This last week has brought a discovery that will possibly change our lives forever. We discovered through a series of events that Claire is severely allergic to WHEAT! Yes, you read that right wheat!? (We are pretty sure it is just wheat and not gluten.)
How did we discover this?
I gave her a scrumptious animal cracker...she got hives all over her fingers, mouth, and face
I ground some wheat into flour outside...she got hives ALL over her body and she didn't even go outside
Shaun ate a piece of bread and then picked Claire up. She was just wearing a diaper. Where his fingers touched her skin she got hives.
Shaun put a little flour on his finger and let her eat it...horrible hives
What does this mean?
First, a lot of tears. I honestly could not even wrap my head around this for a full day. I kept crying every time I thought of something she won't be able to enjoy because it has wheat in it. No goldfish crackers, cinnamon rolls, pie, etc. I'm sure you are now thinking of all the delicious things you love that have flour in them.
I know it is not the end of the world, I know that there are so many other things that would be worse for her to deal with and I know that there are alternatives, but I am still a little sad.
We have her 9 month appointment with her doctor on Friday so we will see what she thinks we should do. We were going to eventually make an appointment with an allergist but I think that will be much sooner than expected. Shaun has done a lot of reading on the latest research and it this is most likely something she will not grow out of. We will see what the doctors think.There is also talk of vaccines in the future for people who have sever allergies but that is a few decades off.
I don't want you to think I am completely doom and gloom. We feel extremely blessed that Claire is developing well, loving life and thriving. She is such a great joy in our lives. Every now and again I just have a sad moment where I think of how this could really change our lives.
In the mean time here are a couple of pictures for you. This first one was at the end of the photo shoot. She was beyond done with smiling...Maybe this is the frown she will give us when she finds out what she can't eat.
This picture just makes me laugh. :) I think she learned the frown from Shaun. He He
This is my one of my favorite pictures from her 8 month shots. Such a beauty. :)
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10 comments:
Oh I am so sorry! Food allergies are the worst! Good luck. And I am super jealous of all your church history touring. Someday I'll make it to those places.
Sorry about the allergies! Not fun to go through. I have a friend that has a great food blog with a lot of recipes that work around food allergies. He two boys have allergies to wheat, eggs and milk. If you find out Claire is allergic to wheat I'll send you the link. Good luck with everything! She is such a darling little girl!
I wish I was closer so I could give you a hug! You're right it's not the end of the world but it's right up there with tough. Hang in there and give that beautiful baby a hug from us!
One word: Spelt. give it a try, substitute 1 for 1 in place of wheat. It's what I use and it's good stuff. If your health food store is too pricey you can get it online.
Oh man. I think I would feel the same way. I'm sure it feels so discouraging now, but you are a great mom and will get it figured out! The good thing is that since food allergies are on the rise there will be more and more info and blogs out there to help. I hope the allergist has some advice for you too!
That is so sad! Luckily there are a lot more substitutes now. That picture is adorable!
I think in a small way I know how you feel. I was devastated when I found out that Amelia was severely far-sighted and needed thick glasses at the age of 11 months. I knew it wasn't the end of the world but somehow felt that it changed the way my baby would be perceived and experience the world. It made me feel like there was something wrong with her and it broke my heart.
Of course I got over it and we learned to live with big thick glasses and now I don't even notice them. Good luck in the transition. I know you'll get used to it too.
That is so sad.But at least she is stinkin cute.
OH NO! That is so sad! I'm glad you guys found out what was causing it but sad that it is something so common. We'll have to be extra careful when we see you guys next! It is a good thing Shaun is a good cook and can make almost anything taste yummy!
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