Get-to-know-you

FrumiousBandersnatch

Since I'm new and don't know you girls, could we do a get-to-know-you post?  I'll start.

 

I'm a first time mother to Tatertot (as I so affectionately call him), and we discovered he had a dairy allergy early on.  I very strictly cut dairy and soy and he suddenly became a new baby!  He was happy and made developmental leaps right away.  More recently (he's three and a half months old now) something changed.  I think Applebee's cross-contaminated something, and he had a terrible reaction.  After many nights of full body rashes and screaming pains, we moved to Neocate formula.  It took 3 doctors telling me to do it to convince me.  Plus, I was going back to work and unable to keep up pumping.  He is doing well now.  We just had a scratch test done this morning for just soy and dairy.  The allergist said that she had never seen such a severe reaction to dairy in a baby his age.  The soy was positive, but borderline.  She was amazing (see previous post).  I feel more in control now but am still struggling with guilt about not breastfeeding any more.  He is also a reflux baby (on Prevacid).

PS- emergency weaning is AGONY.  

And you? 

goillini823

I'm Aby. My about to be 3 year old has a milk and egg allergy. We discovered both at around 1 year old. We just had her annual allergy test. Her RAST #'s are 2 for egg and 1 for milk now! We are hopefully she will outgrow it! DS is 2 months old, and has a dairy and soy allergy. It was discovered in the NICU. he had blood in his stool. They ruled out NEK, and because of DD allergy they figured it was allergies. Once I eliminated dairy and soy he's been fine.

ABColeslaw

Hi I'm Holly.  My son is Asher Benjamin.  We discovered Asher's dairy allergy at 2 weeks.  I went on a strict elimination diet, but at 4 weeks I was told to stop nursing for the health of my son.  We put him on Alimentum around 5 weeks.  It never changed his symptoms.  At 7 weeks he started projectile vomitting with streaks of blood after eating a bottle.  Several trips to a GI specialist, the emergency room...looking pyloric stenosis and other conditions.  At 9 weeks we went on vacation and he was hospitalized in another state.  We came home, went to the specialist and was pretty much told "I'm just a new mother"  At this point he was in the 5th percentile for weight. 

Then at 10 weeks old, I had just given him a bottle and he was in his carseat so he would be propped.  I was at the sink washing dishes and I heard his carseat rocking back and forth...I looked over and Asher was blue in the face, his hands were scratching at his face.  I thought he was choking because there was bloody vomit everywhere.  So I tried to clear his airway.   We only had cell phones at the time and I couldn't get reception and no one else was home, so I had to put my small baby in the car...front seat and speed to the hospital.  Asher continued to have Anaphylaxis at the hospital and was transported to a pediatric ICU cleanroom in Boston.  

After several days there and many tests and specialists later, he was diagnosed with Primary Immuno Deficency/Acute Multiple Protein Allergy.  The original Immunology Report said that Asher would never be able to tolerate complex proteins over 7 strands....think no meats, no dairy, no eggs, some veggies... Since then Asher has been on Neocate and Nutra (Which is a high caloric medical feed paste)  We have slowly added in safe foods...which to date are very few.  Asher eats Turkey, Rice, Quinoa, Green Beans, Potatos, Peas, and Bananas. 

Since then we've engaged in several complex in and out patient food trials and we have a much more specific list which isn't nearly as limiting.  Asher is allergic to Diary...a true casien/beef total allergy.  This allergy causes ana.  He is also allergic to soy, wheat, eggs, shell fish, tree nuts, peanuts, oats, and veggies and fruits associated with oral allergy syndrome.  Recently its been suggested that he may have a combination Immuno deficiency as well as a  eosinophil disorder. We are currently undergoing testing for that. 

Discordia1030

I'm Jaime, mom to Liam Michael who turns 1 in a few weeks (although I'm completely denying this). He is intolerant to dairy, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs, and we are shellfish, seafood and beef free as well and still nursing. He was scheduled to be actually skin tested last week, but we had some insurance changes and rescheduled it to next month. 

