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: Meet Jim, August's Guest Blogger

Meet Jim, AKA the dad!He is the worlds best father to my beautiful little boy, and my wonderful, loving and supportive husband. Most important he is my best friend. His guest blog is about what a dad goes through being a parent of a food allergy kid.

A Father's Story

The day our little man had his allergic reaction, terribly swollen eyes as a result of contact with peanut butter, our lives changed instantly. Diane called me while I was studying at the library, in a panic, and I rushed home to find Cormac with puffed up eyes, and a sad expression on his face. My first reaction, after learning his breathing was normal, was to pick him up and hug him, and try to make him feel like everything was OK. I didn't want Cormac to see the fear and panic in our eyes, so I just hugged him and talked to him like I always do. We had seen diaper rashes, teething, sleepless nights and other childhood events, but never anything like this. On top of all of the everyday worries of any parents, we now had to be concerned with food allergies.

Since that day, we have both learned about food allergies in our own ways. I have asked friends about their experiences, checked out Internet articles and, thanks to Diane, read some very informative blogs about the issue. Diane, on the other hand, jumped head first into a campaign of research, networking and blogging. As she will readily admit, we tend to react in very different ways to events in our life and Cormac's peanut allergy has been no exception. However, as I hope she understands, that doesn't mean we disagree on the importance of caring for our little guy. We just have different ways of making sense of life's challenges.

I have to thank Diane for introducing me to the world of blogging. I know it's not something I will ever do on a daily basis, but I understand why people do it, and I appreciate the way blogs and websites bring people together to talk about common issues. It's really amazing how many people from so many parts of the country, and the world, have shown interest in Diane's blog. It makes us feel like we aren't the only ones out there who are dealing with peanut allergies.

I guess I still have the same reaction when I think about Cormac's peanut allergy as I did that day I saw him with his puffy eyes. I just want him to feel as normal as any other kid. Reading about other people with food allergies and other parents coping with their kid's allergies has helped give me perspective and hope.

I hope this blog helps make another father or mother realize that they are not alone in dealing with food allergies. I hope that it helps them feel like everything is going to be OK.

Jim (the Dad)

Take Over Tuesday: Meet Jim, August's Guest Blogger

Yikes!

I'd have to say my house is pretty baby proofed. We have locks on the cabinets and draws, gates on the stairs, the TV even has a "cage" around it. When we found out Mac had food allergies, we cleaned out the kitchen and check all his skin products. Well as any parent finds out, as they get bigger you need adjust your baby proofing. Overall I feel we do a bang up job.

Well, I had a YIKES moment this week! We have some draws in the bathroom that Mac likes to play in. I "thought" I had all safe things in there for him to play with. So I'm in the shower, and as usual, I hear him playing the the draws. I do my usual peak around the curtain to see what he's doing. Nothing to worry about, we do this every day.

WRONG! When I get out, I see that he is holding something I don't recognize. Turns out I had a all natural skin product in that draw that shouldn't be there let alone in the house any more. The 1st ingredient was almond oil! All I could think was, what if he got it open while I was in the shower? He could had ananaphylaxic reaction, and I wouldn't of even known!

So my lesson for today is no matter how baby proofed you think your house is, there is always something lurking somewhere. Check all your products twice and adjust your baby proofing as they grow. Remember no matter how safe you think they are, there is always some kind of danger.

Yikes!