Oh Nuts

Thursday we had Xavier allergy tested. There is good news -- he's not allergic to milk or soy. The bad news is that he is very highly allergic to tree nuts (cashews and hazelnuts especially), highly allergic to peanuts, sesame and eggs, and mildly allergic to lima beans. They aren't able to test for pine nuts, garbanzo beans or lentils which is what he ate that night we landed in the hospital, but based on the rest of his results, we are going to avoid them too. So long hummus!

I'm still digesting what life is going to be like with a kid with food allergies. I'm scared for his safety, terrified the worst will happen and then sometimes I think, you know what, this is manageable. We will need to carry an Epi pen with us and have one at school in case of emergency but otherwise it will just be a lot of label reading. Sesame oil and nuts are hidden in so many foods and eggs can be anywhere, but there is so much he can eat still including meats, vegetables and thankfully most store-bought dried pasta. We have already informed his school that, when it comes to food, we have a zero sharing policy for him. He only eats the food we bring for him - no snacks from school, no birthday cake from parents. I don't want a caregiver to decide if this cracker has sesame or that pretzel has an egg wash on it. We have a lot to learn and maybe his exzema will clear up too. Bonus!

He was such a sweet baby through the skin tests, not bothered at all by the fact he had 10 potential allergens swelling up on his back. What a trooper!