The "My-Kid-is-Allergic-to-Everything" Diet

so for the past couple of months, i have been on the "my-kid-may-be-allergic-to-dairy-shellfish-eggs-oh-and-let's-throw-in-nuts-for-good-measure" diet. it started out with a suspicion that he may be allergic to dairy. but after i cut out dairy, he still had reactions. so then i cut out shellfish. then eggs. then nuts. and then wheat.

finally, this past tuesday, i took him in to see an allergist. the dr. did 3 sets of skin tests. the first 2 were deemed negative, even though i had noticed that a few of the spots turned red but then faded. the third test was shrimp, and it turned red and then faded. the dr. said that that was an indication that it was positive. so i asked about the previous spots that had also turned red, but he dismissed those (probably because he hadn't seen them when they were red). he then said for me to resume eating anything i wanted except for shellfish and eggs. "eggs? but he tested negative for eggs." yes, the dr. said that while he did test negative, most cases he sees end up with eggs as the culprit. uh, ok. that's really scientific. when i asked if that meant it was ok to start him on formula and rice cereal, he asked me to hold off. ok, sure.

so that afternoon, i took griffin to the pediatrician for his 6 month checkup. i told her about the allergist's recommendation, and she started shaking her head. she recommended that i stick with the "vegan-plus-red-meat-and-chicken-minus-nuts" diet, but to go ahead and start him on hypoallergenic formula and rice cereal. this was weird, as the allergist and pediatrician were basically giving complete contradicting advice.

anyway, i had already treated myself to some pasta with alfredo sauce after seeing the allergist, so i figured i would continue allowing myself to have dairy and made myself a latte at work. that night, griffin's skin actually looked almost perfect, so i thought i was in the clear. well, the next day, his rash reappeared, and by the evening he looked pretty awful. so it does seem that he does indeed have an allergy to dairy. :(

let's just say that i am not going back to this allergist. and now i trust our pediatrician even more. when i told her i was surprised at the allergist's findings, she asked me, "well, what do you think?" i should have trusted my gut instinct, which was not to believe his findings. but instead, i let my cravings for ice cream, cheese, and lattes blind me.

so i'm back on this crazy diet, but i do see a light at the end of the tunnel, as i will likely wean him in a few weeks. i have come a long way in these 2 months. i started out thinking "oh, what's the harm in a bit of cream sauce here or there?" since then, i have become very strict about my diet. i have certainly learned a lot about my self-control (or lack thereof), and i have also learned a lot about how difficult it is to be vegan. but most of all, i am quite proud that i have been able to stick this out as long as i have, and now i ready to wean this guy and pig out on ice cream, pizza, and cheesecake!