The Allergist...again

7.20.09

A few weeks ago we ran into a friend, who has a little boy about Hallie's age who has food allergies too. We got talking, and were asking each other questions about what has worked and what hasn't, and we got talking about what allergists we have gone too. Eric and I have been a little frustrated because we really don't know what steps we need to be taking, or what to do if she has a reaction or anything like that. Ours friends had started out with our same doctor, then changed to a new one. So luckily we were able to change to him too. Unfortunately though his office is in Salt Lake, it isn't that far really, but still kind of a pain.

Just waiting...

We were very impressed with our new allergist, Dr. Hendershot. I guess he started out as a pediatrician, then went back to specialize as an allergist, so he was so good with Hallie, and took his time to do what he needed to. When he came in he asked who we had seen previously, and we told him, then he said that Dr. Yeates doesn't really like to deal with food allergies, and doesn't like to see little kids. So that was good to know, it wasn't that he was just trying to be a pain.

Anyway, they retested her, and she is still allergic to peanut, eggs, wheat, and has a sensitivity to milk. But this time he sent out blood work to get an idea of how severe each allergen is. Which is nice because they can rerun the blood work later, and see if she is out growing them.

While they have the scratch tests going on her back she can't have anything rub against it for 15 minutes, so we were distracting her with food. As you can tell she really wanted her Cheerios.

We did have to go to Primary Children's Hospital to have her blood drawn, because the lab there didn't have pediatric needles, and didn't want to have to go in more than once. Hallie was amazing though, Eric distracted her with some toys, while she sat on my lap, and she hardly even flinched. She even got a prize from the nurse after.

Waiting a Primary Children's

Though it's when you go to a place like that that you become very, very, very, grateful that all you are dealing with is some food allergies. When you walk in the hospital it is very friendly looking, and a generally happy atmosphere. But then you look at the signs that say radiology, oncology, cardiology, critical care, neurology, etc. and then you realize that you are in a pediatric hospital, and it really is humbling. You just want to grab the parents walking down the hall and give them a big hug. It just really drove home the idea that there is always someone who has it worse.

At dinner after, look at her little arm bandage.

The testing came back early this week and they said that they are all in the moderate range, and in the low gray zone, so she has a high likelihood of outgrowing them, which is good. We go back on August 11, and Dr. Hendershot will set up a plan with us, and go through the results more fully.