Last week I went to see an allergist to see exactly what I am allergic to. I haven't really been coughing since I did the nebulizer treatment at the end of May, but M has noticed that I still itch my nose a lot. And when we all recently had the flu/cold I had issues with chocolate milk again (several instances in the past year and a half at restaurants of throwing up chocolate milk and/or mac&cheese immediately after eating). M was pretty sure all my issues were hay fever related and that the milk issue is more a mucus/thickness of milk issue vs. true allergy but she wanted to be sure. So off to the allergist I went.
As M&D told my story--symptoms, when/where, how often, etc. the doctor took notes and came up with possible combinations of things I could be allergic too. The usuals--grasses, weeds, trees, dog/cat, dust, mold....and then because M asked Maple, Oak and Pine trees (Maple and Oak in our yard and Pine because that's what M suspected was the source of it all), and horse because I ride horses every week at DC, milk because of the slight issues I was having. Although the doctor warned M that Pine was probably not the cause--since very few are truly allergic to pine, but rather grasses that also spread at the same time. The doctor told M&D to be prepared for unclear results, since kids my age don't always react to the scratch test.
The nurse then came in and gave me "tattoos" all over my back and then by each dot did one scratch. The nurse was so impressed with how well I did--she said I did better than some adults she has. I barely flinched at all. I sat very still on M's lap and just tightened up a little and said, "Owie" after most of the scratches. Here's what my back looked like after the nurse was done with me.
Here I am waiting for the doctor to bring back the results. I colored with blue and yellow, a color by letter sheet. I did pretty well but mixed up my B and Y's. Halfway through I told M I was coloring B for Brileigh--but was using the yellow crayon. At least I was consistent!!
So the results are as follows: I definitely have hay fever! The surprise for the Doctor was that Pine triggered some results...the surprise for M was that the big responses came from mold (outdoor varieties) and dustmites. Maple and sagebrush also triggered results. SO M's pretty maple tree in the front yard is one of the culprits to my allergies. Absolutely no response from grasses, animals or milk. I also am histamine positive--which I think is a good thing since anti-histamine medicines will work for me. So we're trying a chewable pill that is an anti-histamine, but also help with my respiratory issues (since cough is my main symptom) and I will go back in 2 weeks for a follow-up appointment.
At least it's nice to know what I have allergies to and have a plan for fighting them when they flare up.
As M&D told my story--symptoms, when/where, how often, etc. the doctor took notes and came up with possible combinations of things I could be allergic too. The usuals--grasses, weeds, trees, dog/cat, dust, mold....and then because M asked Maple, Oak and Pine trees (Maple and Oak in our yard and Pine because that's what M suspected was the source of it all), and horse because I ride horses every week at DC, milk because of the slight issues I was having. Although the doctor warned M that Pine was probably not the cause--since very few are truly allergic to pine, but rather grasses that also spread at the same time. The doctor told M&D to be prepared for unclear results, since kids my age don't always react to the scratch test.
The nurse then came in and gave me "tattoos" all over my back and then by each dot did one scratch. The nurse was so impressed with how well I did--she said I did better than some adults she has. I barely flinched at all. I sat very still on M's lap and just tightened up a little and said, "Owie" after most of the scratches. Here's what my back looked like after the nurse was done with me.
Here I am waiting for the doctor to bring back the results. I colored with blue and yellow, a color by letter sheet. I did pretty well but mixed up my B and Y's. Halfway through I told M I was coloring B for Brileigh--but was using the yellow crayon. At least I was consistent!!
So the results are as follows: I definitely have hay fever! The surprise for the Doctor was that Pine triggered some results...the surprise for M was that the big responses came from mold (outdoor varieties) and dustmites. Maple and sagebrush also triggered results. SO M's pretty maple tree in the front yard is one of the culprits to my allergies. Absolutely no response from grasses, animals or milk. I also am histamine positive--which I think is a good thing since anti-histamine medicines will work for me. So we're trying a chewable pill that is an anti-histamine, but also help with my respiratory issues (since cough is my main symptom) and I will go back in 2 weeks for a follow-up appointment. At least it's nice to know what I have allergies to and have a plan for fighting them when they flare up.
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