The results are in...

Minutes after my last post about our appointment, the doctor called with the blood test results.  He gets bonus points for calling himself -- normally I get a nurse whom I never met trying to explain what she sees on the results sheet.  And unable to answer any question.

Peanuts--she is off the charts and we are advised to stay away.
Other tree nuts -- still questionable, so we are going to avoid.
Milk -- questionable, but we know from our last at-home test she's still allergic
Egg -- questionable, so we are going to do a challenge test and give her egg at the allergist

So, no new information.   But it is good to know where we are at.  I really appreciate the doctor calling and encouraging a challenge test for egg.  So far, the allergists (our daughter's seen four) just close the door and say see you next year.

Allergist appointment

Yesterday was our yearly visit to the allergist.  He was new to the clinic and new to us.  He did a pretty good job overall.  He listened and documented what we've tried.  He gave solid advice and we agreed to do just a blood test this year.  Every allergist (6 of them since I was 14) I've seen has had a different philosophy on testing.  I truly believe that blood testing is going to be more accurate than skin testing for our daughter because if she's like me (which I think she is) her skin is going to react just by being pricked alone.  And that alters the real result.  We get those blood test results in about a week.  We tested for milk, egg, peanut and some tree nuts. I asked if we should continue to avoid shellfish and he advised to go ahead and try it.  She may or may not react just like anyone else.  We have a challenge test scheduled once we get the blood test results to determine if there is a true allergy after actually consuming egg (or peanut) in a controlled environment -- the doctor's office. I'm very optimistic that egg may be safer than we realize.  Milk on the other hand, I'm sure she's still allergic to.

To be continued...

Food Allergies and Doctors

If you've been reading for a while, I've been sharing my journey with my food allergies.  To recap, I have oral allergy syndrome, which means I'm allergic to fruits and vegetables.  I just recently found out I am allergic to coconut, peanuts and some tree nuts.  I am slowly trying to figure out what else.  The allergist I saw gave me such poor advice, I don't plan on seeing him again.  He told me that if I could eat peanut butter and test positive for a peanut allergy that I'm one of the lucky few.  Well, after eliminating peanuts and reintroducing I found out that I do have a reaction to peanuts.  Lucky in what way -- I have allergic reactions.  I'm very allergic to many things, so I really don't know what causes reactions.  Is it the grass, the weeds, perfume, an apple etc?  What I do know is that I sneeze and have a running nose every day.

I was hopeful that a nutritionist would give me some strategies to get more nutrients that I may be lacking from the fresh fruit and vegetables that I can't eat.   I told her my story.  She listened.  She looked at my food diary, which listed only two days of meals.  She then lectured me on not eating "enough" fruits, vegetables, and milk.  She lectured how much I "need" to eat a day.  I argued that I do eat vegetables, but it's not represented very clearly in food diary (she didn't ask what was in a meal loaded with veggies).  I do drink a little milk, and I get calcium and Vitamin D elsewhere.  Anyone else wonder why the big push for Vitamin D all of a sudden?  (I smell a conspiracy).  The only advice she gave me was to take a vitamin with minerals, eat canned fruit and cooked vegetables.  Duh.  Not much help for me.  Eating canned fruit kinda makes me feel sick.  I don't mind it a little.  And it's hard to find fruit without sugar added.   I was hoping for a weekly menu of recipes and food suggestions to get the best nutrition into my body that is limited by eating some of the best food for you.  She told me to keep a food diary to monitor what I eat to see if I am eating "enough" milk and vegetables.  There was no mention of a follow-up.  That's okay.  I wasn't impressed.

You may notice that I put quotes around "need" and "enough."  Well, here's where she contradicted herself.  I know I need to somehow get a little better balance in my diet.  I'm trying.  I think that speaks volumes.    I asked how many calories I am supposed to eat.  She said it should be 2000 calories.  I told her I know I don't eat that much.  She said that's okay because everyone has different metabolism and that number is just a guideline.  Well, then I just wonder if the 1 1/2 cups of veggies a day might not just be enough for me instead of stuffing myself with another 1/2 cup.

