I decided to start this blog after my son was diagnosed with food allergies. For the first seven months of his life he suffered with terrible eczema and after a trip to the ER we found out he is allergic to milk, soy, eggs, sesame and peanuts. As a parent of a child with food allergies it is a constant emotional rollercoaster. I have cried at grocery stores, at birthday parties and at night. He has had the Epi injection twice and spent too much time in the ER.

Current allergies: Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, Tree nuts
Outgrew: Sesame, Soy

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The good and the bad

The good. We made it through another vacation without any issues.  Just a small rash here and there, but that's it.  We went to LBI (long beach island, NJ) and it was fantastic. Aiden had a blast and the sun made him crash every night.  He even slept through the night in a pack n play! say whaaa!?  Jared and I got some good needed rest.

And the bad.  I'm tired.  Planning meals is exhausting and time-consuming.   Avoiding foods that can harm Aiden feels impossible sometimes.   Eating out gives me anxieties and is no longer enjoyable and actually pointless.   I don't think a person can understand unless you are going through it.  Every meal, every trip to the grocery store, every birthday party becomes an emotional roller coaster.   I tear up at almost every event we are at, even when the parents try to accommodate us. But all I want is for my child (and our family) to feel normal. I guess I need to accept that this is OUR normal.

I know it could be worse and I should just shut the hell up and be grateful he's gaining weight and he's actually healthy. Probably more so than if he could eat everything.  So all of this is a pity party for me. For all the tears that fall down my face when he pushes my meals away which sometimes takes hours to make.  For all the scary moments when I see Aiden picking up a wrapper from the street.  For all the times I have to tell kids not to touch Aiden because I just don't know what they ate.  And lastly, for the constant remainders to please wash your hands and stop kissing him.  I sometimes loose it and get nasty emotional, but what's a mom to do?  I know I'm not the only one that is going through this and I know so many kids/parents have it way worse. I'm sorry. I have such a big heart for every parent that has to deal with this. One allergy or 40, it all sucks. It's not easy. It's freaken hard.

The planning
The worrying
The explanations
The questions
The anxieties
The frustrations
The time
The pressure
The tears
The money

And most of all..  The LOVE.

I vent because I need to. Because I'm tired and because I cried for 40 minutes last night after Aiden pushed his "yummy" dinner and smoothie away and just wanted plain pasta for the 80th time in the row.  I try. I really really try.

My little man in LBI

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7 comments:

  1. I have definitely been there. A low was almost crying in the aisles at Whole Foods. It will get better. Just yesterday I was trying to remember what foods in the house had been changed to fit L's diet and really had to think. It will become second nature very, very soon. He will get bigger and more willing to eat anything that doesn't eat him first. Hang in there!

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  2. You're not alone in feeling frustrated. My daughter is six and we combat picky eating every day, but consistency has been my greatest weapon. Celebrate your small victories and all you're doing for your family.

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  3. I understand. Our little guy had severe eczema until we realized it was from his undiscovered food allergies. How can all that food we thought was so healthy, be so harmful to him?! It just boggles my mind. But, like you, we're so happy to know about it and while avoiding the foods can be a challenge, it's a challenge that has greatly benefited our entire family's life.

    I have a blog as well and I'm starting a blog hop for anyone dealing with allergies, eczema, or asthma - adults or parents helping their children. If you're interested in joining, please visit my page. http://itchylittleworld.wordpress.com/blog-hop/

    Hopefully we can create a circle of blogs to support each other in battling these conditions.

    Jennifer

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  4. I know your frustration...I have lived and am still living it to an extent. My eldest son is now 15 years old. He is allergic to dairy,egg,beef,sesame,peanut/treenuts,fish,shellfish,raspberry and mustard. He suffered terribly for years from atopic dermatitis and has asthma. I will not bring myself to beleive he has totally outgrown his skin condition...every day I am thankful that since gr 6 (which is when he started to sleep through the night)when he underwent light therapy, his life has taken a turn for the better...sleeping through the nights, no more changing the bedding every day and seeing bits of his dry skin on the floor, grades improving and an overall happiness in his demeanor. I believe it was the coming together of many variables that helped my son's overall health. Focus on one day at a time...I know how overwhelming it all can be...take time for yourself...as hard as that may be...keep hanging on...we must always believe there is hope. Susan H. @ the food allergy chronicles where I blog about our journey with recipes to boot

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  5. thank you ladies for your thoughts! it's so nice to read other stories. I know it could always be worse and we all have those BAD days. I'm so happy that there are people who know exactly how you feel.

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  6. Hi there. I'm Ruby_Tuesday from the bump (the one with the triplets..I've asked a few questions here and there). Thanks for this blog. It's interesting/informative to read about what others are dealing with. We are only figuring out this allergy thing at this point. Your post made me curious; does your son react to touches/kisses? My son had an ana reaction to eggs and my husband and I continue to eat them. I feel nervous about kissing him afterwards but I have been doing this since before we knew about the allergy. Since we haven't had any issues I have not stopped. I don't give eggs to the other triplets since there is no telling where they would end up. ~Sarah sarah11242006@gmail.com

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  7. Hi! we actually do not let anyone kiss Aiden on the face, only the head. I have seen family members and friends kiss him by accident and he does tend to get a rash.. Not every time though, but I guess that depends what they ate.

    I, on the other hand, kiss him all the time and I have seen him break out from me also. I work during the day and when I get home I smother him with kisses but I'm also very careful to wash my face and hands before I touch him.. I also avoid eating eggs and peanuts during the day which are his highest allergens. My husband does not kiss him on the mouth, just face and I also have seen him break out from his kisses which is why he stopped eating peanut butter at work (that use to be his daily snack).

    I think as long as you're careful and aware and maybe avoid the lip kissing but kiss his cheeks instead, it's fine. If you notice he starts to break out -I would start avoiding eating eggs. But I would never kiss him on the lips right after eating scrambled eggs.

    The hardest part was getting rid of eggs in our house! I use to eat scrambled eggs with cheese for dinner often. You're smart not to give your other two boys eggs because like you said, who knows where they would end up.

    thanks for visiting my blog! :)

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