Talking Allergies

I know better than to get my hopes up, I even told Susan I wasn't going to ....but it is SOOO hard not to. Somehow I really in my head thought ds had outgrown his legume allergy, no reasoning, no proof ( we 100% avoid them) but somehow I just built it up in my mind. The 4 biggies (peanut, tree nuts, sesame, gelatin) are still ridiculously enormous so nothing new there, so I was holding out hope for the legumes.

Today our allergist did a huge testing of ind. legumes. Not only did chick pea and green pea show (as before) positive but now all pea/lentil legumes test positive. This should be nothing new, our son with tree nuts tested for 1 tree nut, then a few months later 2 and a few months later for all tree nuts. He seems to like to be inclusive to entire groups and families of foods , not pick favorites or leave anyone out so to say.

But here's the part that made me gasp for air. Our allergist doesn't say something unless he is very sure of what he is saying. He said that it isn't 100% but that in his opinion he would not be at all surprised if our son by age 8 approx. develps a soy allergy....even though he tolerates it in food now. He did say anything can happen and not to panic but that the way our son is testing (and reacting) to legumes etc. there is now a very real chance that a soy allergy will dev. almost definetly by age 8-10. I swear I'm going to feed DS soy products every day now to try build up a tolerance, anything that might help. I realize not to panic, it might not happen, and if it does we just add it to our list, but if I can do anything to stop it or slow it down I sure as heck am. He said the reason he is finally bringing it up is one, after today's legume testing but also to be aware if our son starts refusing or reacting to foods he has eaten before with no problem (now or in a few years).

I knew DS had added to his environmental list even before todays testing as DS is already in full wing reacting outside, months earlier than previous years. Sure enough, this time he tested for trees...not just one tree but every tree. He also added a few more animals (dander) as well as adding mould. The environmental don't really bother me as although they get his asthma going and a rash/runny nose etc.. they won't kill him. I know that sounds bad but hopefully you know what I mean.

So I take it in stride but need a few hours to feel self pity and mope. On a good note it was the first of over a dozen visits to our allergist where our son hasn't screamed bloody murder the entire time. DS and I were both wearing our allergy shirts and I took copies of our daughters pics which he said he'd hang on his wall. In my overwhelmed state I still managed to spit out a sentence about our teal allergy ribbon campaign.

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

Hugs to you BC2007. I know how it feels to get your hopes up going to the allergist (this happened for us with sunflower seeds) and then to have your hopes dashed. But, it's good to feel positive vibes about these things, so don't beat yourself up. I still believe there is going to be a cure/treatment/or something else amazing that will rid everyone of their life-threatening food allergies. As much as the allergist has prepared us to expect lifelong food allergies for our son, I still have to believe that, sometime in our lifetime, he (and everyone else out there!) will experience eating anything they want. Call it denial, optimism, whatever you like, it's something I need to believe!! Until then, we are extremely careful, and I don't go filling my sons head with "you will be able to eat anything you want one day", but my husband and I, in our private discussions away from our son, feel there is a very good likelihood that with time/research/money, a cure or treatment will be found. Don't give up on your positive thinking. And, I would do the same thing with soy... I would keep letting him eat it, unless you have reason not to. Can you son eat any legumes at all, other than soy? Our son can eat green beans, bean sprouts and soy, so we make sure he gets these in his diet.

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18 yr old daughter: no health issues
16 yr old son: allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, egg, fish, sesame,sunflower,mustard,poppy seeds, peas, carrots, some fruits, instructed to avoid legumes(except soy & green beans),pollen, cats, horses, cold urticaria

Oh, BC. I'm so sorry you didn't get the news you wanted. It's awful, isn't it, to hope you will have fewer allergies and end up with more! The thought of being allergic to soy is pretty alarming. Hugs to you.

Did the allergist say to make a point of feeding him soy to perhaps help avoid a future allergy? There is so much confusing information out there about whether to keep eating something or to avoid completely to reduce the chance of a future allergy. . . .

I get a sinking feeling in my stomach when we have to add something else to the already pretty long list, before starting to think through what we will need to change. DD recently reacted to lentils and chick peas, when she used to be able to eat them no problem. I am concerned she might one day react to soy as well.

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DD 2004 Allergy to peanuts, egg, sesame, and new: lentils and chick peas
DS 2006 Allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, kiwi fruit, eczema

Thanks for the hugs. I agree Julie, in front of our son we have a 'this is just the way it is' attitude, but my husband and I can't help but hope and believe that in our son's lifetime research will bring forth a cure of some kind.