My conclusion.  I was a waste of her time.  I'm not overweight -- I've lost 15 pounds recently.  I'm not diabetic, so she couldn't pull out her diabetic curriculum.  I don't have bad habits, such as smoking, drinking, and caffeine.  I really think she just didn't want to help me.  In a way I feel overeducated.  I know too much.  Guess I take that over-education and educate myself.

On a side note.  I saw a doctor yesterday for a terrible sore throat I had.  So bad that I couldn't eat or swallow. I told her I have oral allergy syndrome and had eaten guacamole on Friday. I said that seemed to trigger it, but it had been five days.  I said I'm trying to work with someone with my allergies to figure things out.  She didn't reply.  A couple minutes later, I elaborated and said I just seem to be having reactions with all types of food lately.  She ignored it.  Well, gee thanks for reaching out.  I didn't have strep.  So I have no idea what I had.  I had no other symptoms but a sore throat.

I remain optimistic as our daughter has her annual appointment next week with an allergist.  He's new.  Hope he's ready for us.

Don't feel sorry

If you have been reading this blog for some time you have read about my food allergies.  I have had food allergies since I was 4 years old to raw fruits and vegetables.  Just recently I found out I have a peanut allergy.  It's a mild reaction but I think it was contributing to other issues as well.

Since I found out about the peanut allergy I have avoided "commercial" chocolate. I have tried M&Ms and Milky Way candy since finding out about my peanut allergy just to see what might happen.  Sometimes nothing, sometimes a sneeze, sometimes a coughing fit.  Interesting.  So instead of the gamble I eliminated it all together.  Now I am a huge chocolate lover and this was very challenging to give up.  Not to stop eating it because when something you eat hurts you, you don't like it (even if you really do love the flavor). That part of it was easy.  Just accepting a good alternative was a challenge (mostly because of cost).  I found Enjoy Life chocoolate chips and Boom Choco Boom bars to be a very acceptable replacement.  It so odd to me to eat a piece of chocolate and to feel such a "clean" taste.  I never noticed it before until I took the peanut out of my body.

Yesterday I was watching a commercial for Dairy Queen Blizzards.  A part of me got a little sad.  I may never eat one of those again.  They showed a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup.  Again I thought about how I used to enjoy eating those and probably won't again.  But the other part of me said "thank goodness you figured out what may be causing the problems and it's really no big deal."  That made me think about comments I hear about children with food allergies.

I often hear people say they feel sorry that their children can't have a certain food because of an allergy or that adults shouldn't eat foods in front of allergic kids who can't eat them.  But I'm telling you it's no big deal.  We don't want to eat what you have.  What you have makes us itch, sneeze, hurt, rash or worse.  We don't want that, ever.  Our daughter recently tested out some milk-based chocolate pudding (she loves chocolate, too).  After she had a mild reaction, I asked her if she liked the pudding and she very clearly shook her head and said "NO."  Even though I know she loves the flavor of chocolate, she did not like the reaction it gave her.  And again she's not even 3 years old.

To sum up, those of us with food allergies are used to it.  We know what we can have and what we can't.  Having alternatives available is fine.  But I'll just skip over the food I can't eat if at a party or gathering.  It's really no big deal.  Children are the same.  I think the only time they might feel some jealousy is if they don't have something to eat when everyone else does and there is no safe alternative, such as at a birthday party where cake and ice cream is served.  But as parents we make sure those situations don't happen too often or at all.  In that case I just bring along a chocolate snack bar or make a plate of brownies to share and all is well.

Lesson learned -- Sugar in Soymilk

When our daughter started drinking soy milk (instead of formula), I really didn't do that much research on what to give her.  I did know about the concerns with soybeans and causing possible medical problems.  I concluded that everything has something that is bad for you, so that didn't sway my decision.  What I was most concerned about for my then 13-month-old was getting the right nutrients in her. The doctors we had at the time weren't really much help.  I bought Silk's Very Vanilla for her because it says "Fortified for Kids" right on the front.  I also concluded that it had the most nutrients in it.

