Update on Milk Allergy

During spring break, we ventured on the airlines for a trip to visit grandparents.  Our daughter will be 4 in a couple months and has allergies to milk, egg, tree nuts and peanuts.

I was so nervous -- would they take away the Epi-Pen when going through security?  How will I make sure the airline seat is clean of allergens?  Don't even talk to me about all the public restrooms I knew we would have to use.

I can confidentially say that for the entire trip -- two airplanes down, two airplanes back, airport public areas, grandparent's house, multiple restaurants, and too many bathrooms to count-- there was not one (repeat not one) incidence of rash on her face.  Even during her normal days at preschool we occasionally see her all rashy with no direct reason.  It sure doesn't help that she still put everything in her mouth.

Well, our daughter was plagued with a cough after the vacation and ended up with an ear infection.  The antiboitics are finally out of her system and I could hardly wait to test her for milk at home.  NOTE: DO NOT DO ALLERGY CHALLENGE TESTING AT HOME UNLESS ADVISED BY A DOCTOR.

For morning snack I gave her some icing made from milk, powdered sugar and vanilla.  The same icing she has had for many of her at-home milk testing. I kept the Benadryl close at hand.  She ate it.  We waited.  Normally 10 minutes is the wait time before we see hives all over face.  Guess what?  Nothing!

For lunch I daringly gave her a third of a piece of string cheese.  She ate a couple bites, then we made her wait 10 minutes.  No rash.  We let her finish the rest of the string cheese (still just the third of a regular size).  Nothing.  No hives. No cough.

We didn't get too excited.  I think we have just had to deal with her milk allergy for so long that her possibly not having it any longer isn't as big of a deal as it would have been two years ago.  Don't get me wrong there is nothing that would make our lives easier.  But we really have adapted.

We waited to check her bowel movement before trying anything else -- just in case her tummy couldn't handle it. All was normal on that front.  After dinner we gave her Cool Whip that recently changed it's formula to more creamy and gave her a terrible reaction several months ago. She ate the creamy Cool Whip with some strawberries.  We set the timer for the third time today and waited 10 minutes. No reaction.  Hooray!  I think I'm numb.

Next on the menu is yogurt and then toast with butter.  Wow!  I never thought we would see the day.  We are going to continue to take it slow, and I'll get a call into the allergist next week.  I just wanted to share to give those you out there hope!!!

Read some of my other at-home testing posts showing our slow journey that led us to were we are today!