On July 1, 2009 my husband and I had our second child, and named him Eli. He was an almost 10 lb baby and everyone including his big sister Ella loved him immediately.
When Eli was between 4-6 months we tried to get him to eat rice cereal like most babies, but he choked and gagged on it and usually threw up what he did eat. At 6 1/2 months after sharing my concerns with the doctor, he ate cereal fine like it was no big deal. Baby food was started and the texture of meat was too much for his gaggy mouth so we had to dilute it with baby food to make it thinner.
Until 7 months of age Eli was exclusively breast fed baby, but at 7 months we attempted a 2 oz bottle of Enfamil with Iron, the same formula Ella drank as a baby. He immediately projectile vomited and his lips, tongue, and throat started swelling up. We raced him to the emergency room where he recieved Epinephrine, had an x-ray to determine swelling in his airway, and was put on steroids for a week to ward off after effects. It was determined he was most likely allergic to the cows milk proteins in the formula and if we did formula again to try soy. I, as the breastfeeding mother, was told not to drink my daily glass of milk also. No other instructions. Just stay away from cow's milk.
Eli also had eczema all winter, but Ella did too her first winter so we were not concerned. He also seemed to scratch himself, but he did that since he was born when he was tired.
At about 10 months, before we went on vacation we tried soy formula and Eli tolerated it well! We went on vacation and I had a break from constant breastfeeding although up until a year he had some breastmilk too.
At 11 months, Eli was finally able to eat a cracker. The first solid food he was able to eat without gagging and much later than typical children. We started trying crackers at 7 months, and tried other foods such as bananas, peas cut in half, peaches. He couldn't figure out how to eat them. From there we got a few more foods we could get him to eat, like applesauce, peaches, and cooked carrots, but he was almost a year old and wouldn't eat any other solid foods. I was concerned about his growth, he didn't seem to be growing well but the doctor said he was a late eater and to just keep giving him foods. We did find some other foods he would eat, especially Gerber Graduate meals with little noodles, veggies, and meats. But overall his diet was carrots, applesauce, peaches, and crackers. No meats. Sometimes he would eat scrambled eggs (no milk, but I did cook in butter), and he liked macaroni and cheese.
It was summer again and Eli still had eczema and scratched, the doctor thought it was getting better and it was normal.
I was frustrated with the doctor, and switched to a new pediatrician I knew from working at the hospital. The first thing her nurse noticed was how low Eli's weight was on the growth chart, below the 5th percentile! I was never told such a thing! The first thing the doctor noticed was how as soon as his skin was exposed even when he was playing he was itching. She said "I think this kid is always itching and miserable but has learned to live with it because he doesn't have a choice." She immediately did 3 things: started an antihistamine twice a day (allegra and gave us a ton of freebies), gave a referral for First Steps Indiana for therapy to help him eat, and took blood from him to do a general food allergy test.
This first blood work for food allergies showed milk (and duh that means all milk products, I never thought of cheese and butter when I was just trying to get my kid to eat), eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. Wheat showed up but not high so at this point we did not take out wheat.
Everything we had gotten Eli to eat above the babyfood and crackers, applesauce, peaches, and carrots had one or more of those ingredients in it! How were we going to get him to eat?!
With First Steps he started seeing a Speech Therapist who works with him once a week for an hour, trying different techniques to get him to try new foods.
We then went to an allergist for more specific testing because while he seemed much happier he was still itching and still had eczema. After those test, the allergies included :milk, eggs, wheat, soy, beef, tree nuts, and peanuts along with cat and dog, which we have both.
Fast forward to today: Eli's skin still breaks out some, but is so much better especially when compared to pictures. He takes Zyrtec in the morning and Hydroxazine pills at night (won't take the syrup), has special soap and lotions and has to have a bath daily. The animals are quarentined to one half of the house away from Eli at all times, and I have to give them a bath every week. Eli has just gotten Occupational therapy added with Speech therapy to help with other sensory issues (won't play in different textures and this is usually related to feeding) and is now seeing a Dietician because he's starting to slowly gain weight but is still below the 5th percentile. We're fighting with the insurance company to try to get a calorie enhancer that is safe for him.
But with all of that, he is a happy, active, spunky little boy with a big attitude!
Now the project. With Eli's multiple allergies, it's hard not to make two meals every meal, one for Eli and one for us. So with the help on online recipes and The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook by Cybele Pascal my goal is from New Years and through this year to make at least two meals a week (dinner time) that everyone will and can eat. I say only two meals because I'm realistic. I'm already stressed out, work full time and will be going back to Grad school in the summer. And these meals might not take a lot of time, but making big batches of allergy free stock will. Not to mention a lot of these ingredients are expensive.
So this will be my story, my journey, my therapy, and a way to make sure I really do it both for myself and my family!
Happy New Years!
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