants, and learn how to say them in the local language where you’ll be travelling. Here are some key phrases we learned early on (and used often):<\/p>\n Copyright: Image by StockUnlimited<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n It’s okay to ask for something that’s not on the menu. Often we could get grilled chicken and rice, or another basic, kid-friendly meal. When we traveled in Latin America, nearly every restaurant we visited\u00a0was happy to accommodate our requests.<\/p>\n We find even at home that we tend to cook in often, simply because of the hassle and risk that eating out entails. If you’re used to using allergen-free substitutes at home, you can do the same thing on the road. We usually use ground flax seed (mixed with water) as an egg substitute in pancakes. While we did find it in some places, you can bring enough with you to last a long time.<\/p>\n Copyright: Image by StockUnlimited<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n One of our breakfast staples is soy milk. Surprisingly we were able to find it almost everywhere we went in Latin America. Most large supermarkets carried it, and we found that even some small tiendas had it, although usually we had to ask.<\/p>\n Other allergen-free products were more difficult to find. We never saw Sun Butter (a peanut butter substitute made from sunflower seeds) or Wow Butter (a soy-based peanut butter substitute). We\u00a0met\u00a0other travelers who made their own by buying the raw seeds and processing them. \u00a0While cheese substitute products were not available in Latin America, we were able to find dairy-free margarines quite often during our travels.<\/p>\n We carried his allergy medications with us at ALL<\/strong> times. \u00a0Even if we were only planning to go\u00a0on a short walk, there was always the chance of getting something\u00a0to eat along the way. \u00a0We figured that anytime there is a chance to eat, there is a chance of an allergic reaction.<\/p>\n What did we carry exactly? \u00a0Our primary kit was made up of: a bottle of Benadryl<\/a>, a 2-pack of Epi-pens<\/a> (epinephrine), and an\u00a0inhaler<\/a> (albuterol). \u00a0These we carried with us literally all of the time<\/strong>. \u00a0If we hadn’t had these with us when we Quinn had that allergic reaction\u00a0in San Marcos… well, I shudder to think what might have happened.<\/p>\n Copyright: Image by StockUnlimited<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n Our main medical kit was kept in the van. \u00a0We kept a full-on expedition med kit (we bought one of these<\/a>), plus some syringes (just in case clean ones weren’t available and we needed injections for something at a medical clinic\/hospital), and both adult and\u00a0child versions of\u00a0ciprofloxacin<\/a>\u00a0in case of serious intestinal issues.<\/p>\n We also carried in the van\u00a0not one, but TWO, nebulizers<\/a>\u00a0(along with the appropriate prescription medication)\u00a0in case Quinn’s allergies caused him any respiratory issues. \u00a0You could say we were prepared for just about anything.<\/p>\n Since even the best medical kit doesn’t help you if you don’t know how to use it<\/strong>, we also prepared in advance for the trip by taking a Wilderness First Aid class<\/a> through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)<\/a>.<\/p>\n Benadryl was our\u00a0first line of defense whenever Quinn’s food allergies became an\u00a0issue. \u00a0Fortunately for us that took care of all of the food-related\u00a0situations we encountered. \u00a0In addition, we were able to easily find it in pharmacies during our travels.<\/p>\nAre We Nuts?<\/h3>\n
![\"Restaurant](\"http:\/\/whensparksfly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Restaurant_menu.png\")
Learn Key Phrases<\/h3>\n
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![\"ordering](\"http:\/\/whensparksfly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/ordering_food.jpg\")
Cooking In<\/h3>\n
![\"Heart](\"http:\/\/whensparksfly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/heart_pancake.jpg\")
Always Carry Your Meds With You<\/h3>\n
![\"Medical](\"http:\/\/whensparksfly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/medical_kit.png\")
Availability of Meds Locally<\/h3>\n
![\"Medical](\"http:\/\/whensparksfly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/medical_mortar_and_pestle.png\")
![\"Quinn](\"http:\/\/whensparksfly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Quinn_on_beach_in-Brazil.jpg\")