So we got the allergy tests back and of course they are all negative. I know we should be all elated and stuff, but I can honestly say I feel no different than I did before we did the testing. I know that RAST tests are rarely accurate, especially when performing them on a child Emma’s age. Still, we did them just in case (and because our doctor suggested it).
Does this convince me she’s not allergic to anything? Nope. I don’t care if I sound like a Hypochondriac or not — I KNOW her tummy does not like certain foods and for that reason, we’re going to steer clear of a few things. Milk, eggs and peanuts will have to wait for now, and we’re avoiding acidic, citrus fruits because they seem to irritate her acid reflux. I’m also skipping the chocolate on her birthday. That was one thing she definitely couldn’t tolerate when I was nursing, and I don’t want her to suffer on her big day.
HOWEVER, we are moving forward with meats and other veggies. I’m also going to continue to slowly introduce foods into her diet, but not the 7-day procedure we used before. I’ll probably do more like 3 days, just to make sure.
I have to admit that Jeff and I were a little hesitant to tell everyone about the test results because it’s amazing how many people think they know the answer to Emma’s issues when they really have no idea what we’ve gone through. Trust me, we’ve thought of and tried everything. I know people are just trying to help, but how come they always end up making us feel like we’re overreacting? Maybe it’s our own insecurity as parents… I don’t know.
Anyway, thanks to my new blogging friend Lori , I was encouraged to share with ya’ll and stand firm on what my instincts are telling me. After all, that’s how we found Emma’s thrush and reflux and eventually, her milk intolerance/allergy. It was hard being a first-time mom and convincing people “something wasn’t right,” but in the end, the best decision was trusting my gut.
That doesn’t mean I don’t believe Emma will grow out of all of this. And, sure, maybe the RAST test indicates that. But there’s no reason why we need to rush into anything if Jeff and I aren’t comfortable yet. We may get brave and try soy yogurt in a few weeks, but for now, I want to get some meat (protein) in her.
Was that a rant or what? Let’s make this a bit lighter with some photos. I’m going to post quite a few so a few family members can get what they call their “Emma fix” while we’re gone a vacation this coming week. Hopefully this holds ya’ll over!!!