Allergies

Jaxon is allergic to everything that grows from the ground.  He started showing symptoms around age 3 or 4 I think, although I cannot be sure as I am terrible and remembering the whens of life.  He had all the classics - runny nose, stuffy nose, itchy/red/watery eyes, sore throat, coughing fits, and headaches.  He also had some other stuff - skin rashes, eczema, stomach aches and (I'm sorry buddy) poop issues - mostly very soft stuff.

I wanted him to feel better - several doctors and many tests later I had a variety of answers to play with.  It took about 3 years of looking into it all but we found out the following:

  • Jaxon is highly allergic to many trees, grasses, and weeds.  March through October is basically hell for him.
  • Jaxon is allergic to peanuts.
  • Jaxon has two alleles that predispose him to Celiac disease.  He was not diagnosed with Celiac as that is tough disease to diagnose.  It requires a stomach biopsy.  No thanks.  It is enough to say that he has two genes that make it really hard on him to digest wheat so he shouldn't eat it, ever.
  • Jaxon has an auto-immune disorder - he is IGA deficient.  Very layman - IGAs are antibodies that line your mucosal areas - nose, sinuses, etc, that help prevent you from catching colds and having allergies.  Jaxon's count was 8 and it's supposed to be 120 or something.  
So, we knew all this by the time he was about 6.  We also had some food-allergy testing done through blood work.  Now, many (most?) traditional docs do not think this is a reliable test.  Our naturopath suggested it.  That test said Jax shouldn't eat dairy, beef, tomatoes, soy, or the nuts and wheat we were already aware of.  He wasn't allergic, just intolerant.  Whatever - I just wanted him to feel good so we took him off all of it.  

It helped, but he continued to have issues, mostly illnesses like colds and strep.  We had one ER visit for breathing issues and he was sent to have his adenoids out in 2010 because they just could not get them healthy.  

Fast forward to now.  He's miserable.  Our little trip to JP was great since he suffered very little there.  I'd forgotten about his normal feeling of ick this time of year.  I got him into the allergist today and he was given the traditional skin test.  If you haven't had one, it goes like this - they draw a grid on your back and then prick you with little needles that are dipped in the "juices" of many common allergens.  Then you sit for 15 minutes and a measurement of any reaction is taken.  A mark of 3MM or more means you are allergic to whatever the needle had on it.
 Jaxon's results were similar to 3 years ago when he last had the same test.  This time he had more reactions, more trees and grasses that we can't avoid!  The doctor was fabulous.  He didn't tell me anything I hadn't been told before, but it was good to hear it all again as I had selectively forgotten most of it.  The one new thing was how terrible his lung function was.  I knew he was having a hard time but I had no idea how hard.  So, he is now on two different inhalers, a nebulizer as needed, a high dose of Allegra for allergies, nose spray, and eyedrops. He has to carry an Epi pen in case of anaphylaxis from peanuts.  Oh, and antibiotics for a sinus infection I didn't know he had.  Awesome.

The doctor also encouraged, very strongly, that Jaxon have gluten removed from his diet.  Argh!  We've been there, done that.  I don't want to do it again.  I know it is healthier, not only for him, but everyone in general.  Gluten is just hard on our systems.  But, it is hard.  So hard.  Gluten is snuck into so many things.  Did you know it's in soy sauce? And many store bought marinades? And now it is a little like having a baby.  I have to back a bag of snacks everywhere we go - you never know...He cannot buy school lunch, eat cake or cupcakes at parties, go to Starbucks!  Eating out has just become a lot more difficult.  His favorite, tortellini, is a thing of the past.

So, here we go, again.  Of course I just want him to feel good, and of course we will do this, and get him better.  I just wish it were a little easier for him.  If you have any good gluten free, paleo, or allergy free recipes, please share!

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