The SpecialMoms Parenting Magazine 1st Issue | Page 20

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Feature Article

How We Became The Epi-Family:
Our Food Allergy Journey
by: Lauren Kossack
Food allergies.

What do you know about food

are the same. He wrote us a script for EpiPens® and

allergies? I didn’t know much of anything until 3 years

sent us on our way. Little did I know that this was just the

ago. My oldest was 1 ½ and it was the first time that

beginning of our journey.

we’d given him eggs. They were scrambled and we
were allowing him to dip them into ketchup. He was

I also had an 8-week old at home that I was nursing. A

only a couple bites in when I thought his face was

couple months after receiving my oldest’s food allergy

swelling and had hives but for a split second I tried to

diagnosis, we were advised to supplement my youngest

convince myself it was just the ketchup that he had all

with formula at night, as he was now 4 months old and

over his face. It wasn’t until I wiped off his face that I

still demanding to nurse every 2-3 hours. He was only 2

realized that he really did have large, raised hives. They

ounces into his bottle when I noticed that everything

covered everything that the eggs touched: his lips, his

that the formula (dairy based) came in contact with

hands, his cheeks. Not knowing anything about food

was swelling. We immediately stopped giving him the

allergies at this point, I frantically called our pediatrician

bottle and called the doctor. We were advised to

who directed me to administer a dose of Benadryl and

watch him. The reaction eventually subsided but the

watch him for 2 hours to make sure the reaction went

next day he was covered in hives from head to toe.

down and didn’t return. We were fortunate that his

This is when my research into the world of food allergies

reaction didn’t progress. Soon after his reaction we

actually began. I knew that I wanted to continue to

quickly made an appointment with a pediatric allergist

nurse so I eliminated dairy from my diet. It was exactly

to have formal testing done. Sure enough, he tested

1-month later when we tried a soy-based formula that

positive for an egg allergy. The doctor shared with us

we had another reaction. This time it involved projectile

the dangers of food allergies, anaphylaxis, and the

vomiting for 2 straight hours followed by head to toe

signs and symptoms to watch for as no two reactions

hives. With each reaction that my youngest had, I

20  The SpecialMoms magazine ~ Winter 2014