We had no idea that Caden had any allergies at all until he started solid foods. He started solids at about 8 months and quickly we realized something was up. Sometimes I would give him a bite of something and he would just gag and throw up. Loudly gag.
Now Carolina would gag and spit out food when she was a baby. She wouldn't eat baby food till after 9 months old. But once she started eating she was fine. The doctor said it was texture aversion so we just assumed that was what was up with Caden.
I remember in May at my Mom's bday celebration at Inspirations Tea Room I spoke with my Aunt Vickie about this. I honestly wasn't super concerned about it. However she was and we had just gone thru the allergy testing and finding out about Caylea's allergies the month before in April.
I thought his throwing up, constant rash to the point of bleeding in some places on his back, his snotty nose and fussiness was all seasonal allergy related. I thought this because when we went to S. Padre for vacation is all cleared right up with no problem.
I emailed our Pediatrician he said if it didn't clear up bring him in. However a few days later I had a follow up appointment with our allergist for Caylea and I asked her if Caden could have bad seasonal allergies. After I told her all about how he was acting she said bring him in.
We had to wait till he was 11 months old. So in June we took him in to be skin tested. By this time he was only nursing and eating graham crackers. He had not lost weight but hadn't gained any either. He would not eat any other food at all. He wouldn't even try it. They say it was because so many foods made him sick he just didn't want to eat them anymore but he knew graham crackers were okay.
When I went to his appointment in early June well first off he had eczema all over his back and there were actually soars in a few places that he was able to reach and scratch. It was so hard to hold him down when they cleaned off his back with alcohol. I hated that for him because it hurt him. But that wasn't it. Next was holding him still while they poked him over 80 times with the "allergens". I don't mean to make the doctors sound like bad guys but that day Caden did think so!
After holding him still for 15 minutes so the test could then be read. I had to hold him still while they read each and every poke. Needless to say after this appointment Caden hated two things for sure. Doctors offices and being held down! (clipping nails even became almost impossible!)
The doctor then informed me that his egg reaction was a +4 which she said ment that it was off the charts, he also tested positive for peanuts, soy and several tree nuts. She said we needed an epi-pen for him.
I was numb and in shock at this moment. Yes I wanted to know what was wrong with my baby and get help but no this was all way too overwhelming since I wasn't adjusted to finding out about Caylea's allergies yet just 2 months prior.
She told me that she thought the soy maybe a cross reaction with peanut and that he may not be actually allergic to it. Unfortunately after a few more weeks of throwing up and a positive blood test to soy it was confirmed as an allergy. The other symptoms cleared after egg was removed.
He was only 11 months old so he had not actually been fed an egg it was the egg in the baby food (pasta types) that was making him sick. He has not to this day had a nut of any type so I have no idea how he would react if at all for the first exposure.
A few months after his testing my sister and I took the kids to McDonald's. We had been at the zoo and left because of the heat. I sat Caden in the high chair and gave him a chicken nugget and next thing I know he is throwing up, has a rash and is wheezing and short of breath.
I gave him zyrtec and took him home. The allergist scared me when I told her because she said I should of went to the ER. Thankfully God was watching over my boy when his mommy made that mistake. His face wasn't swollen so I assumed okay. However she said breathing difficulties with food allergies should always be watched closely by a medical team. I was told to watch him closely give zyrtec (which by the way was 2 tsp-an adult dose) every 2 hours, a few times, then every 4, then every 6 and finally every 12 for 3 days.
I guess with food allergies sometimes the med's can wear off then another reaction follows. Thankfully God took care of him and I stayed on top of it. He was fine.
I spoke with her about the day to see if we could figure out what happened she said most likely a child had eaten egg in that high chair recently and he reacted off of that.
Caden survived on Graham crackers for several months (well I was still nursing also) He has always been hard to get to try new things. They say that is normal for a child with his past it is just etched in his brain now to not trust new foods. He is also my most spoiled child. Part of that is being my last baby. Partly how bad he felt for so long I held him a lot when he wasn't feeling well. Also he is a super duper daddies boy now which makes Anthony oh so happy. However this fact makes him even more rotten! LOL
A few months ago I took Caylea and Caden to be skin tested again. It was not fun. Caylea was such a trooper laid on the table like a big girl and stayed still. For Caden it took 3 of us to hold his body still against me and the other nurse to do the testing. Not so fun. But thankfully over. The test said that Caylea was still allergic to all tree nuts and some of them she has became more sensitive to. Caden still tested the same but after an accidental egg exposure we knew he was no longer reacting so she said we could give egg. . .the same with soy. So for this family we are content with just avoiding nuts.
(and super blessed)
We moved to Louisiana a few months ago and finding a church was of course a very important thing for us. We prayed about it our family and church family in Oklahoma supported us in prayer on this matter. God found the perfect place for us. It is a small church but oh so friendly.
They have been more accommodating than I could of imagined with the food allergies. We had lunch with the Pastor and his wife soon after we joined and I mentioned that I would bring a bag of safe snacks. She said she would go buy some and keep them in the kitchen for everyone to use. That was so sweet. They are in there and it's nice to not have to worry about it.
Also my kids are in love with the people there. Caylea has a great little friend named Olivia that is her age. Carolina and Caden have a little boy that is right between their age. There are a few other kids that come that they play with. But all of their favorites are the teen age girls! It is so nice to not have to worry where they are when we have to be there early for Anthony to practice because I know those girls have them somewhere doing something fun with them.
Right now we are still homeschooling. We are praying about school next year for the girls. We are in a great school district. Carolina wants to go so bad! I think she would love it! Caylea is on the fence about it I think she would do okay. She is super smart (not to brag but she does do very well). . .it is socially that I worry about and just missing being home. We just have to figure out what God wants before we move forward.
This ended up longer than I expected. If you made it this far your amazing. Enjoy your day my friends!
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