Desperately need cheering up -- positive stories please!

[garliclover]

Just got a letter from our allergy consultant for DS, saying the blood tests confirm all the allergies we knew about, suspected, and didn't know about, the last including peanuts, tree nuts and chickpeas (as well as peas, lentils, sesame, wheat, egg, milk). Just seeing the list on an official NHS letter makes me want to hide until it all goes away. Will it ever go away? Has anyone got any positive stories they'd like to share, so that I can look forward to some light at the end of this tunnel?

Sorry to hear that, garliclover. Hope you get some positive stories - I would like to hear them too!

My story isn't very positive, I'm afraid - we got a very similar letter from DS's consultant yesterday . Recent RAST tests indicate that DS is showing no sign of growing out of any of his allergies.

However, I have decided to count our blessings . The dietitian is happy with DS's nutrition and he isn't anaemic. Consultant puts his perfect skin down to the care taken with his diet. DS is a happy, well-adjusted, sociable and otherwise healthy little boy who is meeting all milestones. Allergies are a pain in the bum, I know, and a constant worry to those of us who deal with them, but I do know that things could be a lot worse, when I really sit and think about it.

Yes, you're right, greenbananas, things could be a lot worse. And I am happy too that my DS, like yours, is otherwise healthy and happy, and eats what he's allowed to eat like a horse (for now, anyway! fingers crossed). Eczema has reappeared recently, but we know how to deal with it now, not like last year, when he was very little and in pain and I was a coward with the hydrocortisone. Which brings me onto another positive thing: becoming more knowledgeable and better prepared all the time, mostly thanks to this message board! I'm sorry you got bad news from your consultant too. I know the list of your DS's allergies is also very long, and I sympathise hugely. It sucks.
babyb, always heartened to see your name on a thread! You're right as ever, but sometimes I do just wish for one less, just one tiny little chickpea less.

I have a bit of a positive story, DS grew out of peanut allergy by the age of 12, but he hasn't grown out of treenut and seseme allergies.

babyb, anaphylactic to dogs and cats really sucks. I've been meaning to ask before: how do you and DS cope with that? That must be a constant threat -- at what distance from the dog or cat does your DS need to be to have a reaction?
I have mild hayfever and my DH has no allergies. When I stuffed my face with peanuts during pregnancy I just thought 'hey, what's the worst that can happen? My son will just have mild hayfever, like me. Big deal'. Yeah, right. Although I know it's not the peanuts that are to blame for the allergies, but a whole host of other things, many of which could have been avoided. That's what makes it difficult, actually. The horrible sinking feeling that if only I had done the 'right' things, DS would not have all these allergies.

We have positives, SDD was desensitised to peanuts down from silly IgE levels to almost not allergic, can now eat practically anything, no labels to check. Also took tree nut allergies out of the equation.

I take heart that his therapy that changed our lives is reported to hoped to be available on the NHS in 2 years. The team said they could desensitise against anything. If DD3 does not grow out of her egg allergy I'll be back there having her desensitised too.

Its bleak right now but new therapies are coming. We could be raising allergic kids that won't be allergic teens. Very exciting.

Oh and this is SO not your fault. SDD and DD3 have the same father but different mums (me & DH ex) and both girls have allergies. I avaioded ALL allergens when pregnant due to SDD and still my LO has egg and penicilin allergy. There is just no rhyme nor reason, we just thank our lucky stars we can and know how we can deal with it eh?

Aww garliclover, I did everything "right", BF exclusively to 6 months avoided nuts in pregnancy etc and DS has multiple allergies to nuts, milk, egg, legumes etc. I avoided nothing for DD and she is allergic too. It's really not your fault for eating peanuts in pregnancy!!!

In terms of positives, DS has outgrown beans and soya, tested negative to sesame and lentils after positives and has gone from reacting on skin contact to milk to nearly passing a milk challenge. The consultant thinks he will pass the milk challenge eventually.

I avoided peanuts throughout both pregnancies due to DH's allergy but my DD1 has no allergies (is coeliac but not connected) and DS2 has multiple allergies. I usually beat myself up about the fact I introduced formula at 2mths because DS2 was so difficult to bf. If only I'd known it was allergies I could've just removed the foods from my diet and carried on bf but I had no idea and neither did the medical profession so what's the point in beating myself up? Research has yet to agree on what causes allergies and there's so much conflicting advice out there. I was actually told recently that it was probably my fault for avoiding nuts!

No positive stories here yet I'm afraid but we live in hope! Although, DS2 is in fact one of the healthiest, happiest, fittest little boys I know so it's really not that bad.

I ate peanut butter throughout both pregnancies 15and 17 years ago so before advice. As I said above Ds ended up with multiple allergies including peanut, but dd has no allergies at all.

well, to make you feel better, i have a son with a very long complicated allergy history with severe food and environmental allergies. however, dealing with this was far from easy, but we have now been diagnosed with a rare life threatening condition on top.
His body can randomly swell up, by itself without food as a cause. life long steriods taken daily, with 6 month tests on liver function and other stuff going.

the allergies are a picnic compared to this at the moment.

Garliclover my DS2 has the same allergies as your DS, but with soya instead of wheat. He did use to be allergic to wheat, but outgrew it, and eats it fine now.

Unfortunately, he recently reacted to just being in the same room as a hazelnut biscuit. A very unwelcome development .

eragon so sorry to hear your DS has had such a worrying diagnosis.

Really sorry to hear that eragon. Puts things into perspective for all of us.

Sorry you're so worried... My nephew is 8 and has fully grown out of his egg allergy.

Garlic, I don't have a really positive story for you but have had some recent news that DD's milk allergy maybe reaching its peak. Every year her RAST test results have got worse and worse. Despite 2 anaphylactic reactions last summer, her score has increased by 10 points this time but it still within the same band so rightly or wrongly I am taking that to be maybe there is still a chance things could get better! DD is 4.11

Eragon I am so sorry to hear your news. Allergies are so crap to deal with but to have something else thrown on top really sucks. I say this from experience as DD has just come home from a 2 week stay in hospital all thanks to her other condition. I do hope your ds doesn't have to spend much time as an inpatient as his allergies will come back to the forefront again. Getting 'free from' food from a hospital kitchen can be a bit of an ordeal :(. Good luck and I hope the Drs can help you and your ds out

eragon, I am so sorry to hear your news about the recent diagnosis. That must be really really tough and no wonder allergies feel like a picnic now. From what I know of you through this board it seems as though you're armed with an amazing amount of resilience and knowledge -- and you've been so generous with it too. Sending you all good thoughts and wishes.

It's not so much the diet in pregnancy that I regret, but the huge amount of antibiotics I could have avoided and subjected DS to (got septicaemia when pregnant because did not look after myself, had emergency caesarian because for some stupid reason I refused induction two weeks earlier on the due date, and then unquestioningly took antibiotics for mastitis which then didn't turn out to be mastitis, didn't spot a horrible yeast infection which made DS's life miserable in the early months and probably contributed hugely to his allergies, and used ridiculous creams for his eczema, one of which contained sesame! of course I blame myself completely for this particular allergy). Anyway, sorry to rant on.

On a positive note: our consultant paediatrician has thrown up her arms in defeat at DS's allergies and so our wonderful GP is going to refer us to the Evelina clinic now. I just want to run into the surgery and hug him.

And thank you so much for your posts! I'll make sure to share anything positive or helpful I find along the way on this worrying and eye-opening journey.