Our allergist said to feed him green beans as we have before (he doesn't like them but he doesn't react), not sure if he doesn't like them as he is reacting inside and I don't know but he as far as I can tell is tolerating them. Since soy is in almost all food he is by default eating soy all the time, our allergist said there would be no way to know if feeding him more soy or not would build up more of a tolerance but that in my mind is our only shot so I think I'll make a point of including more soy products in his diet. It can't hurt!

I appreciate the support, I know others of you have worse issues than this so I don't mean to snivel, it can just be so disheartening. In front of my son I just smile.

Ironically we were just listening to Kyle Dines Cd and what really hit me (OK made me cry) was the song 'It's Just Food'. That's it isn't it, It is JUST food,nothing more.

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

DS can't get any more allergies...my signature won't allow even ONE more word

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

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Myself - Seasonal, cats
dd-asthma (trigger - flu) anaphylactic to eggs, severe allergies to bugspray and penicilin,pulmicort
ds-Seasonal, cats and OAS
dh-allergy cats, bugspray and guava, outgrew egg allergy

Is the allergist thinking he'll develop a soy allergy because of his peanut/legume allergies? Dd has severe peanut and legume allergies and yet, she's fine with soy.

I hope he never gets another allergen!

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy and green beans) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: Oral Allergy Syndrome, Allergic to Birch trees

My fingers/toes/eyes are crossed as the good news is he is fine with soy now, hopefully that never changes. I'll feed him soy every day if I have to.
It just felt like a huge curve ball I wasn't expecting - even if it was a 'maybe' not a for sure type thing. I thought we were safe from all the top allergens and other odd allergies as we've pretty much covered a bit of everything.
So now that it has all sunk and I've processed everything from today we basically go on as we have been and just hope the the next few years bring all our kids and DS have good health and keep faith that a cure is around the corner!

And Susan, I'm am kicking myself now as I too am going...why. ..but I do know our allergist isn't one to say something like that unless he felt very strongly about it. He is the type to normally suggest not to over react , to see how things go etc..not to read too much into something.....so for him to bring it up must mean something to him.

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

Ah drat it, BC2007. You need a major destress after that appt.
Can DH let you get in a long tub soak? Pour you a stiff glass of wine?

Pretty sure allergist would be alerting you to the possibility of soy because of the no. of legume allergies. But true, Susan, I know others with an armload of legume issues who can eat soy.

If you do end up with soy, we'll be happy to help you out on the soy thread. But fingers, toes, arms and eyes crossed that it doesn't go there.

And, I love that you managed to keep up your ribbon efforts _ and that your sense of humour remains intact.



Where would we be without black allergy humour?

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Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

I can so relate! It seems when my child was that age, every time we went to the allergist, we got more allergies added to the list. Soy, all legumes, been there too. At age 6, he outgrew them. It's so individual and hard to predict. I remember being told we wouldn't outgrow tree nut allergies (we did) and that peanut allergies are life long (in our case they weren't) and that milk allergy will be outgrown by grade 1 (it wasn't).

Take heart, there are no absolutes, only statistics. And none of our children are statistics.

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Teen child allergic to eggs, milk, penicillin.
Outgrew: wheat, soy, beans, melons by grade one.
Outgrew: tree nuts, peanuts by grade nine.

You are all wonderful.

I think he's so concerned as not only does DS keep adding more legumes at a huge rate but that beans this time (for the first time) all had a teeeeeeeesy reaction. Now our allergist did tell me that due to a peanut allergy it is not uncommon for all legumes to test a minute bit positive BUT until now there had been zero reaction from bean legumes...let alone all the pea/lentil legumes which now test very positive. The transgression is what I assume is worrisome and that soy being a legume might be at some point be included. DS has eaten green beans but hated them but no reaction. He hasn't tried other bean legumes so we don't know about them.....so Gwen and all my wonderful allergy mommy friends..thanks for the support.


.....no wine in the house but I poured a good rum and coke.

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

BC2007 Big to you.

I have always thought they should have a therapist at the allergists office.
I have cried on the way to my appointment as I worked my self into certain possibilities, then cried on the way home from the relief of one allergy (no reaction) and the adding of two new ones.

It is one day I could do with out. A true roller coaster. Over the next few days when things settle in and one realizes that it is just food and it will be o.k. Don't worry about tomorrow, you just may worry for nothing.

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Me-Allergic to Peanut, Tree Nut, Coconut, Shellfish, ASA and Asthma
My Husband and Children No Allergies