It wasn't until a month ago did I look at the sugar content in Silk's Very Vanilla Soy Milk. There are 16g of sugar in 1 cup.  In a day our daughter drinks about 3 cups -- sometimes even a little more.  That is 48g of sugar in a day.  Just to compare to other drink, a can of soda has 41g of sugar.  Yes, there is a difference in what sweetens the drinks.  Soda -- high fructose corn syrup; Very Vanilla Soymilk -  Cane Juice and Vanilla flavor.   And just like anyone can justify why something is bad for you, they will do the same why something (cane juice) is good for you.  The fact is that this soy milk had way more sugar than I think our daughter should have, especially if you take into account how much sugar is everything else.  I believe now that she's almost 3-year-old, she's getting those other nutrients in the Very Vanilla Soy Milk in the other foods she eats.  And after a recent nutritionist appointment (more on that in a future post), the most important nutrients to get are Calcium and Vitamin D, which is the same amount in the Very Vanilla and Vanilla soymilks.  I concluded to change her milk to Vanilla Soymilk, which as has 7g of sugar per 1 cup.

So, how do you change the tastes of a toddler?  Well, I did what I've done in the past.  Slowly introduce.   In this case, I mixed Very Vanilla Soymilk with Vanilla Soymilk -- Target brand (only because we live a minute from Target and it's a few cents cheaper).    I started slow.  I put 3/4 cup Very Vanilla Soymilk in her cup and added 2 Tbsp of Vanilla Soymilk.  I did that for a couple days and then slowly added more Vanilla than Very Vanilla.  About a week later we were add half and half of each.  Two weeks later we are adding more than 3/4 cup Vanilla and just a little Very Vanilla.  Her tastes gradually changed.  She was fine with the Vanilla Soy Milk in her cereal from the beginning.  I also made sure that she saw us mixing the milk -- no need to "trick" her.  That doesn't work.  I had tried before.

Do I believe you should change if you use Very Vanilla Soymilk?  No.  Do what you think is best.  I just felt that we were ready to change things a little.  I also based this decision on all the fruit and vegetables she's been eating lately.  Seems like all of a sudden she's a lot less picky.  Will we every drink Very Vanilla again?  Maybe.

Just in time for Berry Season

I probably haven't mentioned that our daughter was allergic to blueberries when she was just a year old.  Oh, I was so excited that she liked them -- another fruit to add to the list.   Her face was a little red after eating them, but she was always a little red in those days.  I gave her blueberry pancakes soon after and she broke out in hives.  Noooooo, I thought, but she liked them.

I held off testing her for blueberries until the other day.  She devoured them.  I told her we had to watch for food allergies (she understands what that means, now).  We waited and waited and no hives or even redness.  "Hooray," we shouted!  So happy to have another fruit to add to her diet.  We recently discovered that she likes blackberries, too.  Good timing, too.

Very interesting -- my allergies

I recently posted about the several food allergies the I recently tested positive for.  For the most part, there weren't too many surprises.  Except for the fact that I tested positive to peanuts.  I've eaten peanuts my whole life and when I got the results back I was eating a granola bar every morning that contained peanut butter.  I eliminated peanuts and peanut butter out of my diet completely for about a month.  This morning I was brave and tried one of those granola bars.  As whenever I eat something I that I think I might potentially react to, I tell myself "I'm going to eat this and probably not notice anything."  I so want to eat everything that causes allergic reactions to my system.

