An Allergic Child
"He is what we would call an allergic child", says the doctor interpreting the results from my son's allergy test. "Thanks a lot doc. Your $30 copay was worth the insightful advice!" I think to myself, but I do convey my displeasure with an unimpressed look. She acknowledges her ridiculous comment. My son tested positive for all the allergies he was tested for.
I am somewhat annoyed with the docs. They keep trying to recommend or perscribe antihistamines for my son. (I'm not going to get into all of the antibiotics, xrays, and other offending meds they push.) I tried Claritin and Rynatin for a while but I could notice no difference from not taking it. So I finally ask, "Why should he take the Claritin or other antihistamines?" "Oh just to throw another antihistamine in there" says another doc. This statement reassures me not to bother. In a later appointment with a different doctor I ask about why I should use one antihistamine over another, and again I get an unsatisfactory response. I recently used Zyrtec briefly to control the severe itching from a head to toe rash my son acquired Easter weekend at his grandparents house. It actually worked, but there were side effects. I don't recommend Zyrtec for routine use. Fortunately the rash disappeared by the time we made it back to Houston.
Life is now a little different for us. The current list of foods we must avoid include peanuts, milk, corn, soybeans, wheat, shellfish, codfish, bananas, pecans, and egg whites. We will test for more foods (like tomatoes, almonds, oats, and coconut) on the 24th. My son also tested positive for a myriad of environmental and other allergies including dog (we just got a puppy). Aaaargh. The good news is that removing the offending foods has noticably helped his eczema and asthma clear up. Yeah!!!
Wish us luck with our wierd diet. Due to all the expensive funky ingredients I buy to prepare a safe meal, I spend more $ eating at home than others do eating out and I still have the shopping, cooking, and dishes to do. Hopefully the wierd diet won't have to stay too wierd too long. After the second round of skin prick tests, we will give him a RAST test for the worst offenders. The RAST test is the blood test that helps to reveal how severe the allergy really is. Hopefully we'll have some red herrings in there. (Dear God, Please no corn allergy. Please no corn allergy. Please no corn allergy. Amen.)
I am somewhat annoyed with the docs. They keep trying to recommend or perscribe antihistamines for my son. (I'm not going to get into all of the antibiotics, xrays, and other offending meds they push.) I tried Claritin and Rynatin for a while but I could notice no difference from not taking it. So I finally ask, "Why should he take the Claritin or other antihistamines?" "Oh just to throw another antihistamine in there" says another doc. This statement reassures me not to bother. In a later appointment with a different doctor I ask about why I should use one antihistamine over another, and again I get an unsatisfactory response. I recently used Zyrtec briefly to control the severe itching from a head to toe rash my son acquired Easter weekend at his grandparents house. It actually worked, but there were side effects. I don't recommend Zyrtec for routine use. Fortunately the rash disappeared by the time we made it back to Houston.
Life is now a little different for us. The current list of foods we must avoid include peanuts, milk, corn, soybeans, wheat, shellfish, codfish, bananas, pecans, and egg whites. We will test for more foods (like tomatoes, almonds, oats, and coconut) on the 24th. My son also tested positive for a myriad of environmental and other allergies including dog (we just got a puppy). Aaaargh. The good news is that removing the offending foods has noticably helped his eczema and asthma clear up. Yeah!!!
Wish us luck with our wierd diet. Due to all the expensive funky ingredients I buy to prepare a safe meal, I spend more $ eating at home than others do eating out and I still have the shopping, cooking, and dishes to do. Hopefully the wierd diet won't have to stay too wierd too long. After the second round of skin prick tests, we will give him a RAST test for the worst offenders. The RAST test is the blood test that helps to reveal how severe the allergy really is. Hopefully we'll have some red herrings in there. (Dear God, Please no corn allergy. Please no corn allergy. Please no corn allergy. Amen.)
posted by Tiffane | 7:34 PM
1 Comments:
You really should consider getting out of the part of the state you live in. The environment can be irritating to certain people. How about a vacation in Arizona? Nevada? Some place nice and dry to see how he does.
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