It's official: Lyndon is allergic to peanuts. We've suspected it since he was a newborn, when his eczema improved if I (as a breastfeeding mom) stayed away from them, but we've been hoping that either he outgrew it or it was all in our heads. His doctor wanted to test his blood since he was getting blood taken anyway, and, sure enough, they found peanut-hating antibodies there.
The nurse on the phone told me he was a "Level 1", with the highest being a "Level 5". I figured this was a good thing; he might break out in some hives, but "Level 1" didn't sound like life-threatening anaphylaxis. Then I spoke with the doctor, who called in a prescription for an Epi-Pen and told me to go pick it up. Apparently, with blood testing, "Levels" don't always predict actual allergic reactions. So, even though they only found a small amount of antibodies, he could still stop breathing if he eats a peanut.
At this point, I stopped breathing. Then I started hyperventilating a little. I know peanuts are the most common childhood allergen; between my various childcare positions, I've had plenty of experience with "peanut-free kids," but this is different. This is MY child. And that makes this scary.
So, I will go pick up that Epi-Pen. And I will always know where it is. And then I will trust God (and pray that my little man outgrows it).
P.S. We did get some good news out of all this blood testing. Despite his small stature and slow growth, my little boy's liver, kidneys and thyroid are all NORMAL. He just has his mommy's build and metabolism. :-)
1 comment:
Glad to hear that nothing major is wrong and hopefully he will grow out ofthe peanut allergy too!
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