Allergies

This is what led me to believe that Max was allergic to eggs:

After Max was simply enjoying a beater of icing (containing egg whites) for his birthday cake, he broke out in hives.  I freaked out, called the pediatrician and gave him some Benadryl.  The hives disappeared quickly and Max acted as if nothing had happened.  The hives returned later that night when he was eating a piece of cake.  So I thought I would experiment and gave Max a scrambled egg the next morning, and he had a small rash around his mouth.

So at his one-year appointment I mentioned this to his pediatrician.  He sent us for a blood test and the results came back as a severe egg allergy.  We were referred to an allergist.  The allergist suggested we do a full panel to determine if Max had other allergies.   Max's results came back positive for both egg whites and yolk, and for peanuts.  We now carry an Epi-pen and Benadryl with us at all times, and I have become a pro at reading labels, calling restaurants in advance and questioning anyone who gives Max any kind of food.  So far we have been able to change the way we eat certain foods.  The biggest change has been breakfast and sweets.  Fortunately, I found an awesome blog, Art of Desserts, that has delicious egg-free recipes.

We will go back each year for blood work in hopes that Max will grow out of his egg and peanut allergies.  The allergist feels he has a good chance of outgrowing the egg allergy, but the peanut allergy is something he may have for the rest of his life.  But for now I will continue to read labels, adjust recipes and continue to question everyone on the ingredients of their foods.  And I am sure Max will surprise us with another new challenge soon! :)