Then One Day She’s Not Allergic Anymore

It seems like everyone is buzzing about ways to prevent food allergies, control them, or live with them. And rightfully so! It’s not an easy world to navigate through. But you know one thing that isn’t trending as much? When your little one is not allergic anymore! My daughter has been dairy intolerant since utero it seems, formally diagnosed at 2 months of age. There’s a definite correlation between dairy and eczema for her so we’ve steered clear of anything dairy…well except recently. Lo and behold, she found the magic of goldfish – little fish of cheesy goodness. She tasted one and was addicted at first taste.  The problem is, they ignited her eczema like a gasoline fire.  Immediate scratching & eczema. The itch-scratch cycle strikes again. Not to worry, I knew how to handle it.

We were very diligent in keeping them away from her, however sometimes a mom can’t resist those bubbly eyes screaming silently, PLEASE MOMMY just one cheese cracker! I admit, I’d give in and follow up with probiotics and other remedies to keep the itchy skin at bay. Turns out, over time, this little innocent request allowed me to notice that she wasn’t itching anymore, probiotics weren’t needed and maybe an allergy mom’s dream had finally come true! Was she no longer allergic to dairy? The last allergy test she had, was a few years ago. Considering the experience of prick testing and/or blood work, it wasn’t a test I wanted to do yearly. I didn’t mind patiently waiting to finding out if she would grow out of this intolerance as it wasn’t a true anaphylactic allergy for her.

After a few small handfuls of Annie’s cheese crackers over a few days, I was beginning to speculate that she’s not allergic anymore. So a couple of weeks ago we went out for ice cream for the first time ever! I figured this was much more fun than a visit to the allergy clinic.  As we checked out with our ice cream, I have to admit, it felt strange. REALLY STRANGE. This is a food group we keep away from her since forever. If she is no longer allergic, it feels great yet wrong at the same time. With mixed emotions, we sat at a table and ate ice cream together. The entire family eating kid sized cups of ice cream, waiting to see if any itchiness would come.  She never scratched, eczema never came and the next chapter of our journey began before I was ready to turn the page.

A couple of days went by, I was still amazed that she had outgrown something we were programmed to avoid. This opened up a whole new world for her. You’d think I’d be excited, singing “The hills are alive” at the grocery store, but I wasn’t. At first I was overwhelmed with thoughts. I didn’t feel prepared. I was paranoid that itchy skin would come back at any moment. Over the years, my daughter eczema has been a food journey for my whole family. Our mission was to provide the best quality food choices we could within a budget. I’ve learned about the pros and cons of each food she’s allergic too: vitamins, nutrients, organic vs conventional, food alternatives, and the list goes on. On pizza day at school, I’d  pack an extra allergy friendly lunch and was so proud of  her healthy eating habits. On ice cream day, I’d pack strawberry sorbet. I’ve grown to enjoy this way of life. Sure she’s always wanted to try ice cream and pizza, but she knew her limitations and LOVED the alternative choices.

Honestly, after what I’ve learned, I was happy she couldn’t eat processed cheese, conventional dairy foods and that this journey has made us holistic minded. Now that she’s not allergic, there’s a new challenge. My original fear of exposing her to food allergens was now a polar opposite fear. Fear of food freedom. I didn’t expect this to be so awkward. Wasn’t I suppose to feel relieved? Long ago I dreamed of a day I could buy whatever and her body wouldn’t reject anything.  No more eczema, no ER visits for nut exposure (double yay!), no hassle and more restaurant choices! We’d live happily ever after. The actual dream or reality is a little different. Who knew I’d feel like this? I felt like I should be grateful she’s outgrown this and be happy to add foods instead of eliminate them. But you know what? These are my feelings, not hers. She’s happy that dairy won’t make her feel like she’s sitting on a cactus. The sheer excitement on her face when we told her she could eat ice cream was priceless! It brings joy to my heart to know she’s growing out of her allergies no matter how awkward it’s been. So I’m facing my fear and we are slow moving into new to being a quasi dairy eating family with enthusiasm. I still monitor the small amounts of dairy she consumes just in case.  I’ll continue to guide her to healthy choices and learn to be ok with some of the not-so-great food choices she may make.

While she’s still intolerant and allergic to other foods, here’s the best part. She’s apart of a positive statistic… Growing out of a food allergy during early childhood.  So let the next phase of our journey begin.

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