Monday, July 28, 2014

Adzuki Beans

Got excited about new ingredient in some sauces I saw talked about in a magazine. Adzuki beans. So I thought "wow" an addition to spice up an old meal or a add to a new meal. 
  So, being well trained for due diligence after 20 years in the food allergy world, I looked up what an adzuki bean is and where it comes from. 
  This bean was harder to research than I thought. And I still have not found hard  science site, though I have read a number of blog sites and personal stories. These blogs say that Adzuki beans, or aduki  beans as they are also called, are related to the soybean. One even suggests that if your child is allergic to soy, do not try adzuki beans. 
  So we won't be trying those sauces just yet. 
 Darn, I'll have to make my own chimichurri. 

Friday, July 4, 2014

Epi- pens and Avi-Q

At 530 on July 3, my wonderful pediatrician called to let me know that he was wrestling with our insurance carrier about AviQ-- 
Why would a patient need both an Epi-pen and an AviQ?
Why would a hearing patient need an AviQ? 
      Why. Why. Why. First the care coordinator. Then the approving doctor. Then the medical director. 
  And I still don't have the meds!
Why Epi and AviQ: because carrying an Avi when exercising, for instance, is easier than an Epi.
Why would a hearing patient...which is exactly the wrong question-- the AviQ speaks so you'd have to hear. 

Are the companies not educating insurers because  they're fighting over patient loyalty?  Are these companies fighting dirty over US. Isn't American business built on Ford over Chevy? And Macy's over Gimbels?  Is their business model getting in the way of our safety? And our quality of life?
  Feels that way. 
I know FARE is working on advocacy-- but let's raise our voices too-- for educating the insurers about why we'd want the choice of different products.