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Hello, my name is Mary and my son is 19 years old now. He has pollen/cat/dust mites’ allergies combined with severe food allergies to peanut, all tree nuts, shellfish, shrimps and legumes (beans, peas, soya, lentils, lupin, fenugreek etc).

He was a very nice and happy baby but had frequent stomach aches, eye infection/oedeme and some mild skin rashes/eczema. I breastfed him until he was 8 months old and then changed over to baby formula milk. He turned out to be very allergic to soy milk. His whole body was covered with hives and he had constant diarrhea. His pediatrician made a blood test where we found out that he was allergic to eggs, soya, shrimps, birch/ash pollen, dust mites and cats/dogs. He also reacted to almond oil which was supposed to be so good for his skin.

We were told not to worry too much because most children grow out of their allergies.

In fact, the egg allergy was gone by the age of 10! We had been careful not to serve him meals containing a lot of egg and we especially avoided raw egg, because his lips would swell. Small quantities of cooked or boiled eggs in cakes or food was ok for him from time to time.

At the age of two, our son had an unexplained severe anemia and the doctors at the hospital detected strange reactions in his blood. We were asked to keep him at home until his blood counts would improve and maybe keep track of his allergies, but it would be too early to say.

He continued having frequent constipation and stomach pain through the years and the doctors thought it could be linked to his appendix.

Between the age of 8 to 9 he had peritonitis. His appendix had raptured and he was emergency operated and afterwards had to take very strong antibiotics for a period of 6 months. After that, he still complained regularly about stomach pain and told us he could not eat the food at the canteen. It made him feel very bad in his stomach. The day care staff were worried and said he refused to eat any food at school, although he was eating very well at home.

We asked the pediatrician to send him for a second opinion to the pediatric hospital to find out what was wrong.

The doctors checked his blood and observed him for some time and finally came to the conclusion that he had multiple severe and life threatening food allergies. Peanuts, legumes and all tree nuts had been added to his list of allergies and we were obliged from now on to strictly read all the labels of the food he eats.

Ever since, he has been going into hospital for regular oral blind tests and prick tests for his different allergies and he is carrying his emergency medication, (adrenalin injector, ventolin and cortisone) at all times. He also developed asthma which is another challenge.

We prepare his food for school every morning, because it is very tricky to trace all the different allergens and especially „legumes“ in processed food. Only two kinds of the legumes „soy“ and „lupin“ have to be declared by law (14 allergens) others like peas, beans, lentils, vegetable flour, legumes protein (often used in sausage, industrial bread/cake/sauces/soups and gluten-free meals) could possibly escape.

When we go to restaurants, we study the menu beforehand and try to stick to the restaurants we know well and trust. Each time he went on a school trip, we prepared his food to take along and gave instructions on what he could possibly eat at a restaurant if that could not be avoided. Keep it simple! Unprocessed meat, fish, normal flour pasta, rice and fresh green salad without sauce always works, if the kitchen agrees! He can always add lemon, olive oil and ketchup to it. He has never missed out on any school trips and we are very proud of that because it takes a lot of nerves and preparation! On holidays, we try to rent rooms or apartments equipped with a small kitchen area and a fridge.

We have learned so much from our son and on following up on allergy studies and networks, especially to listen to him when it comes to food and allergic reactions. He knows best and he should not be bullied into eating anything he is not certain about and he recognizes best if he is having an allergic reaction, in his tummy, in his mouth, through his breathing... well before we often realize.

As he is now almost a grown man, we do not expect any miracle cure for his allergies but since in his case the food allergies are cross-allergies to pollen and dust mites, he continues his desenzitation programs in the form of immunotherapy and keeps being followed up by his allergy specialist. Every month, he goes on a fixed date to the GP who injects him with one shot of the birch pollen pharmaceutical preparation in the left arm and a shot of dust mite preparation in the right arm. His blood pressure and breathing (with a device called „peak flow“) are measured before the injections and half an hour after. The doctor keeps a record over the scores and eventual reactions in order for the allergy specialist to determine the doses to be injected each time and each year. These can also vary depending on the season for the pollen allergy. As for all other desenzitation programs, he is not allowed to do sports or big physical efforts after his injections to avoid any major allergic reactions.

We believe that through his treatments, his reactions will at least be less life-threatening in case of an unforeseen encounter with any of the many allergens that cause his reactions.

Mary