A while back, he had allergies that got really bad and when we took him to the doc, he thought Christian might have asthma. He gave us a prescription for an inhaler, Christian used it for a few days and all was well. Haven't had any issues since.
Back in February, when Christian was in feeding therapy, I had provided cashews as a snack during therapy. Shortly after eating a small amount, he threw up and then broke out into a rash on his face and neck. I wasn't sure what was going on, so we rushed out to get some Benadryl. He took it, fell asleep with a few minutes, and was just fine when he woke up.
Since then, I had wondered if he was truly allergic to cashews, but didn't know because it was the first time he'd ever eaten them ... and I just made sure not to give them to him again.
Prior to doing all the testing today, I told the doc the cashew story and he thought it might have been just a one-time occurrence. He wasn't worried at all ... and I thought, "Well, at least this exam will be inexpensive."
Turns out, Christian is HIGHLY allergic to both cashews and pistachios. The doc said "off the charts allergic." A second exposure to cashews could have been life-threatening to Christian. Wow, I did NOT expect that news. So, we were given an RX for an Epi-Pen.
He is also allergic to "everything outside." Weeds, trees, pollen ... you name it. He is allergic. We were told there is no need to change our plants / trees / grass because the allergens can blow in from 600 miles. Doc also said that the air in the Phoenix area is one of the worst in the entire country because of all the allergens (guess cuz plants bloom year round here), all of the pollution, and that fact that Phoenix sits in a valley. Great ...... can't win for losing (as they say).
We ALSO learned he has persistent inflammation in his lungs ... even when he appears perfectly healthy. And that is why when he gets allergies, he gets respiratory issues. So, he will be taking a drug called Singulair each day, and we also got another RX for an inhaler. Thankfully, the inhaler isn't a daily thing ... just as needed. And he rarely needs it.
He is also allergic to cats (the number on the chart was the same as the cashews), but not to dogs (thankfully!). Good thing we'll never be a "cat family." Bella is all we need. :)
But knowledge is power! So thankful we now know for sure what his issue are, and we know how to treat them. I shudder to think what we would happen if we didn't gain this valuable knowledge, and Christian ate cashews again ....
Thanks be to Jesus for always protecting Christian.
