Allergy. No allergy. Act like there’s an allergy. There IS an allergy.

As with all baby health issues, there are no clear answers with regards to Little Birdie’s (LB) egg allergy. We went to see the peadiatrician this week for LB’s (slightly late) six-month check up. He asked about any concerns and I mentioned LB’s allergic reaction to egg. He said she definitely would have an allergy and that all the time and effort having the patch testing done with the allergist was wasted, because patch tests don’t work on babies so young.

 Forgive me for being a little frustrated. It’s not easy to get a baby, especially one who struggles with sleeping, to a medical appointment. LB was an absolute gem on the day I took her to the allergist but it was still very stressful for both of us, as the visit pushed her well past her nap time; not to mention all the little pricks she had to have up her arm, nor the $350 dollar bill at the end. The whole time I was there, I felt like I wasn’t getting any answers and I was being fleeced. It turns out, my gut feeling was right.

I don’t blame my GP, who was trying to find out if we needed an Epi-pen by referring us to the allergist. However, I am a little frustrated with the allergist for accepting our appointment. Surely they would know that Evelyn was too young for the test to be valid. I’m sure though, that the fee we paid made it worth it.

Time and again, it becomes plain what a sitting duck you can be as a new parent. I don’t regret getting the allergy test done; it’s better to be safe than sorry. I possibly would feel worse if I hadn’t gone, because I would wonder if I had done enough to keep LB safe. However, people are aware of the extra lengths that you will go to for your child and the extra money that you will spend to do it. Some of them exploit that.

The pediatrician has advised us not to give LB egg until she is two years old and then to try it again cautiously. Luckily, most children grow out of an egg allergy. I hope LB is one of those kids. We also have to try her on the other allergens soon, to see how she reacts. I’ll be giving her some peanut butter and some white fish this week and I’m not looking forward to it. Luckily, we’ve already given her wheat, soy and dairy and she has been fine. I’ve also heard strawberries can be an issue, so I’ll try her on those soon too. It’s certainly a nerve-wracking business being a Mum! Let’s hope I don’t have to post about another ambulance visit in the coming week.

I will include a link to some information on egg allergy from the Sydney Children’s Hospital for anyone who is interested: http://www.sch.edu.au/health/factsheets/joint/?egg_allergy.htm