Mar 18 2008
Allergies
When I was a kid I had a lot of food allergies, not the hives and Epi-Pen kind but the rash and irritability kind. The kind that are not life threatening just annoying. So I was expecting the girls to have sensitivities to some things, luckily nothing seemed to bother them. When Lena was hospitalized for so long in September our neurosurgeon told us to begin taking Latex precautions. Because she had been exposed to it so much, she had a greater risk of developing an allergy to it - not a good thing to be allergic to. It’s in more than you think. So, when we go to the hospital I mention it but I am not overly cautious about it, after reading what I am about to share with you I will be extremely strict about it.
A few weeks ago I noticed that Lena had a slight rash on her face after breakfast which contained peaches. No big deal it went away and didn’t seem to bother her. I figured she rubbed too hard or something. A few days later Wayne was feeding her breakfast (peaches and yogurt) and she was developing a rash everywhere the food touched her face and hands. I took her from him to look closer, within a few short minutes she had hives among the red spots. I gave her benadryl and they were gone almost as fast as they came. I had given her peaches many many times before with no reaction. I began wondering if she was reacting to the spoon (Latex? ). About a week later, after talking to our doctor, I tried the spoon again, no reaction so I gave her some peaches, instant rash. The reaction gets stronger every time so she will not be having peaches again, ever.
I was somewhat relieved that it was not a Latex allergy (until today), if you think a food allergy is inconvenient you should check out the list of products that contain Latex. I was doing a little reading on our local Cerebral Palsy association’s website and found a document on Latex allergies you can find it here. Anyone who repeatedly comes into contact with Latex is at risk of developing an allergy. This includes both Patients whose care involves Latex and Health Care Workers. Patients who are particularly at risk are those with Congenital Urological abnormalities, Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus, Dandy-Walker Syndrom and Cerebral Palsy, due to the repeated exposure during surgical procedures. Lena has both hydrocephalus (dandy-walker syndrom) and cerebral palsy. Well today I found out she has yet another risk factor for Latex allergy so we will be taking strict precautions whenever possible. Peaches, among other fruits contain protein that is structurally similar and sometimes cross-reactive to that of Latex and it is recommended that persons who are allergic to these fruits caution for Latex allergy. Can this girl ever get a break?
We see an allergist on the 26th to get some definitive testing done and a prescription for an Epi-Pen in case we ever need it.
4 Responses to “Allergies”
Allergies! Good golly gosh! I will never forget the allergy days before we got them under control for you Korrina. I used to cry and say that I need to give you away to someone that knows how to look after you better. Eczema til you bled, hives, red rosy cheeks. There was no buying food over the counter for you. But look at you! You’re beautiful and so are your children. It’ll be okay; Good for you that you listen to the allergy signs and are so attentive to your children. But I sure do agree, allergies are not fun; there’s no denying that, sometimes even downright scary.
Oh bummer!! All 3 if my kids have an allergy to peanuts. I need to get them to an allergist soon.
We are starting to get quite a list here of all Elizabeth’s allergies. So far we are allergic to tree nuts, eggs, food colouring, milk and strawberries. We were given an Epi-pen but have never had to use it and I hope we never will. It is funny how different foods are related, Elizabeth has had a recent outbreak of vomiting and I figured out it was with strawberries and when I looked it up, eggs and strawberries contain sulpher. Some of her allergies are rashes and others are vomiting. Now that I know what she is allergic to she vomits less as I keep her away from those foods. I do sometimes wonder when she will get a break as there is always something new. I am sure you know now there so many foods and objects that contain latex. Hopefully you can get her tested soon.
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