I was really curious to see if in fact I was one of the "lucky few" (as the nurse told me when I told her I eat peanuts all the time) who didn't have a reaction.  I knew after all my research for my daughter that the only way to know was to take it away and reintroduce.  I ate up that granola bar and something did happen.  My throat got very congested.  It was a familiar congestion that I used to get all the time.  I thought it just came about every morning for no reason.  Now I realize it was the peanut butter in the granola.   It wasn't a severe reaction by any means.  But I couldn't believe how immediate it was after eating the granola bar.  It was enough of a reaction for me to conclude that it's best I stay away from it if I can.  My goodness, to think the doctor told me not to worry about it

In my quest to figure all my allergies out.  I have eliminated some other toxins from my system.  I was once (for 15 plus years) a huge Pepsi fan.  I drank a couple cans a day.  I've been exercising consistently for about 5 months now -- even lost 8 pounds.  I noticed my exercised body really didn't like that corn syrup that much.  In the past couple months I ended up pouring out 1/4 to 1/2 a can after drinking it.  Well, that just seemed like money down the drain.  So I cut it out.  Once in a while will be my plan.  Just those three things have made me feel much better.  You never really know how you feel until you change.

For all of those of you with children with food allergies, my best advice to you is to listen and be patient.  Listen to you child and look for patterns.  A test result will not give you all the answers.  In my test results, it didn't even show me positive for a few things I know I'm allergic to and have been almost all my life.  I'm thinking there must be false negatives, just as there are false positives when it comes to allergy testing.  Work with the allergies and it will be okay.  I promise.  Stay strong!

My food allergies- update

I have previously posted about my food allergies.  To summarize, I am allergic to all things living and can't eat raw fruits and vegetables, which is called Oral Allergy Syndrome.  I can eat raw foods but I normally have a minor sore throat.  Recently, I had a reaction to shellfish.  This really worried me that I might have an allergy to it.  I decided that it was best that I see an allergist.  I haven't visited an allergist in almost 15 years.  They try to help, but I tend to know about what to do than they do.  I figured maybe there has been some new treatment or research that would help me.  

I didn't really get the help from the doctor that I had hoped for.  Long story short, two blood tests and a skin test later I found out that I am not allergic to shellfish, but also found out I have a peanut allergy and a couple other tree nut allergies.  The peanut allergy is a total shock to me. I eat peanut butter granola bars almost every day and eat peanut butter on a regular basis.  I can't think of ever having a reaction.  The nurse told me that if I can eat it then I'm "one of the lucky few."  Confused.  I decided it was best to eliminate peanut from my diet and reintroduce it in a few weeks.  During this process I got some blood test results and asked the nurse how long the peanut protein stays in the system.  She asked the doctor and he said if I didn't notice a change after not eating the peanuts that I can eat it again.  Well, that was not an answer.  It was almost like the doctor didn't even care.  I explained that I have so many reactions daily that it really would be hard to know if I had a mild reaction to peanuts.  By daily reactions I mean sneezing, minor throat irritations, etc.  I just live with it without really noticing much anymore.  The nurse understood my logic, but didn't really have any further advice.

I am going to see a dietician in June and hope to have a plan of action in place by then.  I'm going to slowly try different fruits and vegetables to see what really bothers me a lot and what I might be able to tolerate in small doses.  As for the nuts, I think I'm going to stay away from all except nuts I am not allergic to that are packaged in a plant that doesn't cross contaminate.  Boy oh Boy, it would just be nice to eat...

Teaching a toddler that she has food allergies

When we chose our daughter's preschool for next fall, I realized that I needed to give her some education on what her food allergies actually are.   I can't expect her to be responsible for food intake when she's 3 years old, but I can give her the tools so she can express to the teachers the best way she can.   She has known for a long time that she can't eat Mommy or Daddy's milk or cheese because she will get "itchies."  But that was the extent of what we had told her.  And frankly for a toddler that's about all you can do.  Now that she's getting older and understanding more and more, we decided to take it to the next step.

