Food Challenge Meltdown

I know many of you were following our food challenge last week on Facebook and Twitter. I want to thank you all for you kind, supportive words and prayers. If you weren't following lets just say, it didn't go so well.

This was our second food challenge. We went for our first one last fall (when I was on hiatus from here). It was for cashews. I was a nervous wreck the night before for many reasons. For years we have been telling our son do not eats nuts! Now we had to tell him eat these nuts. Needless to say it took two weeks prior to the test to convince him to do the challenge. Since I didn't think he would eat them, I made cookies with cashews in them after he went to bed. I was terrified the fumes from them cooking would make him have a reaction. I must of went into his room 20 times to check on him. We went in early to do the challenge. He ate the cashews plain while I wanted to throw up. And NOTHING! He loved them and is not allergic!

Cut to last Thursday. We were going in to challenge walnuts and pecans. Since the first challenge went so well. I was so calm (too calm). I slept well and everything. I didn't get nervous until he had to eat the walnut. He ate a piece smaller than a jelly bean, and announced he wasn't allergic with this big grin on his sweet face. We all laughed and I took a breath since I was holding it.

About 2 or 3 minutes (yes that fast), my son turned to us and said his mouth felt funny, like oatmeal. I couldn't understand what he meant by oatmeal. Then a few seconds later he said his tummy hurt and started clawing at the neck of his shirt. Then his fear set in. The terror in his eyes was too much for  me to see. He started panicking and the nurse and Dr. were there in a flash. The more questions we asked the more he panicked. His top lip started to swell a little. It was barley noticeable, but the Dr. and I saw it.  Food challenge over only minutes after we started. 

Benadryl to the rescue! Once we told him he was going to get medicine he started to calm down even before he took it. We were lucky that he didn't need epinephrine. The Benadryl took care of it. He did get a little lethargic but nothing that worried anyone too much. We had to stay for 3 more hours to make sure he was OK. 

Once I knew he was OK, I had to leave the room to catch my breath and let a few tears spill. The minute he said his mouth felt funny I wanted to throw up. That feeling didn't go away until the next day. A four year should never have to feel that fear, and a parent should never have to see it. He knew it was bad and saw it in my eyes as well. 

However there is a positive to this story! We've spent years talking to him about his allergies. As he gets older we get a little more detailed but noting too heavy yet. He's only four. The moment he felt something different he knew to tell us. He knew something was wrong. He recognized what we had been telling him for years. He did what he was taught. As a parent I'm so proud of my little man. Of all the things I could fail at, this wasn't it. We are doing the right thing. Teaching him one of the most import lessons in his young life. We did our job as his parents, and it feels good.

After we got the all clear getting ready for some pizza!

Do not attempt to do a food challenge at home without consulting a Dr. This was a medically supervised food challenge in a medical facility.

Food Challenge Meltdown

Take Over Tuesday's Guest Blogger Laura. The Food Challenge

Meet Laura, a mom of a beautiful little boy with multiple food allergies. I've been getting to know her thought this blog and e-mails, and am so happy to have done so. We actually got to meet in person at the FANN Walk for Food Allergy this past October. She has a passion for cooking and a degree from the Culinary Institute of America. She has recently started a blog called Treats 4 Me 2 with some yummy allergen free recipes that she has made for her son.

The Food Challenge

My name is Laura and I am the mom of a 2 year old with multiple food allergies. We first discovered the allergies when I was nursing and had Jack's blood work drawn at 9 months old. Fast forward to July 2010 and we were given the green light to sign up for a soy food challenge at Mt. Sinai's Food and Allergy Center in NYC. I was told that we would receive a call in a couple weeks from the food challenge nurse to schedule. Two weeks passed and I was very anxious so I called and was told it is a 4 month waiting list for food challenges. My initial excitement was followed by short term disappoint by having to wait so long to have our test taken. We scheduled the first available morning appointment on Nov 23rd. 2 days before Thanksgiving! A huge food event in every Americans' home I was hopeful for additional foods to add to our meal plan.

My next "challenge" was to find foods containing soy to bring to the challenge that my picky 2 yr old would eat. I spent countless hours on the internet and in the grocery store aisles looking for things my son might eat. We packed soy chocolate pudding, instant miso soup packet, soy milk carton, soy milk yogurt and I panicked the night before and ran to the health food store and found soynut butter.

