Where I use big words about food allergies.

I mustache you a question. About accoutremontes

I had a conversation with my son today about his peanut allergy and his answer surprised me. Actually, it shocked me just a little as I was not expecting answers I received.

About a week and a half ago, my husband took Vince to have his blood drawn to check his peanut allergy level. Now, I have to confess, this is something that we’ve been attempting for a while. We received the order while I was pregnant and sort of, really lazily, postponed it. You know the drill, I was pregnant, it was a rough one, then Eleanor arrived, then I had 2 kids at home during my mat leave, then I didn’t ever want to take Vince to get his blood drawn. Then, thankfully, I went back to work and pushed it aside like the bad parent I am.

Summer vacation reared its gorgeous sunny head… Suddenly all it took was Daddy taking Vince to the allergist one time and immediately they had an appointment at a lab for a blood draw and we all stood, anxiously it seemed, around for the results.

Me: “Probably he’ll have no allergies at all any more!!!!!!!!!” (optimistic exclaiming)

Edward: “Jaime, you are smoking crack.” (Debbie Downer)

And of course it turned out that he was right. How annoying. But worse than that, we received the news that Vince’s allergy to peanuts had increased since we had last had him checked. (about 2 years ago)

Ugh. What a shocker. Not to Edward, he was quick to point out. Also annoying.

It really jumped. From around 4.25 to 46.60. Wow.

Wow was pretty much all I had to say about that when the nurse called me with the results. And about an hour later, Vince’s pediatrician and I were having a heavily involved conversation about allergies, warning signs, education, diet, medic alert bracelets. I mean MEDIC ALERT BRACELETS.

WTF.

We are going to be card-carrying members of the epipen society. Once I find that rx that I think I lost. (I’ll be calling the pediatrician tomorrow for a new one.)

This is a scary readjustment for me mentally. I had assumed, obviously incorrectly, that his peanut allergy had gone the way of his wheat allergy. (regardless, we have never given him any peanut anything)

And so this past weekend, I attempted for the first time to have a conversation about allergies with my son.

Mummy: “If someone asks you if you’d like a peanut, what do you say?”

Vincent: “No Fank you.” (I was really surprised by this answer)

Mummy: “Why?”

Vincent: “Because that will make me sick and make me vom.”

(Have I mentioned that vom is my favorite word ever?)

Mummy: “That’s right! And it will make you get red spots, and itchy and make your tummy hurt.”

Vincent: “You’re right Mummy! Good job! We don’t like peanuts, or peanut butter or peanut icecream. That will make me soooooooo sick and vom and itchy.”

I love this little boy and his serious head shakes and nods while having this discussion. I feel very grateful to have an amazing pediatrician and allergist on my son’s health team. I feel hopeful that Eleanor will not have similar problems. I feel blessed that my son is a healthy little boy and that we have not yet had cause to use his epipen. And I feel heartache that we were cursed with this crappy allergy to begin with.

Extra careful monitoring of his diet while out and about will ensure that I retain my sanity. As will wine (this might be an obvious sanity reducing accoutremonte).

xoxo a.m.

 

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