Well, this is my first post here. I will start by saying that being a parent is a tough thing. It’s rewarding, but there’s a new challenge every day. My daughter, Avery, is 3 years old; a few weeks ago, it seemed she had gotten sick and no matter how many medicine or nebulizer treatments she took, it did not get better. Finally, her doctor decided to send her to get some blood work done to check for allergies. The results were unexpected to say the least.
My wife and I were told that she was allergic to milk, wheat, egg whites, and peanuts. As shocking as the news was, the most difficult thing was trying to explain it to our daughter. How do you tell a 3 year old that wants a peanut butter sandwich and a cup of milk everyday for lunch, that she can’t have any part of the meal? I’ll just say it was a difficult process. On top of constantly having to tell her she cannot have something because it would make her sick, EVERYTHING has one of the products in it. If you finally find something without those things, plan on paying an extra $5 or so. Ouch.
We decided to see an allergist who could hopefully narrow things down, and maybe open up some more foods for her again. In the mean time, our 3 year old would inform us that, “The doctor said I can’t have that,” to everything she decided she didn’t want to eat. She’s too smart for her own good sometimes. Needless to say, it was a rough two weeks waiting for the appointment with the allergist.
Finally, the day comes. After talking to the nurse and doctor, the nurse enters the room holding three trays. First, she has my daughter take off her shirt, and begins to draw small lines all over her back. Forty-two of them to be exact; any clue where this is heading? In the trays were forty-two separate poisoned needles. Well, not “poisoned,” but each had a different substance to check for allergic reactions. There was everything for common food allergies, to weeds and pollen, to animals. Each line on her back got a separate needle prick. Thankfully, she took it like a trooper with no complaints or crying.
The results of the test were a little confusing to me. The doctor said NONE of the spots where showing a reaction, except for the histamine which is used to be sure there are no medicines in your system that may influence the test. He then informed us that children sometimes produce anti-bodies that could be showing up on the original test.
To cut this thing down to the point, we were told that she could have wheat and eggs, but to stay away from milk and nuts. We are now working on a “trial and error” basis over two week intervals to see if we can further narrow down the problem. After we told her she could have bread again, you would have thought we gave her a pony. For lunch she had a hamburger, minus the meat, then she had some cereal for a snack, and a few vegetables with crescent rolls that were her dinner.
Bottom line is, though it was a tough situation, God answers prayers. Even if it isn’t quite the full answer you want. It’s awesome to be able to give the kid a piece of bread again if she wants it. Parenting is full of new and difficult situations, and at 3 years old, I’m sure ours are just starting. Look to God and don’t let the bad news get you down. Wouldn’t trade that little girl for anything…