I'm allergic...

Last summer Emersen was referred to an allergist after a horrible bout of diaper rash. At the doctor for the rash, the pediatrician said given her eczema and this rash, we should see an allergist. So we did. She said to go back to the brand name diapers since that wasn't causing trouble before. And to switch back to the expensive formula. Problem solved. While there, we did allergy testing to "just check" to see what we were working with. Turns out she was allergic to eggs, tree nuts, bluegrass and dust mites. We scheduled an appointment for 6 months later for a check up (or that's what I thought). She was sick when her appointment came around. And we weren't having trouble with eczema or diaper rash any more. Instead, at some point in discussing another appointment, a blood test was the next step. We did that. And she was zero on egg yolk, and tested a low positive on egg whites. Next conversation was about coming back and testing her skin for the egg again, and if it was negative, doing a food challenge with eggs (or so I thought). Fast forward to our scheduled appointment this week, for what I thought would be a final determination for the egg allergy, I come to learn that it's been "so long" since testing and a visit. And they don't do a skin test and food challenge in one visit or talk about it on the phone, blah blah blah. All completely different than our last conversation. Now it's a skin test, that if it's negative she finally agreed we would do a food challenge for PANCAKE (different temps of cooking make it more towards eggs on the spectrum, with cake/cookies safest for an egg allergy). WHAT!? The testing is a bigger deal than having the allergy is!


So skin test still says highly allergic to egg, and we got a prescription for an EPI pen. Why didn't we get this last time if she's so allergic? And because she wasn't allergic to peanuts last time, but because I never gave her any peanuts or peanut butter, because of instruction by a WEIRDO pediatrician who said to wait until 2 years old, the allergist implies that she might NOW have a reaction because it's been so long without her having tried them. She gives her BABIES peanut butter by the time they're 5 months old. WHO DOES THAT!? Isn't it a choking hazard anyway? Therefore, we have to re-test the peanut on her skin and tested the individual tree nuts. She actually only showed a mild reaction to Hazlenut. 


Think it's over? NO. Next steps are another blood test. If the peanut shows negative, we do a food challenge. Then we give her peanuts/peanut butter over a month and if that's all okay, then we move on to a food challenge of the tree nuts that were least reactive. Seriously? 


Some facts according to our allergist: She has a 50% chance of outgrowing the egg allergy by the age of 4, 70% chance by the age of 12. Only 9% of kids out grow the tree nut allergy. 


OY VEY! This stuff wears me out. I want to know what she's allergic to and be able to prepare, avoid, warn, etc. This is helpful information. However, if it could change, at any moment - why not do larger intervals between testing? It costs money to do this stuff. 


Our trusted pediatrician would advise putting the little ones through as little testing as possible, within reason of knowing allergies and having the tools to manage them. She would continue to find out about the peanut allergy so we can do peanut butter (protein). But would put some time between the testing for the egg allergy or tree nut allergy. Of course, if I mentioned opinions of pediatricians to my allergist, she not so kindly informed me that they hadn't had the additional 3 years of schooling to make them an allergist. 


I'm pretty sure once we solve the peanut dilemma, we might be finding a new allergist. My guess is that she won't want us as a patient if we're not going to test according to her frequency recommendation. She made it quite clear that I had been bad by not coming every 6 months or so already. Never mind that she didn't explain her expectation at our first appointment.


Well, that's where we are right now. Will keep you updated on the blood test and food challenge. Right now, we're just enjoying Emersen's temporary tattoos on her back where they marked her up for skin tests. Emmy and Mommy now have back tattoos!