We first discovered his reactions around 4 weeks. He was horribly rashy, gassy and had blood in his stool. Dairy was the first thing cut out, followed by nuts and eggs within 3 weeks, He was still having reactions, although not as severe, so our pedi referred us to a PediGI who told me that elimination diets are pointless and that I needed to put him on Alimuntum (sp?). Because of her attitude, I decided to cut out soy, since I had already cut out 3/4 of the top 8 and if there was no improvement, then I'd cut out wheat as well. Luckily, cutting out soy worked, much to my relief.

loveemandle2

Hi!

 I have two kids Emma and Levi.  Emma who just turned 3 started having eczema at 10 months old, shortly after that she had issues with diahrrea, we put two and two together and realized that the dairy was causing both issues.  So, at right around a year we cut out all dairy.  However, the eczema got worse, and nothing helped it.  After to incidents at breaking out in hives all over her body, right before Emma turned 2 we were referred to an allergist.  We found out that she is allergic to dairy, and also found out that she is allergic to peanuts, and eggs as well.  We took the eggs and peanuts out of her system and the eczema was so much better. 

 

Levi is 18months and had MSPI as an infant.  It didn't start until 4 weeks, the kid just got miserable, had a constant diaper rash and started to develop eczema.  At first he was just dx with acid reflux, but the meds alone didn't help so we were advised to switch to Nutramigen.  What a difference that made! At 12 months we introduced soy milk back into his diet and he does just find with that now.  However, dairy was still giving him issues.  Also, on his first b-day his cake had egg in it and he broke out in hives, then at his sister's b-day party just recently he got that same cake (thought it was egg free, but wasn't) his reaction went from just hives on the back of his neck to hives all around his mouth and his throat/neck region so red from him scratching at it, so we are pretty sure his throat was starting to react as well.  Anyways, he just got tested 2 weeks ago and we are waitng to hear the results. 

g_belle

hi!

I have two boys.  j will be 2 this month and B is 2 months old today.

When J was about one month old he had awful cradle cap and eczema.  We were told it was infant eczema and it would go away.  It just got worse.  Our pedi referred us to a dermatologist and we finally got an apt. when J was about 4 months old.  Again we were told just eczema and a bad case but slim to no chance that it was food related (I asked.  Repeatedly.)  The meds did nothing for him and he was covered from head to toe.  I did an elmination diet of dairy and soy but that never made a difference.  Again my dr.s assured us that the chances of it being food related were slim to none since no one in our family had food allergies.  We finally got a referral to an allergist at 10 months old.  J tested as severely allergic to dairy, eggs, wheat, and peanuts.  I stopped breastfeeding immediately so that he could feel better.  His skin cleared up within weeks.  At 14 months we re-tested and all allergies were confirmed and we added bananas to his list as well. 

B was starting to break out in eczema all over his tiny body at 3 weeks old.  As soon as his pedi confirmed that I really was seeing eczema again (I was praying it was a heat rash) I cut dairy and eggs from my diet (J's two biggest triggers- even though I know we could have a totally different set of allergens this time).  Those cuts cleared up his skin for the most part although he still has a few dry patches.  Right now his skin isn't bothering him so we'll wait until we see the allergist to make more cuts to my diet unless we notice that his skin is becoming more of an issue.  today I had shrimp for lunch and this afternoon with B was awful.  He was screaming in pain before he pooped and he now has red bumps all over his neck and arms so shellfish are out too. 

both boys see the allergist in october. 

magdusia

i'm Maggie.. we found out about my son's allergies after he TOUCHED a piece of egg and rubbed his face (eyes) and went into an ana shock (7 months old). He was rushed to the ER and then had his testing done which confirmed a milk/soy/egg/peanut/sesame allergy.  He has outgrown his sesame allergy already (yaaay!).  These FA are exhausting and i feel like I'm sometimes drowning in my own pitty. I feel like it's even taking a toll on my marriage and i'm exhausted from the constant comments "pasta again!?" from my DH.. 

I work full time and have a nanny that watches my son (we are looking for a new one).  I'm currently 16 weeks pregnant and am super anxious to find out if this child has any FA. No one in my family or DH's family has FA.

