Sadly, I’m not talking about my boobs (which are real, and well, if you know me, that’s never been an issue to warrant said headline).
No, no, “They’re Real” refers to MAM’s food allergies. Now your thinking, “Um, duh, you found out a year ago, Michelle.” And yes, we did find out a year ago this month. I was much more overwhelmed about them a year ago than I am today.
But I am sad today because, well, it’s been a year and they haven’t gone away.
It’s been a year, and with our doc’s permission, we embarked on a egg trial this month.
And Monday night, I found out we failed miserably. No, we didn’t get results of a blood test. We didn’t even get that far. Instead, we got gobs of discharge from her ear. We got a sad, crying little girl Tuesday morning. We got verification that yes, it is an ear infection, caused by congestion. Congestion that you can’t really see because it lives in her sinus cavity until it pools and festers and then starts oozing out her ear (thanks, ear tubes, better out than in!). And since it’s not cough/cold season, she hasn’t been in close quarters with anyone’s who’s been ill and she has no environmental allergies, the damn chickens are to blame.
So no more eggs. And she’s so miserable, I don’t really EVER want to give her an allergen trial again. Ever. So I am packing her “snack box” for school next week, writing out her medical form, thinking about the best way to handle special events at school that will keep her healthy. And the best way to avoid labeling myself “crazy food allergy mom”. I don’t want to be that mom. But I have a funny feeling I will evolve into such.
Mom guilt is alive and well in my heart–why did we do an egg trial anyway? So that it’s easier for me? So that I have one more option to feed her for breakfast and lunch? Because I’d love to bake even just a smidgen and have it taste good? Because I’d like to go out for breakfast sometime?
Logically, I know that eggs would be a good addition to her diet–if they don’t knock her socks off and lay her out on the couch for three days. But wow–it will be a good year, if not longer before we try another allergen again.
