keeping the allergist in business

Unfortunately, we are those patients who just keep going back....one kid at a time. Today was Ivy's turn. I had suspected a milk sensitivity, but not really a full blown allergy. I was wrong..she has a full blown allergy. She had been getting hives around her mouth when she ate cheese, but no other forms of dairy seemed to bother her. I have been having a really hard time trying to get her to drink whole milk and today I found out why! Apparently the milk was really bothering her so she would not drink it. The doctor thought it probably made her mouth itch...much like Mya with the peanuts.

So we're at square one.... I have continued to nurse her because I wasn't sure what to do. Now I can gradually wean her from nursing and move to soy milk. The doctor said that 40% of people who have a milk allergy also have a soy allergy. So, I'm crossing my fingers that she is in the other 60%. There are other options, but I worry about the fat that she would be missing. I am going to be meeting with a dietitian next week to discuss what I should be supplementing her with and what are some alternatives to dairy.

It is not going to be easy, but I'm thankful that this is the only issue we're dealing with right now. It will take some adjustment from Max and Mya as well....no more walking around with ice cream cups, cheese sticks, yogurt tubes, etc. because the little beggar will for sure want some! Now the two easiest kid meals (pb&j and mac-n-cheese) are both out! Oh well.....much bigger problems in this world than not being able to make those two meals.  Thankfully, this is an allergy that lots of kids grow out of so we will go back in a year and hopefully she's one of those kids!

(in the picture above...the h is the histamine so she will automatically react to that. the C is the control and the M is the milk)