Update

Our son is doing so much better now. He has an allergist. He has a pediatrician. He hasn't needed to go to a dermatologist now.

He does probably have asthma, which I worried about, but I don't know that I could have done anything more or done anything differently.

He takes Qvar and Singular daily. He takes ProAir HVA when he needs it. In the winter and spring, he was getting a lot of ear infections, but then he got ear tubes and that helped.

He still has a prescription for Desonide, and we use that during flareups, mainly in the diaper area. We have to use Pampers Sensitive Diapers. Also, we still cannot use Johnson and Johnson on him. Cerave is a good moisturizer. Except that he sometimes likes to make a mess with it. We can now use baby shampoo, but only for his hair.

For now, things are looking good, better.

Allergy Appointment

Ben had a followup appointment at the allergy doctor. I can't even remember when his last appointment was. May maybe?

The allergy doctor said Ben was looking much better, but she didn't think that we needed to retest him for food allergies since his test results would still probably be the same. I think that Jamie was hoping that we could retest him again now. She's very slow and methodical. For example, she suggested circling days on the calendar when his nose runs so that we can see if he is developing seasonal allergies.

She also suggested that I avoid fish and shellfish--in addition to wheat, eggs, and nuts--just in case he might be allergic, even though he hasn't tested positive for a fish allergy. I think Jamie would like for us not to have to watch everything, read every label, and I have to admit that it would be nice to just be able to order a pizza instead of having to plan for every meal.

I've been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, or at least buy more fruits and vegetables. Sometimes, I don't always end up eating the things I buy.

As for treating sneezing and runny nose, we're going to try Claritin. Zyrtec does not seem to be working. We really hope that he does not develop asthma, but he's high risk because of eczema and food allergies. It's frustrating to think that we may not be able to stop it.

Allergy Baby

One of the things I worry about is. . .what if Ben doesn't outgrow his allergies?

What if he develops asthma? (I have asthma, so this is not an unreasonable fear).

What if he's that dorky kid with the inhaler and the special food that no one wants to invite over to their houses or to their birthday parties?

What if he has to sit in the corner eating rice cakes while every other kid enjoys Reese's Peanut Butter Cups?

Shopping for his allergies has been challenging. But, luckily, we discovered a store that sells gluten-free products and is close to where we live: http://www.nilajo.com/retailer/store_templates/shell_id_1.asp?storeID=22B87C8A252142BE8EDF2EC0B8D16B07.

The thing is though that we can't really go "all natural." We tried all natural remedies and his skin still flared up. That's because, and I didn't realize this, people can have allergies to all-natural things like coconut oil, aloe or, even, calendula.

Calendula is the favored ingredient in many natural creams, but when you put it on and the wound oozes pus, well. . .

One natural food brand that I'm really liking is Amy's Organics. Have you tried Amy's Organics, or can you recommend any other brands that are friendly to people with allergies?