As you can tell I have been out of commission for almost a year now due to the shifting of responsibilities. I was promoted at work and it really knocked me and my family for a loop! But, now that I feel I am getting a grasp on managing my time for my boys, family life, clients, staff, and food allergies….I am attempting to find creative ways to continue to explore and educate in the exclusive world of food allergies…an exclusive club that refuses to allow my little man to disengage from. I say this at 5am…so my humor may be a little off.
To update on this past year, there has been some allergy adventures, but mostly in the maintaining stage. My little man continues to be allergic to Peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, strawberries, kiwi, and seafood. His eczema tends to be the same which includes red itchy skin flare ups daily, but a mixture of 1% coritzone and aquaphore thickly lathered on nightly seems to help with the relief of burning and itching for our little man. We have had several "encounters" of milk products, but have noticed that his reaction of once immediate hives and/or red blotches, has done away, but still he tends to get a belly ache on these days around bedtime and often some loose stool. We continue to avoid all nuts like the plague and with the support of his school and family and friends we seem to be doing fairly well with this. No allergic reactions this year related to nuts so we are excited; however feel as though we have to increase our awareness because with no visual affects, people tend to minimize it as well. Recently, his doctor agreed to an attempt with tuna. While his testing usually only reveals shell fish, he would still have red splotches, eczema flair ups, and diarrhea when consuming tuna. So, we were avoiding it since he was 3 (almost 3 years ago). So, when he discovered he was going to get to try an item that was once taboo, he became ecstatic! We utilized an organic brand in water only with just a fork. The smile on his face was priceless. I wasn’t sure if he really “loved it” or if it was again just that opportunity in which he was permitted to join the world around him, either way, he did his two bites and waited patiently for an hour to see if there was going to be a reaction. Nothing. He then asked for an entire can. He ate it immediately. I was hesitant to allow this, but at this point, I was so conflicted with allowing him to have his moment and the food allergy monster possibly taking his moment away. He talked about how he plans to eat tuna: “in salads, on bread, with my mayo”. The options in his mind were limitless. I wrote about this moment in his memory book. A lot his memories seem to consist of stories associated with his food allergies…but seeing his excitement about being able to have a new food…priceless. You could not wipe the smile off his face if you tried. BUT….BUT….(I always hate adding these “buts”) by the end of the night he was suddenly consumed with diarrhea and an upset tummy. We will do the “routine” and hold off on any tuna for a couple weeks, make sure he has no symptoms, and try it once more. If he has the same reaction….no go. If he has no reaction, we will try two weeks later again. If no reaction, we will slowly add to diet. If no reactions for a couple months, then we will take off his “foods I am allergic to” list….these moments continue to be big moments in this family!
Another journey, another story, of living with food allergies.
