I'm no dummy, as soon as we started walking into the exam room I got upset. Mommy and Grandma had taken the chairs which left me with the exam table. I wasn't having any of that! I insisted Mommy sit on the table while I sit on the chair. Unfortunately, the doctor wasn't fooled!
While I watch Caillou on the iPhone for the second time in two days Mommy filled the doctor in on my allergy/asthma history explained that the Dysphagia Clinic wanted a work up since I had such a serious reaction to milk. The doctor started with a basic panel of testing - 5 different types of trees and bushes, 5 environmental (like pollen), 5 common food allergies and 5 common animals. Before he started the doctor let Mommy know that although blood tests were an option they weren't really as accurate as the skin testing. So the plan would be to do the skin testing if I would let him and use the blood testing as a back up plan. Now for those of you who aren't familiar with allergy testing, it involves just a miniscule prick of what is being tested on an area of the back. First my back had to be numbered and add two for a positive and negative control. Then the pricking began! (Now the doctor pricked Mommy once so she could feel it first and she couldn't even really tell). I thought it was kind of ticklish the first few pricks but about 10 pricks in I was crying and ready for it to be over. The nurse warned Mommy that it had to sit on my skin for 15 minutes and if I did have a reaction to anything I wasn't allowed to scratch it.
So while the minutes counted down I watch some more Caillou and picked out some items from the toy box. The doctor came back in and said that I had a serious reaction to milk (no surprise there) and a mild reaction to cats. Now Daddy has been trying to talk Mommy into getting me a cat since I like Grandma's so much so good thing she held her ground. Although the doctor didn't order Grandma to get rid of her cat, since I spend so much time there he recommended starting me on Zyrtec daily for the symptoms associated with an allergy - runny nose, sneezing, etc.
Dr Moffat told Mommy that in all likelihood I will outgrow my milk allergy in the next few year and by being tested every year we can see how quickly the reaction goes down and when I can start milk trials. However, most pet allergies tend to get worse with time. In addition the environmental allergies (pollen, grass, etc) don't usually start up until a person has gone through several seasons. Since I have only been in Utah a year if I am going to have seasonal allergies I probably won't start to have problems for several more years.
Since my last blood test for the milk allergy was a year ago, the doctor sent me down the hall to the lab to get another test done so he can see where the numbers are going. Now for anyone who knows me, a simple blood test is an oxymoron. Mommy let him know I was a hard stick and not to be disappointed if we didn't get any blood for him today. Down the hall we went and Mommy sat down with me in the chair. The girls were young but fully prepared! One held down my arm while the other looked for the vein. After a few seconds of cleaning and finding the vein in went the needle - one stick guys! It only took about a minute to fill the tube. I was mad as all get out and crying up a storm but it was over before I could get too worked up. Initially I was too angry to think about the offer of a sucker but quickly changed my tune. We walked down the hall and out the door and Mommy explained to the concerned folks in the waiting area that I was really okay and my feelings were more hurt than anything.
So now I have another specialist to add to my list of faithful followers and future appointments!
Peyton Nicole Smith
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