Affirmative - Allergic to Peanuts (and Milk!)

Today we visited an allergist, Dr. Herman (Thanks Misty!), to see about the reaction Moses had to peanuts on Monday. We thought we were just going in for a consult because I was told over the phone that Moses had to be antihistamine free for seven days prior to allergy testing and since he had Benadryl on Monday and Tuesday we'd have to wait. However, once there and visiting with Dr. Herman, he said that we should go ahead and test since we'd still get a positive or negative reaction to allergens from Moses.

I was not prepared for that change in plans and my purse seriously lacked adequate distraction tools. Thankfully, they had puzzles in the exam room and a sink with little cups for Moses to drink from. Two hours of distraction--I'm exhausted.

Moses did really well with the prick test (it's changed so much since I had the test in my teens). He didn't cry and was content to play with the office toys and not scratch his back during the 20 minute testing period. He was tested for the 19 most common allergens--animals, grasses, trees, foods, etc.

After 20 minutes, the nurse and doctor came to survey the results. If you aren't familiar with allergy testing, there's a control "bump" that helps them gauge the reaction of the tested allergens. Moses' control bump rated a 2+ and was compared to the other 19 "bumps." The only bumps, or positive reactions, worth noting were for milk and peanuts--both rated a 2+. I was shocked about the positive reaction for milk since we've never had an issue with milk, but the peanut reaction was pretty much expected after Monday's incident. Dr. Herman said we should count our blessings that Monday's reaction wasn't more troublesome because his vomiting was a sign of anaphylactic shock.

He also said that Moses can continue with milk products for now, but we might have to cut them out of his diet if his "numbers" are too high. Also, his milk allergy might be the cause of all his congestion and ear infections of late. We're to avoid peanuts at all costs and carry an EpiPen in case of an allergic reaction. The good news is that he's not registering for any hay fever type allergies at the moment, but Dr. Herman thinks he has a good chance of developing them when he's a little older since Dave and I both suffer from inhalant allergies. We'll still take this brief reprieve even if that's the case!

We're still waiting to hear about the severity of these allergies pending a blood test Moses had today (with the smallest needle I've ever seen--he did so well). The results of the blood test will determine what part(s) of milk Moses is allergic to and whether or not we can continue having milk products. The test will also tell us how allergic he is to peanuts and give us a "number" to watch over the years. Dr. Herman said that in some cases kids can grow out of a peanut allergy and watching the "number" over the years is the best indicator of such possibility.

That's all the excitement we can handle for one day. Moses is conked out and I wish I could take a nap too, but school work is calling me...

I'll keep you posted on the results of the blood test. Keep your fingers crossed that we see low numbers.

-Lindsey

P.S. Here are some pictures from our gardening adventure yesterday to counter the unwelcome news of today's post. I have to say that it's hard to communicate "be gentle to plants" to a 17-month-old boy--thank goodness the water hose, dirt, and my Taco Bueno cup were more fun that my newly potted plants.