Food Allergy Update

We just had our yearly appointment with the allergist to check the statuses on the food allergies here in our house.

This year, we did a blood draw on Nathan so we could actually see how allergic he is. Last year, we just did the skin test which is just a positive/negative on if a person is allergic.

The results from the blood test are mostly the same as they've been in the past. He is still highly allergic to milk protein, egg, and peanuts. Eating even a small amount of these foods will lead to anaphylactic shock.

Due to the severity of these allergies, the odds of him outgrowing them are very slim. Usually 80% of kids will outgrow a milk and egg allergy. However, since Nathan is SO allergic and is showing no signs of getting better at the age of 4, he will likely be allergic to these for life. A peanut allergy is also an allergy for life.

However, there was a slight improvement on his tree nut allergy. Tree nuts are all the nuts that come from trees: almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc. He is only moderately allergic to tree nuts. The allergist said there is a possibly he may someday outgrow this allergy since his allergy is only a moderate one.

Moving on to Elizabeth. She had an allergic reaction about a month ago while eating a sunbutter and jelly sandwich. I was pretty sure she was allergic to sunflower seeds. She was covered in hives.

The skin test confirmed it. She is allergic to sunflower seeds.

Ironic isn't it? I give Nathan sunbutter and jelly sandwiches and he loves them. We can't have peanut butter in the house due to the severity of the allergy.

However, now Elizabeth is allergic to sunbutter!! The allergist said it would probably be safe to give Elizabeth almond butter because Nathan doesn't have a severe allergy to almonds.

The allergist said that Elizabeth's severe eczema could be due to other kinds of seeds. We didn't test for other seeds, but the allergist said that a seed allergy could be causing this! So we'll cut out the hummus for Elizabeth. There is tahini in there which is a seed. We also have to keep her away from poppyseed and mustard.

The allergist also recommended giving the kids bleach baths to help kill the staph bacteria that like to live on skin with eczema. So a few times a week, we are supposed to put a little bleach in the tub. The allergist said it should help with the red rashiness.

That's the update for now! We'll see what new allergies pop up for Elizabeth as she tries more and more foods. I'm guessing it's not just seeds!