Peanut Alergies Canadian Military

[c***@uncommonlaw.com]

Howdy. Considering strongly giving up the civilian life and joining the military. I have a peanut alergy.
Can anyone tell me for sure if this is an issue?

Thanks

[Michael Cuell]

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
Howdy. Considering strongly giving up the civilian life and joining the

military. I have a peanut alergy.

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
Can anyone tell me for sure if this is an issue?
Thanks

For the most part, no... but I can't make that determination without
seeing you and doing your medical. The biggest challenge would be based on
the severity of the allergy. Ensure that when you have your recruit medical
that you let them know about the allergy and how severe your reactions are.
They should want to know if you've ever been hospitalized for it, ever had
to be intubated (have a tube down your throat), frequency of reactions, how
much of the allergen sets you off... ie: does the smell of peanuts provoke a
reaction or do you have to eat them.

Regards...
Michael

[Dave]

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
Howdy. Considering strongly giving up the civilian life and joining the

military. I have a peanut alergy.

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
Can anyone tell me for sure if this is an issue?
Thanks

For the most part, no... but I can't make that determination without
seeing you and doing your medical. The biggest challenge would be based on
the severity of the allergy. Ensure that when you have your recruit medical
that you let them know about the allergy and how severe your reactions are.
They should want to know if you've ever been hospitalized for it, ever had
to be intubated (have a tube down your throat), frequency of

reactions, how

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
much of the allergen sets you off... ie: does the smell of peanuts provoke a
reaction or do you have to eat them.
Regards...
Michael

I'd be a little curious how this turns out after the dust settles. I
know a co-worker whose spouse was applying for the CF, and she mentioned
during the medical that she'd had a mild allergic reaction to bee stings
when she was much younger. Initially, they refused her application on
the basis that she had a known allergy, until she had an allergy test
(paid for out-of-pocket) to rule out the possibility that she was still
allergic to bee stings. I was a little surprised that they'd refuse a
person for an allergy such as that. I informally asked the pharmacist
at our MIR how many personnel carry Epipens for known allergies, and she
told me that it's pretty close to the same percentage as the general
public - it's relatively common.

My personal experience has been that the CF can refuse entrance to
applicants with known allergies, but serving personnel who develop them
(or they're only discovered after enrolment) are allowed to remain with
treatment (Epipen). I was never able to find anything in CFMOs
concerning the issue.

I would hope I'm wrong.

Dave

[Blaeden]

Probibly a matter of them having developed the allergies after recruitment.
Once yer in, yer in.

Post by Michael Cuell

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
Howdy. Considering strongly giving up the civilian life and joining

the

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
military. I have a peanut alergy.

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
Can anyone tell me for sure if this is an issue?
Thanks

For the most part, no... but I can't make that determination

without

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
seeing you and doing your medical. The biggest challenge would be

based on

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
the severity of the allergy. Ensure that when you have your recruit

medical

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
that you let them know about the allergy and how severe your reactions

are.

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
They should want to know if you've ever been hospitalized for it, ever

had

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
to be intubated (have a tube down your throat), frequency of

reactions, how

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
much of the allergen sets you off... ie: does the smell of peanuts

provoke a

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
reaction or do you have to eat them.
Regards...
Michael

I'd be a little curious how this turns out after the dust settles. I
know a co-worker whose spouse was applying for the CF, and she mentioned
during the medical that she'd had a mild allergic reaction to bee stings
when she was much younger. Initially, they refused her application on
the basis that she had a known allergy, until she had an allergy test
(paid for out-of-pocket) to rule out the possibility that she was still
allergic to bee stings. I was a little surprised that they'd refuse a
person for an allergy such as that. I informally asked the pharmacist
at our MIR how many personnel carry Epipens for known allergies, and she
told me that it's pretty close to the same percentage as the general
public - it's relatively common.
My personal experience has been that the CF can refuse entrance to
applicants with known allergies, but serving personnel who develop them
(or they're only discovered after enrolment) are allowed to remain with
treatment (Epipen). I was never able to find anything in CFMOs
concerning the issue.
I would hope I'm wrong.
Dave

[c***@uncommonlaw.com]

I'm already in the reserves and I have been examined frequently. I made it known to everyone that was was alergic.
It's not severe. I'm just worried about it. I want to peace keep and do my bit.

[Andrew Chaplin]

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
I'm already in the reserves and I have been examined frequently. I made it known to everyone that was was alergic.
It's not severe. I'm just worried about it. I want to peace keep and do my bit.

One of the things you have to be prepared to be is a spare cog in a
military machine that demands fitness -- you have to be robust to a
certain extent. People with allergies are not generally robust, so
they get may get less than G2O2 in their med profile. The docs are not
trying to cheese you out of a job, fit people are too rare these days,
they're trying to protect you and the service.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)

[Tim Green]

Post by Andrew Chaplin

Post by c***@uncommonlaw.com
I'm already in the reserves and I have been examined frequently. I
made it known to everyone that was was alergic. It's not severe. I'm
just worried about it. I want to peace keep and do my bit.

One of the things you have to be prepared to be is a spare cog in a
military machine that demands fitness -- you have to be robust to a
certain extent. People with allergies are not generally robust, so
they get may get less than G2O2 in their med profile. The docs are not
trying to cheese you out of a job, fit people are too rare these days,
they're trying to protect you and the service.

And of course if one wanted to do something long term about ones' allergies
rather than shrugging and saying "Hey, that's the way it is" or simply
treating the symptoms for the rest of one's life (that's what the epi pen
is all about), then one could consult a Heilkunst homeopath (try googling
"heilkunst") and actually get rid of the allergies. That would be like
getting proper body work done on a rusty car instead of simply painting
over the rusty spots and wondering why the problem keeps coming back.

If you got rid of your allergies, it would improve your medical profile,
everything else being equal, or improve your chances of getting into the CF
in the first place. I always wondered why people put up with allergies,
whether servere or inconvenient, especially in their young children who
have their whole lives ahead of them, when there is a way to do get rid of
them.

[Bill Sproul]

I know a MCpl who has a peanut allergy. Had it since he was a kid. He told
CF about it when he joined

20 yrs ago, and they let him join anyway. Has never had an incident,

obviously he is very careful. Served on Op Apollo, in Germany...

CF tried to "limit his service" two years ago, even though he was on an
IPS. After a "well written submission" to Ottawa, they dropped the matter.
I understand that many with bee allergies are having trouble, but you can't
control when a bee will sting you. You can control what you eat. Apparently
most people with peanut allergies can tell there is a problem with their
food, and spit it out before there are more serious consequences. If you
have such an allergy, you simply don't wolf down cookies without
thinking......

There you go...

Bill