Allergies: Disease in Disguise - Review

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Allergies: Disease in Disguise How to heal your allergic condition permanently and naturally by Carolee Bateson-Koch is, what I thought to be, a fascinating book. This was a very informative and easy to read book that gives great insight into the cause, symptoms and possible cures for not only allergies, but some very common and unexplained chronic health problems including, headache, arthritis, anemia, asthma, colitis, acne, and diabetes to name a few. According to the author, the problem lies within the gastrointestinal tract. When I read that, I knew there had to be some truth to this book given that my son's allergist has also touched on the importance of repairing and maintaining the lining of "the gut" as he put it.

The author, Carolee Bateson-Koch DC ND has had 25 years experience in successfully treating allergic disease. In her book she provides a clear understanding for what allergy is and why it is becoming so common. It also provides insight  into the five key concepts about allergy and it's relation to environment, diet, digestion, body chemistry and even addiction. The steps for obtaining better overall health and well-being are simply laid out in seven steps. I highly recommend this book to anyone suffering from not only allergic symptoms, but any one with a desire to live a healthier life.

I have to admit that when I first received the book from Books Alive publishing for review, I was a little skeptical. After all the subtitle reads "How to heal your allergic condition permanently and naturally." Who wouldn't be skeptical? However, once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. It all seems to make perfect sense. Though, still not totally convinced I have to ask the question, could a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids and probiotics, as advised by my son's allergist, have lead to his possible outgrowing of his nut allergy or to the fact that my youngest son hasn't developed any allergies? I have to quote a sentence in the book  "We must always keep in mind that the greatest enemy of any science, or any discovery truth, is a closed mind"

*This was not a paid post and honest opinions were used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.

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Food Allergies - Could this really be the end?

After recently switching my sons allergists, I had been putting off his annual testing, I know bad mom, but after a recent reaction to what we are now suspecting to be from either the new sunscreen we tried or the neighbors swimming pool he swam in on the 4th of July, I decided it was time to get him back into the allergist for his annual testing and I couldn't be happier!

I am thrilled to say that A's skin prick test produced no reaction to the tree nuts tested! Yes, I said NO REACTION! The test was done twice, once on each arm. This means we will be going back into the office to slowly introduce cashews and pistachios (his primary allergens) starting with a small amount placed on his cheek next to his mouth. If this produces no reaction we will continue by placing the nut oil on the inside of his bottom lip, then again if no reaction occurs he will be given a small amount to ingest until he shows that he his able to tolerate an entire tablespoon. I am so excited and very hopeful!

The best part was after we got in the car and I explained to A what just happened. He hadn't been paying much attention while in the office because his arms where extremely itchy. As it turns out he has developed an allergy to dust mites and cats. An extremely fair trade off if you ask me! So, after I told him that he may no longer be allergic to nuts the first thing he said was, "Yeah, that means on Halloween I get to eat all my candy!"

The strange thing is, this is the post I have been waiting and hoping for, yet somehow it has been the hardest for me to write. Though I am elated for A and our family, I cant help but feel a sense of guilt. Approximately 9% of kids will outgrow a tree nut allergy and A could be one of them, but why him? I just wish there was a larger percentage of families able to experience the relief we may be facing. Hearing his allergist say to me, "You can relax at bbq's and birthday parties now.....people will talk to you." was bittersweet. We have become so accustom to this way of life that it's a little overwhelming to take in. Its really hard to put into words the mix of emotions I'm experiencing right now. Really not how I had always pictured it.

Suppose I shouldn't get my hopes up just yet anyways, after all we still have not been given the official green light for nuts. Until then we will continue to read labels, take extra precautions while dining out or visiting friends and family. We will tote epi pens wherever we go and take along our own special treats to birthday parties as I try to adjust to the idea that A may soon be like all the "other kids".

A's mystery reaction - Now what?

The Tuesday following the 4th of July the kids were sitting on the couch watching cartoons after breakfast when A asked me why he had polka dots on his legs. I immediately panicked at the sight of several hives covering his thighs. After a dose of Benadryl I quickly re-read the label to the Cheerios he had eaten earlier. There was no sign of nuts on the Cheerios label and he had eaten them several times prior so I was fairly confident that this was not a reaction to food.

The "polka dots" as A calls them did not seem to bother him and he showed nor felt any other symptoms. At this point we just had to wait it out as I went over every possible cause for his reaction. My first thought went to the new fabric softener we had switched to. Duh! How did I not know to buy dye free, fragrance free softeners. I felt terrible! My first clue should have been the lack of ingredients on the label. You would think I'd know better. Lesson learned!

The hives remained unchanged for several hours and more Benadryl was given as I kept a close eye on A throughout the day and that night. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep. The following morning his hives had spread, now covering his entire legs, bottom, arms, arm pits, and behind his ears. The Doctor recommended a dose of steroids. This terrified me! I've heard the horror stories of steroids but the Dr reassured me that the low dose he was given wouldn't cause any side effects.

Poor little guy with his "polka dot" arms.

By the second day of using the steroids the hives where nearly all gone and A was finally comfortable. He was scheduled to see his allergist the following week. I hate not knowing what the cause of his reaction was. He had since worn a pair of shorts that I had somehow missed when re-washing his clothes in an attempt to rid them of the fabric softener. No reaction occurred. So we are now thinking the neighbors swimming pool that he had been in over the weekend may have caused the reaction.
The allergist agreed that the swimming pool could very well have caused the reaction. Unfortunately their is no accurate test other then to have him go into the pool again. The allergist also suggested testing the sunscreen he had used over the weekend on his arm. After having a reaction to Banana Boat sunscreen earlier this summer we had successfully switched to Blue Lizzard sunscreen as suggested by his allergist. Unfortunately Blue Lizzard can be difficult to find, so stock up when you do find it or order on-line. Another lesson learned!

Over the weekend I used a bottle of Aveeno sunscreen I had on hand. Though A showed no sign of an immediate reaction the allergist explained that chemical reactions can take several days to appear. So, do I risk another reaction and test the sunscreen on his arm as suggested by the allergist or not? I am fearfull of letting him swim again as well, but that can be a tough one to avoid. Ugh! What to do, what to do?

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