The best resources for her have been books (as with just about everything we do).  We read them and then discuss what she can and can't have.  It's really helped her understand and she now will use the words "food allergies" instead of "itchies."  It has been really helpful when testing her with food cooked with dairy.  I'll ask her to try some food because we want to see if there are food allergies.  She gets excited with us when we see no reactions.  The other day I gave her an Italian Breadsticks saturated made with butter (I could have used dairy-free or olive oil, but I wanted to test).  She took some bites before I made it to my seat for dinner.  She told me that she had food allergies.  I didn't see any hives on her face, but she told me that it was on her lips.  She didn't eat anymore of the breadstick, so I believe her.  Wow, talk about progress.  It's nice to know that she understands and can communicate it so that we all understand.

Just a reminder that all children develop at different rates.  Also we have been discussing and reading more about food allergies for almost two months.  This wasn't overnight success.

Tastes like Benadryl

Oh my!

Having a child allergic to milk has had me evaluate foods to give her.  I didn't give her fruit snacks until she was almost 2-year-old. She ate smarties candy for the first time this Halloween.   She just tried dairy-free ice cream a couple weeks ago.  Because we have had to eliminate a food group, it just didn't make sense to introduce too many sweets.  Plus there are so many cross contaminants that I worry if allergens aren't listed on the label.  I prefer to make cookies and muffins for sweets.  Not to mention toddlers go through those picky phases, so whatever nutrition you can get in them is really important.

My 2 1/2-year-old daughter was given some suckers as a gift for Christmas.  Today she ate almost all her food for lunch (lunch tends to be the meal she eats the least amount).  So, I decided to give her one of the suckers.  She picked the cherry flavored one (not that she knew what she was picking). She ate it making her "yum" sounds.  As she was finishing it she proudly proclaimed that  "It tastes like Benadryl."  All I could do was laugh.  She hasn't even had a drop of Benadryl for months.  Out of the mouth of a child with food allergies.

Big Step

We have made a huge step with our daughter -- we have put in a drop in daycare at a health club that we recently joined. Thankfully, they do not allow food.  However they do allow sippy cups and bottles (for babies).  So it's a pretty safe place for our daughter, in terms of allergies that is.  I still am nervous each time we pick her up that she's going to be all rashy.  But so far, it's been nothing but fun for her.  She normally doesn't want to leave and has a lot of fun.  It's a big step for us to have her under the care of someone else.  It's a good transition for us since we are in the same building, but she is "away" from us.  Goodness, I don't what I'm going to do when she starts school.

Hooray!

Today my daughter ate a whole piece of her Sunbutter and Jelly Sandwich. I've been trying and trying to get her to eat it.  Each time I gave it to her she ate a little more.  Today she ate more than I could have ever expected.

I'm so happy about this.  I've been searching for an easy sandwich to take when we travel.

Oh, yeah...I forgot

We don't go out to eat very often.  When we do we bring several activities for our daughter to do.  If I haven't mention it before -- she's very active and needs to be occupied all the time.  I'll bring crayons, paper, small books that fit in my purse and of course, snack.  We also play I-Spy, although we don't call it that.

Last weekend, we decided to go to Texas Roadhouse.  I haven't been there in years and I remembered really liking their rolls.  I also wanted a salad to see how my allergic reaction to raw vegetables was doing.  We walked in and stepped on peanut shells.  We were seated at the smallest two-seater booth with a high chair.  I did my normal wipe down of the high chair.  The table had the rolls and butter in the center, which was only an arms reach from our daughter.  My husband and I looked at each other and I said "oh yeah, I forgot they have peanuts," as we looked at the big pail of peanuts pushed into the corner.  We had a free appetizer and that just added to the problem and then I got a salad with Ranch dressing and my husband had soup with cheese.  Are you getting the idea -- she was allergic to everything that was brought to this tiny table.  I only brought snack for her, which she was eating very quickly. I kept watching her snack deplete hoping our food would come soon.  I was relieved that the service was quick.  She started biting on her fingers almost itching them.  We kept saying, look up so we can check your chin.  I ordered shrimp (we still don't know if she's allergic to shellfish) and it came before I finished my salad.  Oh my, the butter was within reach again.  We were wiping our hands with Clean and Go Wipes often.  And I went to wash my hands after I ate.  My husband didn't feel secure walking on the peanut shells that were all over the floor (it was slippery), so he just used wipes.  Then she started taking her shirt off -- we were sure she was itching and uncomfortable.  My husband took her out while I paid.  It turned out she did NOT have any reaction of any kind. Thank goodness.

