An Allergy Diary - Like Father Like Son

Recently I posted here about the anaphylaxis campaign and my friend, John, and his life-changing experience.  I posted to promote the awareness of allergies and the use of Epipens.  I relate to his story all too well, in that my husband has had life-threatening anaphylactic attacks, and my son had serious allergies as a toddler.

Thankfully my son outgrew his egg allergy when he was four and has only suffered from overzealous external allergies... until now.

Tuesday, his lip swelled up twice its size, and he felt some tingling along his mouth and eventually in his throat. To make a long story short - my EpiPens were expired and we dialed 911. I didn't want to waste precious seconds in a car traveling to the ER.  I immediately administered Benedryl and waited for EMSA and the fire department to arrive.

I could tell my lil guy was trying hard to stay calm. He could feel his chest getting tight and kept clearing his throat, all the while asking me if he was going to make it. I told him he'd be okay, and to keep his breathing low and slow. I held him and promised him he'd be fine. By the time the fire department arrived, the Benedryl had done all the hard work. My son's breathing and heart rate were normal - and no more swelling had progressed. We were advised to get into our primary care doctor's office for further evaluation.

After some blood tests, to which he passed out (this just added to the stress we all felt), we found out he was allergic to wheat, the same thing my husband severely reacts to.  Like, father like son. Although not an ideal circumstance, I'm still blessed that I could handle this one. After all the episodes I've taken care of with my husband,  I was an expert on how to care for him and now how to keep our home of wheat and gluten-free. We've already been ding this for 15 years with my husband's diet.

Currently, seven days later, my son is still swelling up and having welts - even with gluten-free items. Needless to say, I'm highly concerned that we can't feed him anything without a reaction. I'm literally afraid to give him food.  Anyone else out there in my shoes?  And I know I have to send him back to school, where no one will know what to do for him like we would.

Please send up prayers if you're willing, that we can get into an allergist ASAP to narrow down what is going on with my child's system.  The hardest thing in the world is watching your child suffer without having any control over the outcome.

I know God has this - as his guidance and reassurance has gotten us this far without fail - but that doesn't mean the mom in me is any less concerned for my child.