Allergy Testing

Yesterday morning we took Collin in to see the allergist and get allergy testing done.  The doctor was really great as he took our concerns seriously, but wasn't overly cautious or alarming.  Due to the fact that he has had some facial rashes and swelling with dairy the doctor felt it was best to do the blood test versus the skin prick test as a rash could indicate sensitive skin versus a true allergy and they don't like to do the skin prick on anyone who has had swelling or signs of anaphylaxis just in case it would cause a more serious reaction.  So, poor Collin had to go through his second round of blood draws.  This time they were able to get blood on the second attempt so he only ended up with bandages around each arm, instead of having to do a draw on the vein in his head.  They send the blood out to Mayo to have it tested so we won't have results back until Monday or Tuesday.  They tested for anything we had any concerns over so it included dairy, soy, banana, orange, pineapple, and rice, as well as a total IgE, which is a marker of whether there is any allergic activity.  From there we will make a plan of action depending on what the results are.  He did reassure us that most kids do outgrow dairy issues, whether its an allergy or an intolerance, but also reinforced that it needs to be taken seriously, as any allergy can become more severe the more times exposure occurs.  Should his levels come back as a true allergy there is a possibility that we will begin carrying an Epi Pen as a precautionary measure, while hopefully never having to use it.

So, it was a good appointment, but we have no new answers until early next week.