Allergy Report

On Monday, we took Isaac to an allergist to have some testing done. I had been putting it off for quite some time because I knew it would be expensive and we hadn't touched our deductible yet this year. Thankfully, it actually cost much less than I expected--only $125 (the doctor graciously gave us a 25% discount after I told him we hadn't met our deductible for the year).

But the experience held some surprises I wasn't prepared for. Up until this point, I had seen what I thought to be allergic responses in Isaac to milk, soy, rice, bananas, peaches, oranges, and tomatoes. I was also suspicious of corn. And even though I hadn't seen any reaction to wheat, I was really hoping I hadn't missed something there. So we tested him for these, plus a few other items: peanuts, almonds, and two types of dust mites. There were actually 15 items he was tested for, but I can't remember what the last two were.

The nurses came in and first wrote on Isaac's back with a pen codes for all the different allergens. To help him not freak out, the nurse first drew a smiley face on his hand so he would know what she was doing on his back. That really helped, and he stayed perfectly still and didn't make a peep while she wrote on his back. (Unfortunately, however, I have had to stop him from writing on his hand with a pen multiple times in the last few days. ha ha) Here is the before picture:

Then, as I held him on my lap, they quickly pricked his back one by one with small needles that had been dipped in allergen serum. During the first few pricks--at the top of his back-- he was fine. But as they went lower, where the back is more sensitive, he started to jerk and burst into tears. Soon it was done though, and we had to watch and wait for the results. Within just a few minutes, it was already clear he had a couple reactions. And because the reactions were labeled with codes, we waited anxiously to find out what was what.

It turns out that the biggest reaction was to peanuts. I was shocked. There is no history of peanut allergies in either of our families, and although I've been dealing with allergies since Isaac was born, I haven't had to worry about life-threatening allergies. Peanuts are a whole different ball game.

After fifteen minutes, here is what his back looked like:

The reaction on the upper left is the positive control. I have no idea what they use for a positive control since it has to be something that everyone is allergic to, but he definitely was. The reaction next to F79 is peanuts. Milk is 17 and orange is under that. He also reacted slightly to corn, which is the c in the middle of his back. I was grateful he didn't react to anything else including rice, wheat, and almonds.

The doctor explained, however, that gastrointestinal responses to things aren't signs of allergy, but could be signs of intolerance. So, if I give Isaac rice and it gives him diarrhea, I obviously shouldn't give it to him. We're going to have to just test things as we go along.

The doctor also said that allergy testing for fruits is very inaccurate. He said that it's better to test with fresh fruit. So, next time we test--in about a year-- I will bring in fruit to do a more accurate test.

It was hard for me to tell what was a slight positive reaction and what was considered a negative reaction because every place he was poked turned red. But what the nurses looked for was the redness around the dot. Then they measured the size of the welt and the size of the red rash around each welt/hive. These measurements will be a base for future testing to see if he is growing out of his allergies or not.

After a while, Isaac's rash started to spread up his neck, so I quickly got someone to come. They gave him liquid Zyrtec and wiped off the allergens and sprayed his back with what I think may have been a cortisone spray.  It was amazing that in just a few minutes, all of his reactions were gone.

The doctor didn't have a lot to say about the peanut allergy, as far has how severe his allergy will be or whether or not he will grow out of it. The truth is, with allergies, it is mostly guess-work. But he did say we need to avoid all foods with peanuts including the "May contain" and factory warnings on foods. And he gave us a prescription for an EpiPen and said we need to keep it with us at all times. (Big sigh.)

On the drive home, I felt pretty overwhelmed.

And I'm still somewhat in denial. I still haven't thrown away the peanut butter in my pantry, or done any online research about peanut allergies, or picked up the EpiPen from the pharmacy (although the fact that I got the stomach flu/ food poisoning yesterday also has something to do with that).

It will be interesting to see what the future holds. But for now, no peanuts for us.

Feeding a Child with Allergies

Isaac has quite a few allergies. I haven't taken him to see an allergist yet because 1) it is expensive 2) none of his allergies seem to be life-threatening 3) I have been able to figure out most things he is allergic to on my own and 4) I'm hoping he will grow out of them in a couple years.

In the mean time, we are avoiding milk, rice, soy, bananas, peaches, and nuts (because there is a good chance he could be allergic to them). I am also suspicious of beans in general, but have to do more testing on that one. This means I can't give him bananas, yogurt, or cheese-- which are all convenient, easy-to-eat, high-calorie, baby-friendly foods. And I can't give him rice puffs or anything with milk in the ingredients, which pretty much eliminates everything made for toddlers in the grocery store. I also can't give him tofu or peanut butter-- which normally I would have used as good alternative fat and protein sources. I think this is why he is 21 lbs and in the 16th percentile for weight. (A very healthy weight but definitely on the small side for my family.)

Now these issues are not nearly as difficult as having a child with grain allergies/intolerances or life-threatening allergies. Isaac can still eat bread and pasta. And he can eat cheerios and graham crackers, which he loves. I don't have to worry about being in the same room as a peanut butter sandwich or monitoring his every bite, thank goodness.

The hard part is figuring out what to wean him to. Most babies his age drink cows milk, but that is not an option. And neither is soy, rice, or almond milk. (I actually am going to try rice milk in a few months to see how he does with that one.) Our pediatrician encouraged me to continue nursing him until 18 months and gave me samples of Alimentum, a formula made by Similac. I made pancakes with it (because Isaac refused to drink it after multiple attempts), and Isaac didn't tolerate it well. Thankfully, Dr. Lindsay also gave me a sample of Neocate, a prescription formula that costs $55 a tin (I think insurance can cover it if you really need it.). This  formula is 100% dairy free and pretty much soy free (there is a little soy). The proteins are broken down to the level of amino acids, so it virtually eliminates the possibility of an allergic reaction. I made pancakes with this, and so far so good. I have two cans of it and I'm hoping I can get one more free from the company (I sent in a request).

I'm not sure what I really wanted the point of this post to be. But I guess I just want to acknowledge the miracle that it has been to nurse Isaac for this long. It is a blessing we really, really needed considering his allergies. And I want to say that if you are feeding a child with allergies, I understand. It is a stressful puzzle.