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".
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".
I am so extremely happy for your family, and I hope you all will soon get the all clear! How fantastic! I too hope my son outgrows many of his food allergies, but I know the odds are not in our favor. I feel as though every person who outgrows a food allergy is a ray of hope for the rest of us!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I hope you get the full green light. I completely understand the mixture of emotions and I'm glad you are able to own them and admit them. Food allergy becomes a lifestyle whether we want it to or not. It's not a lifestyle any of us chose or would wish on anyone else, but it IS a lifestyle. We build relationships (online and in real life) based on this lifestyle. We invest a lot of time and emotion into this lifestyle. It is completely understandable (and even expected, I would say) to experience a period of shock and even some grieving when being told that once again your lifestyle will be completely changing and YOU HAD NO SAY IN IT. Yes, it is what we all want, but we've adjusted to this world the best we know how and there is a fear, I think, that once we get the ticket out of this food allergy hell we're starting over. Will the "normal" people accept us now that we're joining the party late? Will our old friends secretly resent us since we're leaving them behind? It's a journey that we all want to take, but that doesn't make it less scary.
ReplyDeleteMoving into house dust mite allergy! Here's a bit of help on that probblem. Have a look at the animation on my site www.housedustmite.com to see WHY this mite can cause allergy. The animation is used worldwide as a teaching aid and is appreciated by the Chief Executive Asthma UK who wrote, "your animation is a fun and a creative way to communicate about dust mites". If you find it helpful, please pass it on.
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful news! Good luck at the testing.
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful, I am so happy for you and your family. I wanted to share this allergy info with your readers as well, as a lot of it helped me understand how to cope. http://www.bettermedicine.com/topic/allergies/coping-with-food-allergies
ReplyDelete