Nathan's severe allergies

For anyone that doesn't know, our little Nathan has severe food allergies. He is allergic to milk products, eggs, peanuts, and all other tree nuts. So far, he's had one anaphylactic reaction to a small amount of whey protein (milk byproduct) that was in a rice cereal. When this happened, he broke out in hives, his throat began swelling up, and he was struggling to breathe. Luckily, that was it. However, with each exposure to an allergen, the reaction will become worse and worse. Of course I have an epi-pen at all times.

Since he just turned 1 and has been home with me, it's been easy to keep him away from foods he can't have, and I haven't worried too much.

Things changed today, and I don't know how I'm going to handle the future.

We were at church in the cry room. There was another baby in there probably about 18 months old. He was eating Cheez-its and kept offering them to Nathan. Also, he and Nathan were kind of playing together and I knew this child's hands had cheez product all over them. From experience, my sister had cheese once on her hands and touched Nathan and he broke out in hives. If that is happening to the outside of his body, who knows what would happen if it was inside? I don't want to think about it.
Well, everything turned out ok, but Nathan is getting to an age where he likes to try everything.

Then, as we were leaving, I noticed he had his little fist clenched tightly around something. I opened up his hand and it was a cheerio. He must have found it under a pew or something and I didn't notice. I know this doesn't seem like a big deal, but what if that had been a peanut, or a peanut butter cracker? I wouldn't even have KNOWN he had it and could have possibly put it in his mouth.

Right now, I'm just feeling incredibly blessed that I'm able to stay home with him. At this point, I have decided that I will not be going back to work until he's in school. Yes, I miss teaching and I miss adult interaction, but it's not worth my child's life. Teaching will always be there, and if I'm not careful, my child might not always be. I don't want to take the chance of something happening at a daycare.


I was talking to another Mom and her son is allergic to milk and eggs. He had two severe reactions in a WEEK at daycare. Once, he grabbed the wrong sippy cup. The other time, another child sneaked him a cheeto. Luckily, he ended up being ok.

I don't want to have to be such an overprotective parent, but what choice do I have really? My child's LIFE is at risk here. I've talked to several Moms with kids with severe allergies, and they've said the same thing. You have to be a helicopter Mom...there's no other choice. It's a very strange position to be in.

I hope that by the time he's 6 and starting school, he'll be able to know not to take food from anyone and to never try anything without asking Mom or Dad first. I also hope that by that time he's outgrown the egg allergy at least. The milk and nuts he will probably never outgrow.

We have no idea how these allergies happened. Neither of us has any food allergies, and then BOOM! It's really hindered our lifestyle and we're just learning to deal with it. We can't eat out at any restauant. The possibility of contamination is too high. I have to take special food for Nathan everywhere we go. If we go to visit someone, I have to CONSTANTLY be watching him. They might have a spare cheeto or peanut on the floor or under the couch cushions. Who knows? He's so curious right now.

I wouldn't wish these severe allergies on my worst enemy. We just take it day by day.