It was stressful.  Normally eating out is not that bad.  My advice -- avoid Texas Roadhouse if you or your children have allergies.

(Oh, I reacted pretty bad to the salad.  My throat hurt until I went to sleep that night.)

My food allergies

I have suffered with food allergies for many, many years. I was only 4 years old when I realized that when I ate a carrot my throat "hurt." I told my mom, but she didn't understand what the problem was. I slowly came to realize that my throat hurt when I ate apples, raw potatoes (my mom would give me potatoes when she cut them up for dinner) and other raw fruits and vegetables. It wasn't until I was 14 years old did an allergy doctor ask me the question: "Do you get a sore throat when you eat raw fruits and vegetables?" After I told him that I did, he told me that I'm allergic to them. My mom and I just looked at each other with a "oh that explains that" look on our faces. I was so relieved to know that I wasn't just imagining the problem. That allergy doctor also diagnosed me with allergies to just about everything (such as molds, animals, grass, trees, weeds, etc) except dust.

I went through the series of allergy shots for 5 years from the ages of 14 to 19. Did it help? I don't think there is any real answer for that. Age sometimes factors into allergy severity. Also during some of this time I lived about 200 miles from where I grew up. I do not believe the shots helped at all with my allergy to raw fruits and vegetables, nor was the intention. The shots were to build up a tolerance to the other things I was allergic to.

Over the years, I was able to tolerate eating a salad or eating veggies if I coated them with dip (I tried to trick my body, which of course didn't work). The dip seemed to soothe the reactions just a little. I would eat these foods because I loved them and also because of the nutritional value. I would have a little discomfort for a while, but usually nothing visible. In fact, most people whom I've known for years don't know I have this allergy or forget unless I remind them.

The technical/medical term for this allergy is Oral Allergy Syndrome. It occurs when there is cross reactions between foods and pollen from weeds, trees, etc. For example, since I have such an allergic reaction (sneezing, wheezing, etc) to birch trees then certain fruits and vegetables may have pollens associated with birch trees causing a reaction. Reactions can vary from food to food and from person to person. Typically for me it's just an big lump in my throat for about a half hour. It may be longer depending on the food and how much I eat. My throat feels swollen and hurts. Sometimes I'll sneeze and apples sometimes make my lips swell up. Nothing serious, but makes the enjoyment of eating disappear. I normally eat small portions because the reaction can occur so quickly.

When I was 29 years old I had been able to build up a pretty good tolerance to most raw fruits and vegetables, and I pretty much knew which ones were going to cause more discomfort than others. Then I got pregnant. And you won't believe this. But I was able to eat everything that I was allergic to -- apples, bananas cucumbers, my favorite carrots, etc. Oh, it was fantastic. I didn't even realize it. Since I had been slowly buildng up that tolerance I just bought more fruits and vegetables when I was pregnant. I ate them without thinking -- maybe I had something more important on my mind. It was the best part of the pregnancy.

About a month after my daughter was born, I reached for a carrot at dinner without thinking. Ate it up and my throat hurt worse than it ever had hurt. It hurt all night and I even felt it a little the next morning. What?? But I could eat it all and it was so good. On Christmas, I ate a raw almond and almost went into anaphylaxis shock. I was almost gagging for air. I quickly found some benadryl (I was still nursing and not on any other allergy medicine) and it got better quickly. What?? I used to eat those even before the pregnancy with very little to no reaction. Did my body allow me to get the wonderful benefits of fruits and vegetables for the sake of my unborn child? Is that possible? That is my conclusion.

