OT. Peanut allergy...or not???!!!

[squirrel]

Have a great time! That's one of the reasons I love going to WDW-they are so great with allergies!

Let us know the results when he gets tested again.

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

On Halloween I was eating a Butterfinger and asked my dd if she wanted a bite. She said, "This tastes like peanut butter." I said "It doesn't have peanuts in it." My husband heard and said, "Yes it does!" She spit it out into my hand. I felt so bad. It doesn't taste like peanut butter to me and I just assumed it was a safe candy for her to eat.

She didn't have a reaction fortunately. A couple of days later my DH let her take a tiny nibble of one and this time she immediately started itching her ears and then her tongue itched a little and she got a little rash around her mouth. She was fine after the Benadryl, but unfortunately the allergy is still there (tree nuts and peanuts).

We've never had to use the Epi-pen b/c she seems to have a mild allergy, but it's still scary and it was a reminder to be more cautious.

The very first time she had a reaction she was eating mixed nuts and she said her tongue felt funny. It was swelling up and she got a rash around her mouth. We gave her Benadryl and about a half an hour later she threw up. She used to eat peanut butter almost everyday, but now she eats Sunbutter.

 

[Nicoleclaw]

But now is the time to start teaching him. DGS was diagnosed right before two and we started right away teaching him to tell ANYONE that gave him any food that he was allergic to peanuts. We taught him not ot eat anything with out asking if it has peanuts. He "READS" every package in the store..

He knows now at just turned 3 what peanuts and peanut butter looks like and to never touch. We of course still take charge and TRY to treat anything with peanuts like medication. A few close calls here too!

Yep, halloween made me a nervious wreck trying to let him do the normal stuff and protect him. SO hard.

He is little but he can start to begin to understand what he has to deal with.

With all due respect, that is something my son would not be able to understand yet. My daughter was able to understand and express herself at that age, but he is a bit delayed in that area. Just started talking, doesn't know colors yet, etc. He literally would not be able to say "allergic to nuts". That sort of thing. He also does not attend daycare because my husband works from home, so there literally is not a time that he is not with us or a very close family member that understands his allergies. Thanks for the reminder though! His speech has recently started improving, and is doing a little better with following directions and showing understanding, so we should probably start talking to him about it again. Especially since I hope to have him in some sort of preschool next sept. I assure you when the time comes, he will know, just as my daughter is well aware of her egg allergy.

 

[Nicoleclaw]

OP here.
Thanks to everyone for the support! My son has been taught since we have known about his peanut allergy that her should never eat anything without asking mom or dad (or his teacher) first. I guess we have become complacent since home is peanut free, friends houses are peanut free, school is peanut free and we have had no accidental exposure for 4 years. Anyhow, DS is doing fine. Talked to his GP and allergist. They both confirmed allergy is probably still there and that the reaction was mild because since he was not in contact with peanuts for so long his antibody levels (IgE) to peanuts is probably very low. Now if he was in contact with peanuts again in the near future, it would be a whole different story. So we will be going for a blood test then skin test and if he passes both (IgE very low and non reactive skin test) we will undergo an oral challenge in the hospital. Someone asked why DS has not been tested since he was 18 months. Since peanut allergy is usually lifelong (very few people outgrow it), the only reason to retest is to see if the antibodies are low enough to risk an oral challenge. Our allergy specialist advised us to retest before DS started school this year but I wanted him to get used to school first.
Someone asked about WDW and food allergies. For us it has been wonderful. One of the chef at Chef Mickey even went around the buffet with us to let us know what was safe for our son to eat! Just let them know when you make ADR or when you get to the restaurant.

All allergy testing will have to wait since DS, Grandma and I are leaving for a week at WDW on the weekend!

Thanks for the info on allergies at WDW! I have heard they are great and will be testing that out in Dec.

Hope the testing comes back better than you expected. DS has supposedly already outgrown almond and hazelnut. Let us know how it turns out.

Have a great time!

 

[Tinker-tude]

Don't berate yourself for one accident in three years! It happens, and you caught it quickly. Keep up the good work, and keep that Benedryl and epipen handy. Now that he's older he'll be more prone to get his hands on something he shouldn't, no matter how vigilant you are. His allergic reaction will probably decrease a bit over time, but it may not disappear.

You're doing a good job, so just keep it up.