Ashley Becar

So remember how I have this blog? Oh, yeah. Me too. Apparently when there is stress in my life the blog is the first thing to go.

This is probably going to be a wordy post. I’m hoping to explain in a nutshell (ok, like an elephant sized nutshell) what’s been going on.

You see, my darlin’, sweet Hazel has always had really really bad eczema. Like, it’s bad. She scratches and bleeds and it’s all over her body. Ever since she was 2 weeks old I’ve always known there was something wrong but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I’ve asked since she was about 4 months old to have her tested for allergies. I even tried going without dairy for a few months and it didn’t really help a whole lot.

About 2 weeks ago, she was quite sick so I cancelled preschool and took her in to see the doctor. Luckily, it was just a cold along with some respiratory stuff and asthma. But something that struck me was her weight. She was 15 lbs even. I remembered that she had only weighed 15 lbs at her last checkup in December and the PA confirmed that she’s actually been 15 lbs since a sick visit at the beginning of November. For an infant, 4 months is a long time to go without any weight gain. She has plummeted from the 95^th percentile to the 5^th. Scary.

A week ago at her 9 month checkup, we brought up the weight thing with the Dr. He was concerned and gave us a few options. We could stop breastfeeding for 3 days and go with a high calorie/hypoallergenic formula to get some weight on her or see if it helped (my last choice); have her allergy tested; see an allergy specialist; or a combination of all of these things. We opted to have her RAST tested. RAST is a blood test where they mix blood with a number of allergens to see if the body retains necessary antibodies to guard against anaphylaxis aka an allergic reaction. We also took home a sample of some hypoallergenic formula.

So, we went to the hospital for the test, dropped Jarom back at work and I took the kids home. I put Cannon in bed and made Hazel a bottle. I sat with her while she guzzled down 2 oz. of the formula. After a minute, she wasn’t interested in the formula anymore so I put her down on the floor and noticed she was scratching her head like it was on fire. Not 30 seconds later I noticed a patch of raised skin on her forehead, then her lip, then her arms, legs and pretty much covering her body. I frantically called the nurse and Jarom simultaneously with one phone to each ear trying to explain the reaction. I noticed Hazel was slightly wheezing. Not good. I hurriedly put both kids back in the car. I stopped at a neighbor’s for some Benadryl. The nurse told me to go to either the ER or Doctors office (whichever was closest). I told Jarom to meet me there. He did and we were met by two Doctors and a nurse as they quickly checked her breathing and oxygen levels. Luckily, the reaction began to subside as the Benadryl kicked in. The Doctors seemed befuddled that she had this type of reaction to a “hypoallergenic” formula. They decided to put her on some steroids for the weekend and wait for the results of the RAST before taking any more action.

Fast forward to Monday. We got the results back from the RAST and were shocked to learn that Hazel has severe food allergies to: milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts and soy. She has a slight allergy to corn. The “hypoallergenic” formula is made from a soy and corn base.

Tuesday we met again with her pediatrician and an allergy specialist to confirm the results of the test. They jointly decided that breastfeeding is not an option since there is no way for me to eliminate that many foods and still make an adequate amount of milk for her. She was immediately put on an amino acid based formula containing no allergens. Basically that means it’s nasty tasting and freaking expensive. We were ordered to the hospital for further allergy testing for tree nuts, rice, potatoes and oats.

We learned that food allergies are not necessarily genetic and there was nothing we could have done to prevent them. She is one of the worst cases the allergist has seen in his 30 year career. Each time a person is exposed to an allergen, the anaphylactic reaction gets worse. Even a small amount can be deadly.

Currently, she is thriving on the new formula. She has already gained 3 oz. and her eczema is fading. I’ve never seen her sit contently in her high chair without scratching her scalp wildly until yesterday. We are supplementing with a number of fruits and vegetables that we know she can eat.

Our first priority is the help her gain some weight while avoiding any more potentially fatal anaphylactic reactions. We were provided an epi-pen in case of a reaction. I have joined a support group for families in Utah dealing with severe food allergies. We are trying to learn as much as we can about dealing with a new way of eating and living. I’m comforted by the fact that most people outgrow at least a few allergies by the age of 4 (milk and eggs). We know that soy and peanuts will be lifelong allergies.

Hopefully by the time she turns 1, she will no longer be on the “diamond dust” formula and she can enjoy some healthy almond or rice milk in her sippy cup. I’m overwhelmed but happy that this is something we can control and I know it will get easier as we go. I feel like in many ways, we have seen the amount of love and support from many family and friends. I’m looking forward to educating myself on preparing nutritious, allergy free foods for my sweet Hazie girl.

So, if you fasted, prayed, thought about or inquired about Hazel these past few months… THANK YOU. You will never know how your support helps. We have been humbled to know that Hazel is loved. I will try to keep more updated from now on. I can’t promise anything, but I will try.