Allergies...

We went Wednesday to the allergist to get Drew tested. Let me first say that it was not as bad of an experience as I expected. Now, when we first got there (mind you, this was Drew's first day of pre-school, and the only appointment we could get was at 1:40 pm, right in the middle of his nap time) and got in a room, it was a typical sterile exam room, with nothing to distract little ones. The nurse came in and took Drew's history, and then the doctor examined him, and decided to go ahead with the testing. They tested him for 80 different allergens!! He had to lay on his tummy, and thankfully, they wheeled in a DVD player with a Thomas the Train movie for him to watch. Just a little distraction to help! The 2 nurses helped me hold him down, and then the proceeded to press 8 grids onto his back (these are plastic rectangles with needle like prongs that break the skin. There are 10 per grid, and they have drops of the allergens on the end of them), this he did not like, but can you blame him??? The hardest part of the whole test was keeping him on his back and still, unable to itch or touch his back for 20 minutes while his body reacted to the allergens.

We got the results right away...he is very allergic! I was expecting shellfish or peanuts, since those run in the family, but no, he's mostly allergic to oranges! ORANGES??? There are few inhalants and environmental allergies: grasses, trees, mold, dust mites, feathers (in the down comforter on his bed), the lovely dog that we have (who will no longer be allowed upstairs where the kids sleep and there is carpet), and a lot of food. Poor guy has to rearrange his diet. He's most highly allergic to: ORANGES, oats, rice, salt water fish, corn, tomatoes, and soybeans (which many crackers are cooked in their oil), oh...and COFFEE, which apparently is in the same family as coke. Wow! So we have a lot of things to stay away from now.

He started Xyzal and will be a candidate for shots when he's older. He did not have any testing for insects, which is a little worrisome since he swells up so much from mosquito bites now. We will just have to wait and see. Unfortunately for him, we have started the meds and eliminated most of the foods, and his hives came back yesterday. 5 weeks in, and they are still coming back. We are just watching him to see how it goes from here. Hopefully, they won't get worse. If they do, we will be back at the doctor AGAIN!