In November 2011, Toddler Veg at the age of 18 months old was diagnosed with a life threatening allergy to peanuts, tree nuts and dairy. I plan to use this as a diary of events...the highs and the lows. I hope that as you read this you will chime in with any opinions, ideas, concerns or encouragement! Our journey begins now....
So backing up a bit...Toddler Veg was born in the late spring of 2010. He was a cute baby, but always unhappy. He was never diagnosed with colic but would cry for hours and often spit up his breast milk. His spitting up would go in spurts and the pediatrician felt he had reflux. So he started to take a medicine which seemed to make no difference in him. I was truly beginning to worry about the quality of his life. He seemed miserable and cried all the time. It was certainly taking a toll on the family. His "reflux" got worse and we changed reflux medications. I got a second opinion from my family doctor who sent us to Children's to see a GI specialist. The GI specialist really didn't have any ideas and wasn't too interested in us. Toddler Veg is a big boy, he likes to eat but he's always spitting up breast milk, formula, cow's milk, etc... So long story short....Pedi didn't listen, second opinion felt it wasn't right but was unsure so she sent us to a specialist who didn't care either. In November 2011 he was hospitalized for two nights and was diagnosed with asthma. It was a challenging and scary time for us. He had a hard time maintaining his oxygen levels. When we got home I asked for an allergy test. I had figured that he was allergic to gluten which we had already cut out 8 weeks prior. (we thought food was bothering him and we started with gluten as it sometimes causes more stomach acid...'reflux'). The poor child had 80 pricks on his back, but he took it like a champ. I will never forget when the allergist said that he had a peanut and tree nut allergy and that I need to carry and epi pen where ever we went. I never in a million years would have guessed that. He has had tree nuts and peanuts alot. But looking back I can place some wheezing episodes along with eating peanut butter. It was very scary to know that past reactions are NOT indicators of future reactions. The next one could be the "one" that we need to use the EPI. He was also allergic to casein (milk) ...imagine that...since he was spitting it up all the time. He did test negative to wheat. So let the feelings begin...overwhelmed, angry, devastated, lost, confused....just to name a few feelings.
Stay tuned for the next addition of The Diaries of an Allergy Mamma
So backing up a bit...Toddler Veg was born in the late spring of 2010. He was a cute baby, but always unhappy. He was never diagnosed with colic but would cry for hours and often spit up his breast milk. His spitting up would go in spurts and the pediatrician felt he had reflux. So he started to take a medicine which seemed to make no difference in him. I was truly beginning to worry about the quality of his life. He seemed miserable and cried all the time. It was certainly taking a toll on the family. His "reflux" got worse and we changed reflux medications. I got a second opinion from my family doctor who sent us to Children's to see a GI specialist. The GI specialist really didn't have any ideas and wasn't too interested in us. Toddler Veg is a big boy, he likes to eat but he's always spitting up breast milk, formula, cow's milk, etc... So long story short....Pedi didn't listen, second opinion felt it wasn't right but was unsure so she sent us to a specialist who didn't care either. In November 2011 he was hospitalized for two nights and was diagnosed with asthma. It was a challenging and scary time for us. He had a hard time maintaining his oxygen levels. When we got home I asked for an allergy test. I had figured that he was allergic to gluten which we had already cut out 8 weeks prior. (we thought food was bothering him and we started with gluten as it sometimes causes more stomach acid...'reflux'). The poor child had 80 pricks on his back, but he took it like a champ. I will never forget when the allergist said that he had a peanut and tree nut allergy and that I need to carry and epi pen where ever we went. I never in a million years would have guessed that. He has had tree nuts and peanuts alot. But looking back I can place some wheezing episodes along with eating peanut butter. It was very scary to know that past reactions are NOT indicators of future reactions. The next one could be the "one" that we need to use the EPI. He was also allergic to casein (milk) ...imagine that...since he was spitting it up all the time. He did test negative to wheat. So let the feelings begin...overwhelmed, angry, devastated, lost, confused....just to name a few feelings.
Stay tuned for the next addition of The Diaries of an Allergy Mamma