And since this is a "get to know you" post... i love photography.  I love to travel and long walks in the park (ok.. no long walks in the park, but it felt like it completed the sentence

 

Miller238

I'm Jenna and my daughter's name is Kate.  I breastfed her from the start and she was always a fussy baby and horrible sleeper.  Her skin always looked "raw" and we always said she was a tomato.  I did some research on her symptoms and made an appointment with an allergist when she was 3 months old after she had a bottle of formula one night (mommy drank one too many beers ) and she projectile vomited and broke out in hives

She was tested for the top 8 plus dogs and was allergic to dairy, peanuts, and dogs.  I eliminated dairy and peanuts from my diet and we made sure to practice good avoidance with the dog.  Everything was SO much better.

At 6-7 months, things went absolutely downhill.  I brought her back in for testing because she was looking like a tomato again and she had a reaction when I introduced green beans.  She was tested for only wheat, soy and green beans and all were positive.  The allergist told me to avoid the top 8 + all legumes + all citrus at that point.

At 10 months old, she had an ana reaction after licking guacamole off my finger.  She was rushed to the ER and boy was that scary.  I have never seen a lip swell to that size before.  She had a new round of allergy testing done after that and she was positive to dairy, soy, garlic, peanuts, beans, pork, beef, rice, oat, bananas, apples, barley, tomatoes, coconuts, and peas, cats and she is deathly allergic to dogs.

We were seeing sevenspecialists at that point (allergist, dermatologist, optometrist, GI doc, ENT, audiologist, nutritionist) and it was decided by them to have her tested for EE and have tubes put in because she had an ongoing ear infection.  She was tested the day she was 11 months old and much to everyone's surprise, she was negative.  They all said she was "textbook" and the testing was only a formality so they could conclude the diagnosis.  They then tested her for all types of cancers and other immune deficiency disorders.  Everything was negative.

She was put on Neocate at 10.5 months old.  Things have been so much better since her last set of tests.  She was under the 10th percentile for weight and height but at her 18 month appointment last week, she was 40th for both!

We still have a long road to go as I always hesitate to add new foods and her selection isn't very extensive.  I have hope things will get better as she gets older.

vmm0016

My name is Victoria and I have Keira who is allergic to milk, soy, peanuts, treenuts and possibly eggs.  She is doing so much better now that she is off these things.  We found out when we introduced milk when she turned 1 and ended up at the ER.  We haven't given her nuts but the RAST test showed she is allergic to them.  She is also allergic to dogs and cats but that allergy is relatively low, my MIL watches her 2 days a week and has a cat...so thankfully not a severe allergy for those two things.  She also has eczema.

GHBEA

I'm Holly I am allergic to milk and other non food allergies,

my oldest DD is allergic to milk and eggs

my middle DD is allergic to tuna fish and all insect bites she carries an epi pen with her at all times.

Hoping my youngest DD isn't allergic to anything. 

luvmagoldn

My name is Cindy.  I have four year old twins and a 2 year old.  One of the twins is allergic to pistachio, cashew and kiwi.  We found out about his allergies when his eye swelled shut after eating biscotti with pistachios in it.  His twin has environmental allergies (pollens, dust mites) but no food allergies.  Both had eczema as babies/toddlers but seem to have outgrown it.

My two year old is allergic to milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts and sesame.   He was BF and had some eczema.  When I introduced formula and nine weeks (to supplement) he had explosive poops and would cry after a bottle.  Then he started developing hives after a bottle.  We went to the pedi and switched him to nutramigen and I eliminated milk from my diet.  All was well until we started solids and he had reactions to things I just couldn't identify.  He was tested at seven months and that's when we found out about all his allergies.

DH and I have environmental allergies but no FA so all of this was new to us.  It's been a challenge but we are finding our way.

As for me, I worked full time until a month or so ago.  Now I work 20 hours a week and LOVE it.  It gives me more time to make food for the boys I know they can eat safely and will give me more time to be involved at their school in the fall. 

I love this board.   So few people know anything about FA so it's nice to have all this knowledge available to us!