Crying in the car

This morning I found myself crying on the way home from the allergist. And while doing this, I had a distinct flashback of a childhood event. I was 4- maybe 5- but not even in kindergarten yet. My mom and I were on the way home from the eye doctor and my mom was sobbing. She had just found out that my right eye had slight laziness (which they cured within 1 year) and a very severe astigmatism- I basically couldn't see anything but blurr with my right eye. I never quite understood why she cried, to me, it was 'so big deal- I'll wear glasses'. Now, I know. I think every mom wants their child to be healthy with no complications. It was a disappointment. I experienced the same feeling in the car this morning coming home from the pediatric allergist who tested David and found that he has a very severe allergy to egg and moderate allergies to milk, grapes, sweet potatoes, and wheat.

It was a chain of events that led me to this allergist. First off, David has always struggled with skin sensitivities- rashes, and bad eczema. When he was 4 months we had to switch him from milk based formula to soy because of an allergic rash. Well, at David's 9 months appointment my pediatrician told me to feed David Stoufer's Spinach Souffle to help with constipation. Well, I did. The first time he only took a bite and within minutes was violently throwing up and gagging. The thought crossed my mind that he could be allergic to eggs, but he has reflux so I just shrugged it off. The second time, several days later, David ate more and had the same violent throw up but this time he kept throwing up and gagging all night. It then occurred to me that he must be allergic to egg. I looked up online and it said not to feed your baby egg until 1 year. Why did my stupid pediatrician tell me to feed him that? Anyhow, I thought it would be good to go to an allergist, so that's why I went there this morning.

The allergist could only test for foods that David has eaten before (not ones that he hasn't had yet such as peanuts or strawberries), and he tested for dust and cat allergy. David came up negative on everything except on egg, milk, wheat, sweet potato, and grapes. I guess I had assumed he would have some of those allergies, but, I didn't realize that the doctor was going to tell me that he had an EXTREME reaction to eggs and I needed to be very careful. So, for one year until he is tested again, David can not eat egg, milk, grapes, or sweet potato. He can have wheat once a day. My reaction to finding out his allergies, I suppose, was over dramatic. I just kept thinking about my poor boy, and how careful we will have to be, and how many things he can not have. Like when we switch from formula to whole milk we won't be able to give him milk so we have to give him rice milk or soy milk. But, I need to put it in perspective- there could be a lot worse things wrong with him than some allergies. Which, he will be tested for every year, and hopefully eventually outgrow. I don't know why, but the first thing I thought of is David's 1st birthday. I planned on baking him a cake. Now, I will have to try to figure out how to bake one without using eggs, milk, or butter. I'll make it work.

Anyhow, that was the morning happening here. I just need to get in the mindset that feeding David might be challenging for the first couple of years, and I'm going to pray that he grows out of these allergies!