Hidden Allergens…

I posted awhile ago about the scented handsoap ‘Milk & Honey’ and told you how I had noticed it while shopping one day.  Just out of curiosity, I checked the ingredients and sure enough there really is milk protein in the soap ingredients.  Soon after that realization, I was in a church restroom helping my daughter wash her hands when I noticed this same soap.  I was so glad I had come across that previously so that I was able to protect her from a potentially dangerous situation.  Her milk allergy is so severe that if it even touches her skin, she has a reaction.  So far, we’ve been able to avoid this handsoap.  (Yet another reason to carry hand sanitizer everywhere I go!)  Then, last week, I was at the pediatrician’s office with my 3yr old (the allergic one) and my 1 yr old when I noticed this same handsoap in that bathroom!  I plan to mention this to her doctor next time I am there.  This just serves as a reminder that you MUST be constantly aware of your child’s environment because in some cases just washing hands can be harmful…at least for my daughter.  You can’t afford to take any chances on your child’s life.

I read this article tonight that just breaks my heart.  It is also a reminder to us that allergic reactions can become more severe over time.

How I Became a Part of the Allergic Lifestyle

I had always heard about food allergies and some people having them, but never knew exactly what all that entailed. That is, until my second child was a year old. I knew that giving a baby milk was not encouraged until a year old, but seeing how she was almost there and how when I tried to give her a bottle of formula for the first time, she wouldn’t drink it, I decided to go against the ‘rules’ and give her milk. Turns out there was a reason she wouldn’t drink the formula! Her body was telling her not to. It only took two sips of milk to realize she was choking and hives were breaking out all around her mouth and down her chest to her stomach. She was coughing terribly and it was then that I knew she was having a severe reaction. My husband and I got her in the van as quick as we could, along with our firstborn, and began our journey to the ER. Along the way, she seemed to calm down and having a Mom who was a nurse, I knew to keep an eye on her fingernails/toenails. For if they were turning pink immediately after touching them, the oxygen was able to move through her body the way it is suppose to. Thankfully, she recovered quickly from that reaction and we did not end up having to go to the ER afterall. But the reality that our daughter has a food allergy was beginning to dawn on us. Little did I know the change in lifestyle that was going to bring for her and for the rest of our family. I called her pedatrician and was told to keep an eye on her, but that she should be okay, and of course, not to give her any milk products for awhile. So, that’s what we did.  Then, came her first birthday.  We were out in California visiting grandparents and I knew I needed to find a cake that had no milk in it.  So, I was very happy to find that Angel Food Cake did not.  After eating a few bites of the cake, I noticed hives around her mouth.  Alarm ran through my body and it was then that I knew she needed to see an allergist.  She had an allergy to more than milk.  I had a suspicion that it might be an egg allergy because I had read about people having that and afterall, angel food cake is made with egg whites.  So, upon returning home from our trip, I took her to the allergist where she had the 40 prick test done on her back.  Needless to say, that was slightly traumatic for a one year old…and her mom.  The results were that she indeed had an egg white allergy, as well as, a peanut allergy and, of course, the milk allergy.  The nurse couldn’t even measure the milk hive because it was spreading out like wildfire into little pods of hives.  She called another nurse in to try and measure it, but they said they’d never seen one so bad.  That was NOT encouraging.  So, we left there with the reality that there was absolutely nothing we could do to get rid of these allergies, except hope she will outgrow them.  She will be getting tested again next Summer (before her 5th birthday) so that we know what her allergies are when she starts Kindergarten.  We’ve learned a multitude of lessons over the past 2 1/2 years and that is what I hope to share with you.  Tips, What Not to Do, Food Alternatives, etc.  And I hope that you will share yours as we journey through this lifestyle together in hopes of living this life to its FULLEST!