So, now I am slowly trying fruits and vegetables again. And I ate cucumbers this summer and an avocado last week. You have no idea how exciting it is to eat something that normally makes you uncomfortable. I hate, absolutely hate, when I hear people moan and groan about eating fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. I would love to taste the sweet flavors of fruit every day if I could. Next week we are hitting the apple orchard. And no matter how much my throat hurts, I'm eating those tasty apples. Or at least until my lips swell up and I start sneezing.

I knew my daughter would have some kind of allergies. I didn't think she would develop them at 6 months or to milk products. I asked one allergy doctor (we've been to three now for her) about her developing the Oral Allergy Syndrome and he told us that it's not a life threatening allergy. And not to worry if she does have it. I guess I have to wait for her to tell me. Right now she's eating lots of raw fruits and I watch to see if she reacts differently. Raw vegetables are harder to give to a 2-year-old, but in time we will see. For now, we worry about milk, eggs, peanuts and cashews.

Results

We saw a new allergy doctor today. I was very impressed with his patience with my 2-year-old and his knowledge about allergies. He did a skin test on her and concluded that she is definitely allergic to milk, cashews and peanut. The peanut reaction was the largest on her little back. We did find out that she is not allergic to pecans, almonds, walnuts and may or may not be allergic to eggs and some other tree nuts. She also did not show any reaction to mold or pollens.

My reaction: I'm a little disappointed that we have to avoid peanuts all together. However, I am so glad that I did not give her any peanuts or peanut butter to test at home. That would have been very scary. (That was the advice one allergy doctor gave us to do.) It is highly like that she will outgrow the milk allergy. There is a 20 percent chance she will outgrow peanut. Thankfully, now there is more education out there about peanut allergies and schools are very accommodating and understanding. I guess if this is our challenge, it's not that bad.

Meal Idea

The hot dog rut.  We've all been there.  We want to give some meat with a meal and don't have any readily available.  We resort to hot dogs.  Hot dogs aren't the best in nutrition and I just don't like that there is 21 percent saturated fat (keeping in mind that's based on a 2000 calorie diet).  

The other day when I was picking up dairy-free cheese, Tofurky Franks caught my eye. It looks like a hot dog, but is tofu-based.  No saturated fat and 11g protein.  Much better I thought.  I picked it up and it wasn't too expensive (about $3 for 6 franks).  Now, would my daughter eat this?  I tried it before I gave it to her and it actually tasted pretty good.  I believe in honesty with kids and explained to her this looked like a hot dog, but it's Tofurky.  She looked at it and said "brat" and then "hot dog."   I asked her to try it and she started saying "Tofurky, Tofurky."  I asked her if she liked and she said "yeah."  And she ate about half of one.  A much better solution to the "what do I have to feed her today?" problem.

Playing with other kids

We were at a play group today, which was so much fun.  But when people bring out snacks, I just watch so much more closely where my little busy bee plays.  Sure enough today I looked at her when she "checked" in and she had a small rash on her face and neck.  Nothing major and it went away quickly.  It could have been anything from a toy she touched to rubbing up on one of the pillows.  I can't keep her in a bubble and want her to experience as much as we can offer her.  A little rash here and there are just going to be a part of our lives for the time being.  

She also tried to snatch one child's snack container.  The grandmother kindly offered her a goldfish cracker.  I had to quickly say she could have that because of her milk allergy -- I hate wearing it on our sleeve, but sometimes we have to.  The grandmother didn't really understand, but I was sure to thank her.  I told my daughter to find something else to play with.  She's starting to understand more now when I tell her we can't touch other people's food.  She shouldn't anyway, but I'm glad she moved away when I asked her to today.  

Biggest Challenge

I initially was challenged by trying to figure out how to make food that didn't contain milk, whey, cheese or any other milk-based product and still give my daughter a balanced diet.  I eventually figured it out and feel very good about the meals we eat.  

