Our Introduction To Nut Allgeries

Caylea use to throw up all of the time just when we ate out like Chinese or church functions. She never liked nuts but I never suspected it was an allergy. Now I know they were making her throw up and probably making her mouth feel funny.

I found out one day when she was about 4 1/2 (the doctors were surprised her allergy was so severe and I was just figuring it out- they said she was a great self avoider).

I knew she didn't like nuts but Carolina and I did so we were eating some cashews getting into the van in the parking lot at target in Edmond. I gave caylea a tiny piece and she spit it out. I said see you don't like nuts. We were meeting my sister Brandy at hafer park right across from target. She fussed and whined all of the way there. I felt awful because I was short with her telling her if she didn't quit she wouldn't get to play. She was still fussing for a drink. When we pulled into the park I looked in my rear view mirror to my daughters face covered in hives and so severally swollen she couldn't really talk anymore only cry. Brandy was there so she took Carolina and I headed across the street to the Edmond Hospital ER. They were asking me why I was there I said I think my daughter is allergic to cashews they looked at her and took her back immediately and said I had to finish paper work. Less than a minute later the nurses came running to the window saying we need her Mom we have to start IV immediately her airway is closing. She got IV and med's. I of course didn't think about taking any pictures until after a lot of the swelling went down and the hives were gone.

We were there over 4 hours and she was put on a steroid for several days. I was told follow up immediately with our Pediatrician.

Our pediatrician helped us get into a wonderful allergist quickly. We then found out she was anaphylactic to all tree nuts.

So we have been carrying twinject epi-pens every since.

It was hard in the beginning I felt like I was going to kill her every time I fed her. The hardest was trusting other people to feed her. Especially people who didn't think it was a big deal. Of course it is a big deal it's my daughters life. Even if she does not die from an exposure (which is possible) she is effected with a traumatic trip to the ER and who wants that for their child. Thankfully time heals and we have learned how to deal with this.

It's not always easy but being around supportive people makes the biggest difference.

My position on the subject of people who think we are over reacting. Is and always will be to try to educate them. However if that is impossible then I will do what I need to protect the children God has placed my care. Unfortunately I can't say that I don't care what people think because I do. I am way to sensitive to not care. Regardless I have to do what I feel is right for my children just like any other parent about any old subject out there. Our subject is just life and death.

The not being able to not care part unfortunately has only hurt myself and caused a lot of sadness the last few years. I have had the time to think to let go of that and realize the people that love us and the one's who don't. An important life lesson for sure. One I probably learned a little late in life. Those people have fallen into the place they belong in our life. Either way I don't care what they think anymore. I can't afford to for my (and my families) happiness.

I am so thankful to God that the day of the reaction we were basically across the street from a hospital. I am also so thankful to God for putting people in my life who understand . . .maybe everyone doesn't and some won't even try. However when I really needed to talk or vent there was some understanding person and several times people who really even GET IT right there right when I needed the support.

I personally do not know anyone else who has a small child that is anaphylactic but I know they are out there and I pray one day I can be helpful to someone else.

Here are the few pictures I took of Caylea after her reaction had gone away significantly. Still looks bad to this Mommy but trust me it is much better than it was just 10 minutes previous.




To Caylea this is now just a distant memory. She does remember it and I think she does have a healthy fear of nuts. She is 7 so still needs supervising but over all I can say she will ask before she eats in a class kind of situation. It is the uninformed adults I have to worry about. I am so thankful to say that March of 2008 was her last reaction. It has not been easy to avoid all exposure but it is possible and it is what is BEST for Caylea.

This is Caylea's story I will write Caden's soon. It is much different and thankfully caught a lot earlier in fact I don't know if he would even react at this point to a nut. . .which gives me hope he will outgrow it.

Caylea is given 0% possibility to outgrow her allergies. Although she still asks often and I tell her God can do anything pray about it. He may just do it. . .

Tired out after a long day