�…sitting and waiting is one of the most miserable occupations known to man – not that it usually is known to men; women do it much more often.�
? Diana Gabaldon, Dragonfly in Amber
I waited 16 days for Nico’s appointment with the allergist. I monitored every crumb before it passed his lips. I stared at him while he chewed. I asked him how he was feeling and checked on him while he slept. I was very, very annoying.
One night, after I researched and called corporate headquarters, we went out for frozen yogurt. I barked instructions the entire time and made my patented Kermit Scrunch Face at the rogue peanut butter cup in the blackberry bin. I double-checked the ingredients and sat down in front of Nico empty handed. No yogurt for me that night; they were out of my favorite plain/original (of course my favorite is plain/original) and, besides, feasting on unrelenting anxiety was far more satisfying.
“Would you relax,” said the Mister, as my eyes made a 5th pass over Nico’s mouth, neck, the tips of his ears.
“I’ll relax on July 22nd when we know what happened,” was all I said.
We don’t know what happened. We know that his skin scratch test came back 100% negative for all tested food: milk, wheat, soy, eggs, seafood, and all the nuts expect pine nuts. Since he has a history of pine nut allergy, we went ahead and tested his blood for that. We also tested him for all the other rare allergies (including meat) and systemic mastocytosis. Those results we get in another 7-10 days.
Nico has been fine since the 6th of July. It’s like I’ve heard from so many people already–he went into anaphylaxis, we don’t know what caused it, and we don’t know if it will happen again. It’s not a comfortable place to be right now, but Nico is a trooper and I’m his rabid bulldog. We’ve got this.
The other day the boys and the Mister went and got yogurt without me. Mikey reported on the evening.
“Well, mom,” he said. “Dad and I took Nico to yogurt and we survived! I’ve never been so stressed in my life. Luckily, I didn’t have to ask Nico how he was feeling because Dad took care of that for me.”
“Oh? Dad asked Nico how he was feeling?”
“Every five minutes. Like clockwork!”
“Really. You don’t say…”
“Mom,” Nico said, joining in the conversation. “I thought Dad was going to have a heart attack!”
Poor Nico. Flanked by not one, but two rabid bulldogs.
Ah, well, the Mister knew he’d have to not only deal with a poorly Nico, but also tell his wife their son was poorly if anything happened! That’s how my husband would see it, I suspect, one prospect being only marginally less scary than the other.
I’m sorry the test didn’t throw up anything concrete, but hopefully it was a complete one-off and you’ll never have to deal with it again.
My friend has 3 children with allergies, one of whom is severely allergic to dairy, nuts and lots of other foods, and she swears by Pizza Express (I think they now have outlets in the US) who produce a folder of ingredients and the ingredients of the ingredients when asked. That’s the only place they eat out. Perhaps you can find a restaurant or chain you feel comfortable with.
Hahaha! So true, Hazel. I suspect you’re right. Which one is scarier? Me or Nico having a reaction? Probably me. :)
I’ve learned from a reader here that In n Out is a good place for Nico to eat. So far, so good. I’ll look to see if we have Pizza Express. Thanks!
I’m sorry that the tests didn’t come back with an answer. That’s very frustrating. I’ve dealt with allergies all my adult life and it unfortunately took me over 15 years to get a diagnosis. Allergies are frustrating, scary, and limiting. I learned to live my life and look for patterns. I carry two epi pens. Just three months ago my doctor found a medication that has been life changing for me. My unsolicited advice is be diligent but live life. Feed Nico the cleanest diet you can — less ingredients makes it easier to pinpoint what happened. Keep in mind as well that not all allergies are to food. Mine aren’t. Mine are chemical. Hang in there. Nico may never react again or if he does it may not be as bad as the first time. Life is filled with really sucky uncertainties. I’m sorry Nico and your family have to endure this. You are in my prayers.
I’m wondering if we should have Nico tested for chemicals as well as food. Thanks for the great advice, Sandy. :)
In addition to food allergies, a friend of mine has anaphylaxis to paint fumes! Have you seen safehappyfamily.com? Just discovered it today.
How scary and frustrating. My son had two unexplained events. One seemed to be an asthmatic episode, and the other was a severe allergic reaction (though not as severe as Nico’s). Both middle-of-the-nighters, and several years apart. Only commonality was a day spent on the beach. Who knows??? And he’s had plenty of other days on the beach with no adverse effects at all. I’m a person who needs answers and explanations (control issues, much?); even distressing ones are less distressing to me than not knowing the answer to “why?”
PS: Like the design changes! :-)
Thank you! It’s getting there, slowly but surely. :)
You brought back Happy, Happy!
This makes me…well, happy. :)
I’m also a huge fan of the bird.
My 7 year old son experienced unexplained anaphylaxis about a year ago. However, several months later at is regular yearly appointment I asked them to check for a pea allergy (he complained that his throat was I they when he ate them). I had dismissed the possibility because he has eaten peas since he was a baby. To my dismay, the pea allergy test was positive. He was eating peas the night of the anaphylactic episode. He is also peanut allergic and the allergist said sometimes other legumes are also allergens. Since then we have noticed pea protein in a variety of foods. My sister is a vegan and there is pea protein in some vegan butter substitutes as well as vegan mayo. I hope you find the cause soon-it is maddening.