Well...we finally got some answers. We took Tripp for a follow-up appointment to Children's Medical Center on Monday. The goal was to test prunes and carrots, two foods that I thought he got hives when he ate them. The numbers went like this: 1 - saline, 2 - histamine, 3 - PEANUTS!, 4- EGGS!, 5 - carrots, 6 prunes.
Clearly, I was not correct in my assessment that he was allergic to carrots and prunes. The poor guys is really allergic to Peanuts and Eggs. His poor back swelled up immediately. We had to blow on it and fan it just to keep him semi-comfortable. After 15 minutes, the nurse came in to gather the results. She would not comment on the findings. A few minutes later, the doctor walks in with the diagnosis. Yep, he is allergic!
Honestly, my first reaction was relief. Oh, that is why we are dealing with eczema and asthma. That is why he has broken out in hives so many times. So then we look to the doctor with the question, well "okay, how do we treat it? What? You can't treat it? He will have this forever?"
My logical side kicks in again and I am thinking okay, no peanut butter, no scrambled eggs and we are home free. WRONG AGAIN! Peanuts and eggs are in everything!!!! Candy bars, cookies, crackers, pasta, baked anything, breaded chicken, meatballs....I could go on and on. This was huge! You know it is gonna be rough when the doctor hands you the action plan and a support group at the same time.
It has taken me several days to process this information and what it would mean for my family. The internet has been friend and foe for sure. I have found great resources that make me think that he might get to eat cake on his birthday and others that make me truly fear him having a real reaction. I have found some great blogs on families that deal with these allergies and even more. I spent a long time in the health food section of the grocery store exploring food labels. I have researched bracelets, stickers, and tags to alert caregivers of Tripp's risks. I want to find the middle ground between dangerously ignorant and overly neurotic. Will there be such a space for me???
I know we can work through this. We have done much harder. So many other families deal with much bigger issues everyday. I have NOT lost perspective. I know that my children don't belong to me. They belong to HIM and are here for HIS glory.
Here is my constant prayer:
Lord, I pray that these struggles bring you glory and help me stay on my crazy path to sanctification. Please protect Tripp. Give me wisdom and discernment in his care. I pray that his egg test in June goes well and we can start egg treatment. I am once again on my knees, and humbled to be your child. In Jesus name, Amen.
I hope to keep everyone updated not only on Tripp's condition, but also on resources, recipes, and information I can track down about food allergies. I would love to hear from you if you have dealt with this in your own family. Thanks for always listening to me!
I just wanted to say that my daughter is alergic to cow's milk and before she was diagnosed she had the skin test done twice. The first time, she had 4's on corn, soy and peanuts. I freaked out because corn is literally in almost everything. Then we took her to a different clinic for the same test and they decided she was allergic to nothing. So I took her to a third doctor who did an IgG blood sensitivity test and found that she was extremely allergic to cow's milk. We have been dairy-free for 4 years and she is much improved. I just wanted to say that food allergies are a life change--for everyone in the family. Maybe get a second opinion, just to be sure? Obviously he's allergic to something, but my daughter had asthma and eczema, too, and it turned out to be cow's milk which she did not react to at all on the skin test.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment and your insight. We did blood work on the same day as the skin testing, so I am hoping that it is really clear what we are dealing with after that. I have heard of false negatives before on the skin test, but not false positives. That would be so crazy to change everything and it be wrong! Nice to "meet" you!
Deletewe head to the allergist for our first appointment next week. we know there's some allergy to peanuts...just not sure what else and how severe. love your prayer and perspective! thanks for sharing! and i recently stumbled upon a few vegan blogs looking for healthier recipes with more veggies and have tried a few of the desserts out of curiosity-they're actually really good and don't use eggs. i was pleasantly surprised! in case you want to check them out:
ReplyDeletehttp://ohsheglows.com
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/
http://virtuallyveganmama.com
http://thetolerantvegan.com
I had not even thought of vegan recipes...that is so smart! Good luck at your appointment. I hope you get really clear answers. Thank you for the websites!
DeleteJenn,
ReplyDeleteHave you ever heard of the GAPS diet? It is intense (I won't even lie) and it's not even something we have started full out, but my husband has had crazy digestion issues his whole life (things that just become accepted, but not really warned against). We have started a practicing GAPS before starting the intro diet and have already seen results.
To put it simply, I've heard it said as pressing the restart button on our bodies and eating. It does not heal everything, but might be something you could look into - it is ok for children as well. Lots of blogs out there that talk about it a few are:
http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/
http://www.keeperofthehome.org/
http://deliciouslyorganic.net/
The diet info is here:
http://www.GAPSdiet.com/INTRODUCTION_DIET.html
Good luck with all of this!
poor buddy:( will be praying for you guys
ReplyDeleteOh girl! I feel you. Mason is allergic to all nuts and seafood. But we discovered his allergy to nuts when he was 18 months old and had an anaphylactic reaction. So scary! He was also allergic to eggs and tomatoes, but seems to have outgrown those. We deal with exzema and mild asthma as well. I would love to tell you all about it, but I dont have enough room to type. :) We did take him to a specialist in OKC when he was four - they do a blood test there instead of the skin test and it was so, so helpful, because as they grow, their allergies can change. Also, the most important thing, especially on the nuts, is to educate Tripp. Mason has always known not to take candy, cookie,after game snack, or anything offered from someone before asking if it has nuts. Its hard but it is ok, once you have it figured out. Anyway, call me sometime, would love to chat!
ReplyDelete