After my series last week on Tyler's last allergy visit, you probably thought you heard the last of the allergist trials from our home for a while. But the vivid reminder of the severity of food allergies prompted me to make an appointment for my youngest child, Dylan.
Unlike Tyler, Dylan did not have eczema from the time he was a baby. In fact, I have never had a single reason to suspect Dylan of food allergies...except for the fact his big brother has them.
I know there is probably a lot of debate about whether you should test a child that shows no symptoms. But, after I talked it over with our allergist, I felt the only way I would not worry and Dylan would be completely safe would be to test him.
For me the biggest question was whether or not I needed an Epi Pen when Tyler was not with me. I admit I have carried it with just Dylan and I at times just because it made me feel better.
Dylan will be 2 and a half next month. He has had his own share of health problems. Muscular problems in both eyes required surgery last year with another one in the future. I hoped and prayed that was the only serious issue I had with him.
I let him have his beloved pacifier (normally reserved for the bedroom) during the process. Have you ever seen a more pitiful face? (Again, sorry my cell phone takes small pictures)
I have decided allergy testing on my children rips my heart out. Here is what I saw:
(Yes, that is me in the picture! I also took the picture so you might understand why the angle is a little weird!)
In the end, it appears Dylan is allergy free! I would like to get up and do the happy dance but there was one minor issue. He had a very, very mild reaction to peanut. The allergist said he is 99.9% sure he does not have a peanut allergy. But the only way to know for sure is to do a food challenge.
If you know our story, you know that when Tyler did a peanut challenge in our former allergist's office, they were forced to call 911. What happened to Tyler almost never happens (zero RAST with a life-threatening reaction). Yet, it happened. And a food challenge on Dylan scares me.
We will wait until he is 3 (next fall). In the end, I will do the challenge because we need to know for sure for the day Dylan goes to preschool. But I would be lying if I didn't say that I am little freaked out about it.
The good news is that there was no question about any of the other allergens he tested for, including tree nuts. But that stinking peanut will not leave my family alone!
Unlike Tyler, Dylan did not have eczema from the time he was a baby. In fact, I have never had a single reason to suspect Dylan of food allergies...except for the fact his big brother has them.
I know there is probably a lot of debate about whether you should test a child that shows no symptoms. But, after I talked it over with our allergist, I felt the only way I would not worry and Dylan would be completely safe would be to test him.
For me the biggest question was whether or not I needed an Epi Pen when Tyler was not with me. I admit I have carried it with just Dylan and I at times just because it made me feel better.
Dylan will be 2 and a half next month. He has had his own share of health problems. Muscular problems in both eyes required surgery last year with another one in the future. I hoped and prayed that was the only serious issue I had with him.
I let him have his beloved pacifier (normally reserved for the bedroom) during the process. Have you ever seen a more pitiful face? (Again, sorry my cell phone takes small pictures)
I have decided allergy testing on my children rips my heart out. Here is what I saw:
(Yes, that is me in the picture! I also took the picture so you might understand why the angle is a little weird!)
In the end, it appears Dylan is allergy free! I would like to get up and do the happy dance but there was one minor issue. He had a very, very mild reaction to peanut. The allergist said he is 99.9% sure he does not have a peanut allergy. But the only way to know for sure is to do a food challenge.
If you know our story, you know that when Tyler did a peanut challenge in our former allergist's office, they were forced to call 911. What happened to Tyler almost never happens (zero RAST with a life-threatening reaction). Yet, it happened. And a food challenge on Dylan scares me.
We will wait until he is 3 (next fall). In the end, I will do the challenge because we need to know for sure for the day Dylan goes to preschool. But I would be lying if I didn't say that I am little freaked out about it.
The good news is that there was no question about any of the other allergens he tested for, including tree nuts. But that stinking peanut will not leave my family alone!
3 comments:
Glad to hear about Dylan's (mostly good) allergy results. Lucky that your doctor worked with you to perform the testing. My oldest son has a peanut & tree nut allergy, and I have a 10 month old son too. The Allergist told us she will not test the baby for food allergies unless he has a reaction to something first. I asked her what would happen if his 1st reaction was life threatening, and it could have been avoided with testing. She dismissed my concern...so insulting. I don't consider it excessive worry, my oldest son has a life threatening food allergy, why wouldn't I worry about my second son too?
Teresa V
We've already done some testing with my son, who is only one, because he DOES have eczema, just like his (peanut allergic) sister had as a baby. His sister has had a minor reaction to peas, so I worried about what kind of baby food was safe to give him. Low and behold, the only positive he had was a slight skin reaction to pea! So we are staying away from peas for now, but it's frustrating, our allergist admits, based on new research, it might be the wrong thing to avoid them. . . so hard to know what to do when doctors are uncertain themselves. We are also, of course, avoiding tree nuts and peanuts with him for the time being.
Teresa V: If I were you I would find a new allergist or at least get the pediatrician to run a RAST blood test. For me, it was a matter of Dylan's safety. My pediatrician agreed it needed to be done.
Kelsey: Peas! Wow! Wouldn't it be nice if that's all it is? I believe peas are related to peanuts so I would be super vigilant with avoiding peanuts until after he is 3 (that is the age that they say they can no longer develop it).
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