An Itchy Update

The Big Boy Update:  Most of tonight's post is going to be about my son, so I'm just going to start with his section heading as I know my three readers are easily confused.  Alright, fine, it's not you folks. It's for me for future reference.  Years from now, how will I find something I remember writing about but have no idea when I wrote it?  (Assuming this blog, the internet and  I'm still here)  If I stick it in the main section of the blog will I miss it if I'm only looking through updates on my son?  So to make sure I don't get confused (you see I was the confused one all along) I'm keeping updates on my son in his section. 

Let's talk about being itchy though.  My son developed eczema when he was about four-months-old.  He didn't know how to scratch then, but it looked bothersome and we hoped it would go away.  Some time later, we discovered he had an egg white allergy.  It's not uncommon in young children and the allergy usually goes away when their immune system is more mature.  So we avoided eggs.

His itchy skin--he could scratch by this time--didn't get better though.  And to back up, the allergy he had was initially obvious; he would eat something and then get all red around the mouth and on his thumb and index finger.  He was reacting to things he was eating on all the external places he touched the food.  Only later did we make the connection to the eczema.  There would be an immediate topical reaction and then there would be a delayed dermal reaction of about two days.

Eggs are in a lot of things in small quantities.  We avoided it mostly, but he would have strange reactions to things that didn't make sense--things he didn't react to last week.  We were perplexed.  We finally got a blood test for food allergies done on him.  And then we understood.  He was reactive to all the major things: milk, egg, wheat, soy, tree nuts, fish.   Well no wonder this kid had eczema.

The pediatrician said the levels weren't high and gave us some foods to avoid over others.  We cut back on some things and his eczema got better.  He had gotten better at using a utensil and getting the food in his mouth by this time so he didn't get red in the face and his hands didn't look like he needed to soak them in Palm Olive and have a manicure anymore.  But the eczema persisted.

For example, at one point we were feeding him edamame beans and unlike the times before he had a terrible itchy reaction.  After that one time we've carried Benadryl in the car ever since.  As he gets older, both the reactions and the eczema have reduced.

Now, my son can eat a meringue cookie and ask for a second.  That's right, that's a cookie made entirely of egg whites and sugar.  Egg whites were his nemesis for a long time.  Those soy beans he had a fit of a time over, we now buy in freezer bags and give him a bowl full for snack.  Peanuts he still dislikes, but other than that, he's got a much more flexible diet now.

He's old enough to tell us if something, "makes him itchy" and we'll ask him before we try something he reacted to in the past for a new evaluation.  If he doesn't like it (say like the coconut cookie I tried today) then no matter how delicious that item might be, he'll hand it over to his sister and let her have it. 

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  She only uses a pacifier in the bed at night.  Well, unless she finds it during the day.  She can and does sleep other places without it, like the car seat or the sofa, but she is very fond of it.  It's going to be a sad day when the pacifier has to be retired.