Just returned from our yearly allergist visit

I am always a mess this time of year. There is NOTHING fun about having to go to the allergist. Our doctor is a lovely person, but I would much rather see her less often. Because Ella has food allergies, we need to test every year. The reason for this is that it is common for these types of allergies to change over time. Especially with her wheat, eggs and soy allergies. Unfortunately, the nut allergies are severe enough that she will most likely have them for life. Sesame, could go either way.

Milo will be three in October. Because his sister is so allergic to nuts we have never allowed him to have any. His pediatrician suggested that we allergy test him, as well. rather than finding out "the old fashioned way"... aka an emergency room visit.

So we loaded up the bag full of fun things to do (markers, paper, books, toys, Daddy's Ipod, etc.) and grabbed a sack of lollipops before heading for the doctor's office this morning. I was nervous as hell. Ella knew what to expect, she would be getting her usual "stamp test"/scratch the skin and rub allergen into it. We were not sure if the doctor would want to do the blood test or a skin test for Milo. He has insanely sensitive skin. Going into it I was going to lobby for the blood test. But after talking to the doctor about it (she is REALLY good at calming me down) we decided to try the skin test on him.

Both kids handled it like champs. (Lollipops are the greatest invention of all time. The doctor's DVD player was a Godsend.) When we tested Ella last year, she had a horrible reaction to the nuts that we put onto her skin and it took her the better part of a day to stop itching and for the hives to go away. So this year, we decided to forgo the nut testing. We assume that there is no change. But we did test for wheat, eggs, soy, sesame and sunflower. We also tested for cinnamon, as Ella often complains that her throat itches after she eats it. For the most part, we got back some encouraging news. Her reactions to eggs, wheat and soy have decreased. She is still allergic to those things but instead of being a "3" or a "4" she is now a "1" or a "2". She is no longer allergic to sunflower, which GREAT news. However, she is still highly allergic to sesame, a "4+" and as it turns out, she is also allergic to cinnamon. Only a "1" but still enough to cause a reaction.

The doctor advised us to maintain her current diet and to avoid cinnamon when possible. But the future is bright. The fact that most of these things are decreasing is something to be encouraged by.

As for Milo, the news was even better. He was tested for the top five food allergens (milk, soy, wheat, peanuts and eggs) and came back negative on everything. We also tested several types of tree nuts and even though he did show a mild reaction to pecans, it looks like he is not allergic. Thank goodness! The doctor thinks that he has environmental allergies but we decided to hold off on that testing for now. Mainly because we already do everything that we are supposed to in our home to avoid these things (wood floors, air purifiers, no feather pillows, no pets, etc.). She suggested that we stop using dryer sheets when we wash clothes, even though they are "Free" of all allergens. She thinks that they might aggravate his already sensitive skin. And she suggested some moisturizers that we are to apply nightly, after his bath.

Overall, I am feeling like my prayers have been answered and am quite happy. Nothing we cannot deal with. We'll see what happens next year!