Not How It's Supposed to Be

I've joined the club of 'my child has an peanut allergy'.  I took Maria to the allergist yesterday and they did a scratch test on the skin on her back.  I have to say how grateful I am that she didn't even pucker up - not even one tear!!  She tested positive for peanuts which we already knew and borderline for eggs which I suspected.  She tested negative for strawberries - she has no idea how happy she's going to be that she can eat those yummy berries everyone else eats all summer long :)

This morning I took her to get her blood drawn.  After waiting for 45 minutes with 3 girls (who were all well behaved thankfully without even having snacks for bribes or toys in the office!) the tech did not look confident when they searched for a vein in her little arm.  She found it though.  Maria did not even flinch!  She cried big crocodile tears, but didn't even try to wiggle out of my arms.  What a brave baby I have!

The scratch test was described to me as a 'pregnancy test'.  It will tell us 'yes' or 'no' if there is an allergy.  The blood test will tell us to what degree the allergy is.  This blood test will tell us how sensitive to eggs she is.  She's never had whole egg before, but has had egg protein in baked goods, etc.

I have a prescription to get filled for an epi pen.  The dr. told me that when she reacted to the peanut butter last month she was in anaphylaxis.  She went on to describe that when two or more body systems are involved in an allergic reaction, anaphylaxis occurs.  She was vomiting (GI tract) and had hives/swelling (skin).  Yikes!  We were fortunate that time - thank you Lord.

Some things I learned from going to the dr. yesterday:

-Anaphylaxis is a greek term meaning 'without protection'
-2-2.5% of the general population suffers from food allergy
-1.1% of the population is believed to be allergic to peanuts or tree nuts
-Eight foods account for 90% of allergic reactions: Peanuts, tree nuts, fish,shellfish, eggs, milk, soy and wheat
-Peanuts are the leading cause of severe allergic reaction, followed by shellfish, fish, tree nuts and eggs
-Food allergy is the leading cause of anaphyxaxis outside the hosptial setting, accounting for an estimated 2500 ER visits each year
-It is estimated that as many as 125 people die each year from food allergy-related reactions, approximately 50 die from insect sting reactions

I was surprised at how low the percentage of the general population suffers from food allergies.  It seems it's a growing epidemic - I know at least 3 moms with kids that have severe food allergies.  There are special tables in school cafeterias for peanut free lunches, special nights at the circus for peanut free shows, and all kinds of FDA regulations on how to correctly label packaging of foods to include those eight major allergens.  This can't be how God designed this world to be.  This side of Eden has such heartache and warped ways of dealing with life after the Fall.  All of these foods are good things that God created - there are no preservatives in them, no high fructose corn syrup - they don't come from a factory - they come from the Earth!  How much 'greener' could they be?  And yet, so many people can't have them because their body thinks it's being fed something harmful and attacks it!  Not how God designed life.  It's not how it's supposed to be. 

However, I am thankful for modern medicine that allows us to live this life with its imperfections.  Trying to keep Maria safe from peanuts is going to be a lifelong endeavor - poor girl will never get to have a Snickers!  But, she will have a happy life and still grow and learn and love, by God's grace.