It's been awhile...

since I've posted on this blog. We are still very deeply involved in living the allergic life. In only a few more months our daughter will be tested to see if she has outgrown her current allergies and/or developed any new ones. We have done our very best to keep her away from anything and everything that contains milk, eggs or peanuts now for 3 years. We've been praying and asking God to allow her to outgrow her allergies for her own sake and for His glory. Whether He chooses to do that or not, we know that He has a reason for allowing her (and us) to walk this path. She is a good sport about it, but it never gets easier to tell her 'you're allergic to that' or 'you can't have that because it has milk, egg or peanut in it'. In fact, it is getting harder as she gets older. I would love for her to be allergy-free. What a drastic change there would be in her life. The big thing coming up that we will have to face is her Booster Shots for Kindergarten next year. I do not know yet what I will do about that. I don't trust immunizations to be safe for her because of her allergies, but now it's time to do more research and determine the ingredients of the shots she will be needing to get to see if I will allow it or not. We'll see. That's the biggie coming up. I'll let you know how the decisions will fall. Any advice? Comments? Concerns I should be thinking about?

Hidden Allergens

I posted awhile ago about the scented handsoap 'Milk & Honey' and told you how I had noticed it while shopping one day. Just out of curiosity, I checked the ingredients and sure enough there really is milk protein in the soap ingredients. Soon after that realization, I was in a church restroom helping my daughter wash her hands when I noticed this same soap. I was so glad I had come across that previously so that I was able to protect her from a potentially dangerous situation. Her milk allergy is so severe that if it even touches her skin, she has a reaction. So far, we've been able to avoid this handsoap. (Yet another reason to carry hand sanitizer everywhere I go!) Then, last week, I was at the pediatrician's office with my 3yr old (the allergic one) and my 1 yr old when I noticed this same handsoap in that bathroom! I plan to mention this to her doctor next time I am there. This just serves as a reminder that you MUST be constantly aware of your child's environment because in some cases just washing hands can be harmful...at least for my daughter. You can't afford to take any chances on your child's life.

I read this article tonight that just breaks my heart. It is also a reminder to us that allergic reactions can become more severe over time.