I’m gonna let you in on a little secret…

I’ve been using Ener-G Egg Replacer in baked goods for 4 years and am so glad to have it. I have always used it according to package directions which is 1 1/2 tsp of powder + 2 T warm water substitued for each egg in the recipe. While it works and gets the job done, I have always just settled for ‘okay’ baked products. For example, cupcakes (which I make often and freeze to save for birthday parties, etc.) were yummy the first day, but became crumbly by the next day. Not to mention, the icing never went on well. However, yesterday I was making cupcakes again and because I just got home from vacation and my brain seems to still be on vacation, I used 1 1/2 TBSP of powder vs. 1 1/2 tsp. Let’s just say that was the best mistake I’ve ever made! It made the cupcakes super fluffy and moist! They are hands down THE most delicious cupcakes I’ve made in 4 years. I’ll definitely be using more than the recommended amount of Ener-G Egg Replacer from now on in every baked product. I think I’ll go eat a cupcake.

Allergies @ the Dentist Office

Wow! What a learning experience this is becoming for me. If you haven’t read my last post on anesthesia and allergies, read it here then continue this post – it will make more sense. Today, I took my girl to the dentist ready for her to have her first set of Xrays and a filling. So, when I got there and turned in her new patient info, I sat in the waiting area going over in my mind my usual allergy spiel.  A nurse came out to us with the chart in her hand to ask some questions. I was ready for her to ask about the egg allergy, but she instead asked, “How severe is her peanut allergy?” In my mind, I was wondering, “What on earth contains peanuts in the dentist office?” When I told her she told me the dentist had eaten a protein bar that morning that contained peanuts and she wanted to be sure my girl didn’t have severe peanut allergies before she saw her. (Later I learned that they typically schedule allergy patients first thing on Monday mornings so that the office hasn’t been contaminated yet and the staff makes sure not to eat peanut butter products those mornings. KUDOS to them!!!) So, I assured her that with the dentist wearing a mask and gloves around my child would be appropriate since her allergy to peanuts doesn’t seem to be as severe as her milk and egg allergies are. I asked her about the egg allergy and she said they’d talk to me about it during the visit.  So, Xrays were done and she does have a few tiny cavities that couldn’t be seen without the Xray and she will need to have them sealed. But today, the dentist told me she would need to order a special type of ‘happy gas’ because even though it doesn’t specifically contain egg, it has a substance that is molecularly structured like eggs and people with egg allergy have reacted to that substance. We obviously want to be on the safe side and go with the alternative! Unfortunately, right now I cannot remember the name of it. And because of its short shelf life, they do not keep it in stock. So, they will order it about a week prior to her next visit. The nurse had asked me if my girl had had any reactions to immunizations and I told her that she did indeed react to the MMR and Chicken Pox vaccines and that I would not allow the flu vaccine (which she had specifically asked me about). Then, she told me that that gives them a good indication of whether or not a child with egg allergy would react to the normal happy gas that they use.

First of all, I have to say that I was quite surprised by this information today! I would have NEVER thought to ask about allergies and anesthesia/analgesics. And secondly, I was extremely impressed with this pediatric dentist office being so on top of things. I feel relieved and just very thankful that they are obviously concerned about allergies in their office and in the way they do things there. The dentist told me she would have an epipen with her while she does the first filling to make sure she is prepared in case of an allergic reaction. (More peace of mind for this Mommy!) I highly recommend Crockett Pediatric Dentistry for those reasons, but please note that I do not know if they are the most affordable. I have to do my research on that, but if money is not an option to you and you are looking for a good pediatric dentist – try them out!

On another very interesting note – I was racking my brain trying to figure out why my girl has a few cavities because we brush her teeth for her (most of the time), we floss them every once in awhile, etc. The dentist asked if she drinks a lot of juice or soda and we do not let our girls drink soda except on very rare occasions and we do not buy juice. They drink water or milk. Except in this case, she drinks rice milk. Immediately, the dentist said, “Ah! I should have known that!” (Because of the milk allergy.) Then, she told me that rice milk is comparable to juice in the way it breaks down into sugar – thanks to all the carbs that rice has to offer. Now that I have been told that, I realize I should have known that myself. We recently switched to Almond Milk because my girl is not allergic to tree nuts and Almond Milk is better for her and has a thicker consistency like cow’s milk. She drinks the vanilla flavored kind. So, the dentist said her son had to drink Rice Milk when he was younger and at age 4 (like my girl) he had the same issues with hidden cavities and it was all due to the Rice Milk.

Anyway, I hope this has been informative for you or someone you know with an egg allergy. It is so very important to alert EVERY person that has interaction with your child about his/her food allergies – even medical professionals.

Anesthesia & Allergies

I took my daughter to the dentist last week for a routine cleaning and my suspicions of a cavity were confirmed. So, tomorrow she’ll go and have her first filling. As I was filling out paperwork, one section asked specifically if the child has an egg allergy. I thought – now, why would that matter? What could possibly have egg in it at a dentist’s office? I got online and summoned my trusty friend, Google and found this site (among others). Turns out that Propofol, a commonly used hypnotic agent in surgeries, tests or procedures, contains egg lecithin. Propofol also contains soybean oil so patients allergic to soy or egg would need to avoid this type of anesthesia altogether.

I do not know if Propofol is used to semi-sedate during a cavity filling procedure, but I will be very thorough and ask to see the ingredients on any type of medicine/drug used tomorrow. I was kind of alarmed to find this out, but thankful to know ahead of time so that we can avoid any adverse reactions or anaphylactic reactions. I’ll try to remember to update after our visit to the dentist.

This just serves as a bold reminder to me that I cannot be lax about my daughter’s food allergies. Everything (not just food items) has to be thoroughly checked out before I allow it to enter her body. This is so serious. I am not going to be able to let my guard down as long as she has any type of food allergy.

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!