Tuesday morning arrived and I packed my soy food and hungry son in the car and we were on our way to the city by 715am. We arrived right on time to the appointment and waited less than 5 minutes before we were ushered into the food challenge room area. There were 3 rooms for challenges from what I could see and 1 nurse appointed to administer the challenges. Each spacious room was equipped with toys, table and chairs, flat screen tv. There was one little girl ahead of us so we had a wait several minutes for the doctor and nurse. I didn't mind because I thought this would make Jack even hungrier for breakfast which he normally has eaten by 730am.

The doctor arrived and asked how Jack was feeling health wise. Has he taken any meds or Benedryl? Everything was good so far. The goal of the challenge was to consume 5 ounces of soy without a reaction. The first food we were going to try was oatmeal mixed with soy milk. It took a little coaxing, but Jack had 2 spoonfuls and then it was time for a 10 minute break to watch for a reaction. The doctor and the nurse left the room and we were to get them if anything happened. The nurse did pop her head in to see how things were going. After the time lapsed the nurse came back and asked Jack to eat some more oatmeal. Again he didn't want to, but I think the hunger helped. 3 more spoonfuls and it was time to watch and wait. Jack coughed a couple times and the nurse asked if he had a cough, I told her no and she decided we should wait a few more minutes before we give some more oatmeal. I agreed and told her next time she could add some more soy milk to change the consistency. This time we asked Jack to finish the bowl and he did. At this point, Jack had had 3 ounces of soy milk without any problem. I really don't think the cough was related, but we will never know for sure.

The next food we were going to try was chocolate pudding. I really thought he would love it and it would be that easy. Forget it, the tears started rolling and the protests began. We begged, bribed with offers for new toys, we ate it ourselves to show him how good it was. I tried to push a spoonful in his mouth and it only made things worse. He took turns crying on my husband's lap and crying on mine. The nurse tried to give him a cracker with the soynut butter and he wouldn't even look at her. She offered him soymilk which looked identical to his ricemilk carton we brought and he wouldn't take a sip. I didn't even bother offering the yogurt if he didn't want the chocolate. It lasted almost an hour when the doctor finally came back in the room to say it was over and she didn't want to upset him any further. He was flushed and exhausted from crying and we wouldn't be able to notice a reaction at that point. The doctor thought the amount of soy consumed was sufficient to continue giving him the 3 ounces and increase it after a couple of weeks at home if there was no reactions. After the challenge finished we still had to sit the room another 45 minutes to make sure there was no reaction. In total we were there almost 2.5 hours. I was so mentally tired after the visit I couldn't imagine how Jack felt. The nurse offered us the opportunity to schedule a challenge in a month for yellow mustard, sunflower or wheat. I passed on all of the choices. If he wouldn't eat pudding there was no way Jack was going to try a teaspoon of yellow mustard or sunflower. I told the doctor Jack has been eating Cheerios with wheat all along and I started giving him saltines with no reaction. She told me I could try a small amount of whole wheat pasta. We haven't tried yet.

That same evening Jack got a fever. I don't think it was related other than the exhaustion and dirty city. I didn't call the doctor and it only bothered him at night. I think it was just an annoying coincidence. I haven't given him anymore soy milk because he barely drinks his rice milk (which is very bland in comparison). I got what I wanted from the soy challenge. Confirmation that we can give Jack foods that contain soy or where processed on equipment with soy.

It will be a very long time before I schedule another challenge for Jack. Our next visit to the Food and Allergy Center is July 2011. Jack will be blood tested for the first time in a year. It will be very stressful for him, but I am hopeful that his scores will come down and there will be a future challenge for dairy or eggs. Nuts will just have to wait and see what research is completed.

Guest Blogger Disclaimer: The information shared by the guest blogger does not represent the opinions and policies of No Nuts For My Peanuts and it's creator. As always seek proper medical attention for any issues, medicine dosage's or questions you have regarding your health and allergies. Always read labels before eating or serving any food to anyone who has food allergies.

Take Over Tuesday's Guest Blogger Laura. The Food Challenge