allergies
When my son was four months old, we discovered he had a wide variety of food allergies. When I say "wide variety," I mean that all he could eat without breaking out in a body-covering, itchy, scabby rash was blueberries, rice and sweet potatoes. My desire to breast feed went out the window, as my doctor pointed out that such a limited diet wasn't very healthy for a mom. We were able to supplement his diet with a very expensive, synthetic formula as well, which gave him protein. He grew up with not only a limited diet, but the knowledge that ingesting the wrong foods meant uncomfortable and scary reactions.
As he got older, he outgrew some of his allergies. When he was about two, we were able to introduce soy and soy products, which greatly expanded his food options. He could eat turkey, but not chicken, and most other vegetables were okay, although fruits were pretty much still off limits, as were most grains other than rice. My son's diet grew to include turkey meatballs, red and yellow bell peppers, and soy nut butter on rice bread.
As a parent, such allergies were scary, especially as he entered pre-school with it's holiday parties, cooking centers, and birthday celebrations. I remember his cubby at preschool; the teachers placed a big sign - the recognizable red circle with a slash across it - that said "Do not feed the child." His schools and teachers were great, and we never had any type of life-threatening reaction. We tried to teach Jed to be cautious, and to not eat anyone else's food, but at the same time attempted to keep him from becoming paranoid.
Now that's he's first grade, he's actually outgrown most of the allergies. He can have a pretty normal diet, with wheat, tree nuts and peanuts being his biggest issues. He can eat all meats, milk products, oats and rice, oranges and apples, and any kind of artificial red dye. The issue now is that, although his options are expanded, his adventurous side has been stifled. He CAN eat yogurt, but he won't. He CAN eat spaghetti with rice noodles, but refuses.
Today we're challenging him with eggs. This means that the allergy tests indicate that he may be tolerant of eggs, but he needs to be tested. We begin by rubbing a small piece of cooked egg on his lips, and waiting 15 minutes. Then, the eggs go on his gums, and we wait another 15 minutes. After that, he swallows one small piece, and wait. And so it goes until we have him eat several bites. If all goes well, we'll feed him a few more bites tomorrow. If all does not go well, we dose him with Zyrtec and stand by with the Epipen.
I'm hopeful he'll be able to have a relatively normal food life. The real challenge will be convincing him to try new things - that it's safe and he'll be okay.
As he got older, he outgrew some of his allergies. When he was about two, we were able to introduce soy and soy products, which greatly expanded his food options. He could eat turkey, but not chicken, and most other vegetables were okay, although fruits were pretty much still off limits, as were most grains other than rice. My son's diet grew to include turkey meatballs, red and yellow bell peppers, and soy nut butter on rice bread.
As a parent, such allergies were scary, especially as he entered pre-school with it's holiday parties, cooking centers, and birthday celebrations. I remember his cubby at preschool; the teachers placed a big sign - the recognizable red circle with a slash across it - that said "Do not feed the child." His schools and teachers were great, and we never had any type of life-threatening reaction. We tried to teach Jed to be cautious, and to not eat anyone else's food, but at the same time attempted to keep him from becoming paranoid.
Now that's he's first grade, he's actually outgrown most of the allergies. He can have a pretty normal diet, with wheat, tree nuts and peanuts being his biggest issues. He can eat all meats, milk products, oats and rice, oranges and apples, and any kind of artificial red dye. The issue now is that, although his options are expanded, his adventurous side has been stifled. He CAN eat yogurt, but he won't. He CAN eat spaghetti with rice noodles, but refuses.
Today we're challenging him with eggs. This means that the allergy tests indicate that he may be tolerant of eggs, but he needs to be tested. We begin by rubbing a small piece of cooked egg on his lips, and waiting 15 minutes. Then, the eggs go on his gums, and we wait another 15 minutes. After that, he swallows one small piece, and wait. And so it goes until we have him eat several bites. If all goes well, we'll feed him a few more bites tomorrow. If all does not go well, we dose him with Zyrtec and stand by with the Epipen.
I'm hopeful he'll be able to have a relatively normal food life. The real challenge will be convincing him to try new things - that it's safe and he'll be okay.
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