That Dreaded Call

It's been a week. A week since your  last blood draw, probing for the latest and greatest, ok maybe not the greatest.

This is pretty standard protocol for someone with food allergies. Test the patient annually for new trends in the numbers, expose new allergies and sometimes, but not all that common, drop some allergens off the list.

This call for us has only ever been bad news. Actually all results from any doctor you have seen has always been bad news. More allergens should be added to the list. Avoid more foods. Your immune system is working on overdrive all day every day.  It's exhausting and temporarily depressing.

Daddy and I are curious where your numbers are now that you are two and your immune system is more mature and has been getting massive boosts from Dr. Wong's supplement protocol.

It's now been a week and a half. Friday morning, the phone rings and I know it is Hopkins because there is no caller ID. I answer, it's the doctor's scribe. The scribe takes all the notes and makes all the calls. She is also an MD.

She starts with, "La-Tasha, there are a lot of numbers, where shall we start?"

My heart is pounding, I'm thinking, "shit, what now?"

The scribe proceeds by asking if I have been giving you seeds like they suggested. Chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.  No, I have not because I am SCARED! I am scared to give you anything new. When we give new foods, it must be on a weekend about midday. That way if you react, we are home and awake and can manage. She tells me I have to try the seeds, today. Once you have tried all of those seeds, try sunflower because that number came back low. Woohoo, small win there since we thought sunflower could be a new allergen. Now we have homework.

Then she tells me that coconut came back very low and there is likely no allergy anymore. We have been avoiding coconut like the plague for a long time. I am beside myself with glee, just imagining the possibilities with adding a new food. Coconut milk, and water and oil and yogurt and ice cream!  She tells me to try it at home and the medical team is confident you will tolerate it with no reaction!  More homework.


Next she tells me, you will need to come in within the next year, to Hopkins to challenge peanut! Your numbers are so low and following overall decreases to most allergens and because of risk of anaphylaxis they will feed you peanuts in the hospital setting while monitored and under the doctor's care.  The good news keeps coming - This. Is. Unreal.

We chatted for a few more minutes and concluded the call with a summary. Your numbers are decreasing for many items, but he is still highly allergic. Seeing overall reductions in a two-year old is a trend that points to a high likelihood of outgrowing many of these allergens.

I hang up and just sit there.  That dreaded call wasn't. It was delightful.  A flood of emotions continue with all this amazing news.  This is the first time that I feel real hope that you will be ok. We will get thru this.

Now it's time to try our new foods! Coconut, we are coming for you!