The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Quick post:

We received the results back from Charlotte's RAST test.  They tested for a number of things, but as suspected, Charlotte scored very high for sesame seeds.  The RAST scoring goes from 0 to 6, and as her sesame reactions were in the 7.4 KU/L, that puts her at a level III, HIGH LEVEL OF ALLERGEN SPECIFIC IgE.  0 is no allergy, 6 is off the charts, don't leave the house type of allergy.  She also scored a II for both soy and cashews. To my knowledge she's never had any cashews.

I spoke to her doctor, who recommended that I talk to an allergist.  But before I was able to to that today, Charlotte had another allergic reaction last night, this time to delicious, fresh heirloom tomatoes.  I made her pasta with butter, Parmesan, and diced heirloom tomatoes.  After eating the tomatoes, which she didn't like, her chin turn bright red, as did her cheeks. Oh, joy.  I gave her Benadryl, and it subsided within an hour.

Fast forward to today.  I spoke at length with an allergist.  Talked about the reactions, the food she's been eating, what's caused reactions and what hasn't.  He ordered a new RAST test, this time checking for all of the following: eggplant, tomatoes, peas, lentils, lamb, chickpeas, pet dander, pollen, and a mix of related spices.  I just can't wait to take Charlotte to the lab this afternoon to have her get her second blood draw in a week. Poor thing.  And we have an appointment with him on Monday morning, the day before we go to Maui. Oh. And the allergist has prescribed three epi junior pens, two for home and one for daycare.  This is in case Charlotte goes into anaphylactic shock. He also wants to do a food challenge for soybeans and cashews.  This means giving her some soy milk in the clinic and seeing if she reacts (same with cashews, probably in the form of cashew butter).  Soybean oil is in absolutely everything, including most if not all of the crackers and bread she eats, and Charlotte hasn't shown any signs of allergic reactions, so I'm hopeful that she can continue.

Overall, feeling a little down about all of this. Worried about what I can give poor Charlotte, short of really boring food. Feeling better that the issue has been elevated, but also worried because it's been elevated, if you know what I mean.  And we can't keep doing blood draws. Charlotte hates it.  Uggh, uggh, uggh.

I guess this went longer than expected...