My biggest challenge now is explaining to other people that she can't have milk and all the food that has milk in them along with watching my daughter interact with other people and the anxiety I get hoping they don't have milk on their fingers.  Or worse she picks up a toy that has milk on it.  Okay, that sounds like three biggest challenges, but they all go hand-in-hand.  It is really hard to explain what she can and can't eat to other people.  I still won't order food at a restaurant for her.  I just don't trust that a knife to cut one thing might not have been used to cut butter or cheese.  I understand people who don't experience an allergy really don't know what the reaction is like or could lead to.  I also understand that unless you are forced to read labels, you really don't realize that everything has milk in it.  I would say more than 60 percent of the meals I make have a milk product in them.  So people give me recipes, I say, oh, my daughter can't have that. They are usually shocked and I have to explain again what the allergy is all about.  She also has an egg allergy, so that adds to my anxiety.  I sure do hope she outgrows it soon.  They say 90 percent of kids outgrow the milk allergy.  Until then we do our best.

Our Story -- Transition to Table Foods

To view our story to this point, read here. After my daughter was drinking Nutramigen, I introduced baby food. One new food for four days before trying a new one. Why? Because she reacted to every new food she tried. After day three or four she was fine, but the first couple days we had a breakout all over her face. We classified it as eczema, but I really think she was sensitive to new foods. Sometimes I would give her body a break from new foods. It was an interesting challenge. As a food allergy suffer (I'm allergic to raw fruits and vegetables), I was so concerned with everything she ate and really dreaded feeding her table food. We started snack foods from Gerber and I learned the hard way that you have to really read labels. Around 10 months, I accidentally gave her a snack that had cheese in it. She had a mild case of hives. It did confirm she still had the allergy. It's interesting that Gerber actually doesn't make too many things that are milk-free.

We waited until she turned 1 before we tested her with milk products. I gave her pancakes made with milk and egg. She tolerated it well. I was hopeful when we gave her ice cream we would be free. Nope. My husband fed her the ice cream and I held the Benadryl. Yep, she reacted with hives. So, the next step was to see an allergist. The first one we saw was less than helpful. The second gave us a piece of mind. My main concern was that she wouldn't get enough of the fat and calcium she needs. And what if she was allergic to apples and bananas like I am. The second doctor told us that an allergy to raw fruits and vegetables are not life threatening, so I need not worry. He also said that if she drinks the soy milk and eats a balanced diet, she will be fine.

So I began making her meals. Simple meals: meat, vegetable, fruit, grain. I still keep most items separate because the casseroles usually have a milk base. It took a long time to figure out how to keep her food separate from ours while making "essentially" the same thing. But now I think I have it figured out.

I'll post a menu of meals we eat frequently soon!

Our Story

I nursed my daughter exclusively until she was 6 months old. My goal with to stop nursing and start formula and solids around 6 months.

At around 5 1/2 months I gave her cereal for the first time. I figured since I was eventually going to transition her to formula that I would mix her cereal with formula. Milk-based formula that is (I didn't even know that most formula is milk-based). I knew better than to try two things at once but you start thinking and over thinking things. And this is what I decided on. The feeding went really well. Most fell out of her mouth and she was making yum sounds as she ate the cereal Daddy was taking pictures. She probably ate about 2 tsp total. Then after about 5 minutes she started rubbing her chin and it turned red. We stopped the feeding and she ballooned up. Her face nearly tripled in size. As an allergy sufferer myself I worried about her throat closing up. About five minutes later after we had stripped her clothes off her and gently wiped her chin I realized that she had hives (something I had suffered with throughout the years, too). I called the doctor who couldn't really tell me what the cause was -- he said it could be the rice or it could be the formula and I wouldn't know until I tested them separately.

I waited over a week to try cereal with her again. No reactions, so I concluded it was a milk allergy. It was almost two weeks until I gave her Nutramigen formula, an expensive milk-free formula. I wasn't even going to gamble with a soy or other lactose free formula. I figured I could always try them later.

That was how I found out my daughter is allergic to milk. I did eat milk and dairy throughout the whole pregnancy and the entire time I was nursing. The first thing I learned about this allergy is that there is no rhyme or reason to it. Well, at least I know I won't be able to figure it out.