Food, challenged

This post comes as part of the Food Allergy Awareness month that was initiated by Tharini of Winkie's Way. Please follow the badge for links to other posts on this topic- the why's, the how's, what's of this challenge called Food Allergy.
This will be an interview-style post. A good friend of mine has a 7 year old son who has been tested positive for quite a large subset of food items. This is my humble offering to document some of her daily challenges, a little goes a long way- I am told. Real names are not being disclosed to preserve privacy. Before we proceed, a shout-out for all those moms out there that are faced with such situations. Its not easy and all of you deserve kudos.

Lets start at the beginning, always a good place to start. How did it begin?
When he was 2 months old, he was being breast fed and started developing eczema. He was proving to be lactose intolerant. When he was 12-16 months old, his growth chart had not been up to the mark for a while, mostly because of lack of milk intake. At that time, no significant allergy tests were done. But eczema was still a problem, homeopathy treatment started. All artiicial flavoring/coloring was avoided. Wheat was found to cause rashes. So everything was based on an elimination process and plenty of documentation of results and observations. Even a few play items like play dough and sand would cause reactions. At that time nuts like almonds, pista and cashew were not causing a reaction.

As he grew older, his sensitivity to food items started increasing. While at pre-school one day there was an activity with raw eggs and he developed a severe reaction. Until then he had not been fed eggs. Slowly over time, it was noticed that he was developed reactions for walnuts. So at that time it was conclusive- no dairy, wheat, eggs and nuts. Most common allergens are corn and soy.

So, what are the common symptoms?
Hives(Hives are red and sometimes itchy bumps on your skin), swelling of the eyes, nose runs and rashes are the most common symptoms and cannot be taken lightly.

What do you normally do when such reactions occur?
Always move the child away from any exposure to potential allergens. For skin reactions, apply cortizone cream or soothing lotion(calamine). An antihistamine might be needed, but that is preferably upon a doctor's instruction. Make sure breathing is under control, rush to emergency is symptoms appear serious.

What could have likely caused such allergies?
Most of the effects are immune sytem related. Its also said that some of the preliminary vaccines could have affected the digestive system.

So where do we stand now? He is what, 7+ years now?
A year ago a skin and allergen test was conducted. Skin test came positive for bananas which affects stomach and causes behavioral problems as well. He was tested for environmental allergens such as pollen and grass as well since his breathing gets affected during spring and fall. He has now been tested positive for lentils, but continues to have them without any reaction.

All food needs to be gluten-free.

So what does his daily meal consist of?
He can have soy(havent tried yet), rice, lentils, quinoa, brown rice cereal and buckwheat flour. I make rotis with sorghum or buckwheat flour. He can have most vegetables except green beans(causes stomach problems), purple broccoli and eggplant(he has never been given eggplant, so we dont know if he is allergic to it).
His main sugar intake is through fruits, organic variety only. He has never been given pineapple though, because there is potential for a reaction.

I also never use store bought ghee. I buy organic unsalted butter, heat it and pass it through a cheesecloth for two rounds to double filter and remove all protein content. I also only use safflower oil or olive oil. I use spices like chili powder, turmeric and garam masala- sparingly and once in a while. He has had no milk intake at all whatsoever so far. We might try soy milk on him some time.

So what are some of the gotchas that got you unwittingly?
LG Hing, can you believe it- has wheat content in it. Something like Lay's potato chips- has corn content. Something thats never been tried on him so far. I am now very aware and cautious while reading the ingredients list and labels. Watch out for labels that indicate these products are made in a nut or dairy facility. Those are very helpful signs to make sure you dont get misled.

Can he eat out?
Its a challenge, hence we rarely attend parties and other social gatherings. We have to be very careful to only go to places where there is close to no contamination. That is a big challenge. We once took him to an Indian restaurant , where, despite all our precautions, he did get a reaction due to cross contamination. Usually we avoid Asian and Mexican places as well.

Where do you shop for his groceries?
I usually find sources for gluten free flour thanks to support groups that provide a lot of information. For example, if I have to bake blueberry muffins, I use this flour, blueberries with some honey and as little sugar as possible(since sugar results in hyperactivity and lack of focus) and substitute butter with oil.

What wise words would you have to share to others who might be going through such challenges?
Becoming aware and taking extensive notes is a good start. At the onset, most of the research is trial and elimination. There is way of automatically knowing or finding out. There are support groups out there with reams of information and assistance. The internet is a valuable asset. Calcium supplements, fish oil etc are good, organic ways to make up for the lack of the essential nutrients for the body which otherwise cannot be obtained due to these allergens. There is no set method that works for all children and challenges. At that point, its a matter of diligence and perseverance, both of which are a must for parents with children who have food allergies.