Milk Challenge Day

I was nervous, but we did it!  Sat in the allergist office for almost 3 hours and guess what...

Kason passed!!

Not much of a win- but it was determined that kason can safely ingest food baked with milk.  

Here's how it went- we started out in the office- thankfully filled with fun toys....

I made a variety of regular sized and mini muffins- from an organic mix that I usually use for him but instead of rice milk, I used skim milk.  First we gave him 1/4 of a mini muffin.  I had to feed it to him because they didn't want him touching it- we needed to know if he got a reaction, how he got it.

25 mins later we gave him 1/2 a mini muffin

25 mins later we gave him a whole mini muffin

30 mins later we gave him 1/2 a full muffin

He ate it dutifully- and played with the iPad, my phone and the toys in between.  

The nurse determined that a kid his size didn't need 3 muffins- so since there was no reaction they felt that it was a success and the test was done.  We had to wait around another 20 mins until we saw the doctor.  She determined that I need to feed Kason a baked good with homo milk daily.  Starting with baking, maybe trying casseroles etc.  ( more Pinterest research for me)

I will take this mini victory.  It doesn't mean I can feed him ice cream tomorrow or anything but it is the first of many long steps towards growing out of this allergy.  

And that is what kept us so happy during the test!

Maybe it was the three muffins he ate too....

I don't doubt it!!!

Well said

Allergy free weekend!

Tomorrow starts an allergy free long weekend for our family!  We can reflect on our week and enjoy kisses & cuddles all weekend.

Kason's allergy appointment left me with a feeling of hope!  Usually discussions about Kason's allergies leave me frustrated and lost.  This time- Dr. Roberts gave us a feeling of hope.  Based on the evidence of Kason's skin reactions to milk and the fact he didn't experience any anaphylaxis when he accidentally took a sip of milk- she believes that the allergy may be contact only.  If that is the case, then there is a chance he can safely ingest it.  If he can safely ingest it- then he can eat it in small doses and that is the only way to grow out of an allergy.

So now we do the FOOD CHALLENGE!

This means that we serve Kason a baked good with milk in it at the doctors office.  A doctor will only do a food challenge after the doctor reviews the child's history, skin tests and blood tests.  The challenge involves feeding Kason doses of the food every 15-30 minutes.  The amount starts small and gets larger every time.  The challenge takes 3-4 hours.  

I'm sure this will be the worst 4 hours of my life but we are hopeful.  Hopeful that maybe kason can grow out of the milk allergy, and if so maybe all his allergies!!!  I know- that's pretty hopeful, and I also know that it's unlikely.  The average persons IgE is 0-15, while Kason's is 2500!!!!!   IgE is the body's way of fighting off things- because Kason's IgE is so high- his body sees these allergens as something foreign, and he rejects it with his allergic reactions.  So- we know that things won't change- poof- just like that- but I will hold on to that little bit of hope, because we have to.

So- this is how we started off our allergy free weekend!

Marta- I was thinking of you when I made this one. 

 Kason and Kelly loved it!  First pizza for Kason, and I'm grateful for it. 

Another great way to top off a fun pizza party??  Ice Cream!!

The trick!  Yonanas!

This is just a smart choice!  It's frozen fruit only!!!  Made into ice cream.  So tasty and so healthy.   Great for allergy families!  And yes- Kason does have an intolerance to raw strawberries, apparently very common in those with high IgE.  So- no strawberry yonanas- but banana/pineapple/mango will do just fine!

So- enjoy your weekend folks!  Ours will be dairy/egg/nut free and super tasty!!!

Good days and bad days

After a rough weekend with our very upset and fussy baby- I think we are back on track again.  Between fevers and teething- compounded with a kid who had continuous skin problems- it's always hard to tell what is up with this little dude.    I spent a lot of the weekend thinking about my little man and all the little moments in my life that have made me happy (many with friends, on the track, professionally). There are many- but none compare to these 5:

1) the moment I saw the '+' on that little white stick- we were in Hawaii on vacation with friends, and I took the test on a whim- not really expecting anything to come of it.  For anyone who has taken a pregnancy test before- you don't really have to wait 2 minutes like they soon the movies- you kind of get the gist of it immediately.  Cut to me jumping up & down in the bathroom silently screaming and smiling until my face hurts.  That second where I felt like my dreams were coming true with my true love.  There is no purer feeling.

2) napping with my little man on the couch when he was 1 week old- I know this seems like a really insignificant moment but it was the moment for me that the blind panic of becoming a parent wore off and I realized how incredibly lucky we were and HOW FAST it was going by!  I wish I could say this moment happened the second Kason was born, but I was a new mom who needed some time to adjust to the scariness, exhaustion and weepiness of parenting a newborn. 

3) when kason started smiling at me whenever he saw me.  I mean, I don't want to toot my own horn- I know I can be pretty awesome sometimes but there is no better ego booster than your little munchkin making you feel like a million bucks with just a little grin.  

4) 3 nights ago when Kason starting understanding that the cuddle before bed means lots of kisses!  Sure- his kisses are really just a slobbery open mouthed mess- but I love it!  Even more reason to keep it dairy free in the evening so I can enjoy the kisses!  A good friend of mine Marta has a beautiful blog www.petiteraisin.ca and she posted some amazing pictures of her kissing her son.  My immediate thought was about how I would have to be careful about what I ate!!  The incentives of going dairy free keep increasing!  Yay to slobbery kisses!

5) every second that Kason and I are together!  Yes- this is very generic but it tells you how awesome Kason is and how much he has impacted my life in so many positive ways!  He has also increased the number of wrinkles I will have because if smiling, making faces etc!  

Tomorrow I take Kason for another round of allergy testing.  I know it will break my heart watching him get poked & prodded- but he is so brave I feel like I learn about how to be from him.  I'm feeling very reflective on how lucky I am to have this family and 2 very strong boys in my life who are do similar- they tackle the bad and conquer it.

 Couldn't love him & Kelly more than I do right now.

Best part about that- is that I know I will get to say that every day from now on.  

We've been busy...

I have been working on lots of different recipes for kason!  First up- standard choc chip cookies!

Used my classic cookbook...

Used vegan margarine and dairy free choc chips-

Delicious!  A great option for families like ours to keep in the house!  Either for when guests come or for a snack.  I want to be completely dairy free at home when kason is awake.  I need to make sure there are lots of options- or else I will cave... It's reality!

Next up- vegan pumpkin muffins!

This was my first experience using a flax egg as an egg substitute.  It's amazing!  1 tbsp ground flax & 4 tbsp water.  When you let it sit, it becomes like a gel.

( like my socks?  Lol)

These muffins are delicious!  I like to make mini muffins ( a perfect snack for Kase) and freeze them.  

Pumpkin

Quickly becoming a fun new ingredient for me.  I can of pure pumpkin was used for pumpkin pancakes, muffins and butternut squash and pumpkin soup in the slow cooker (another incredibly easy & delicious recipe)

I think it needs to be a staple in my pantry!