Food Allergies in Medicines...

Have you ever heard the Hippocrates quote, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."? You know where you keep yourself healthy with food and use it to cure whatever is wrong with you instead of turning to man made drugs. I'm all for it. And that may seem to be contrary to my typical food adverse self however drugs scare me because of the hidden food proteins contained in them! Okay so before I sound crazy if you aren't aware there are always other things in medicine. Preservatives, stabilizers, mixers, and especially for kids flavorings, etc. Those extras can be food proteins and although in most people aren't enough of the protein to cause a reaction it is enough for my kids and everyone with allergies should be aware!

My one son was recently hospitalized for pneumonia and his antibiotic that he received via IV was working well until we switched him to the caplets to come home. He began reacting. The caplets contained lactose. My other son experienced a reaction a couple of months prior after a test where he clearly was reacting only to find out the drug they gave him for the testing had a corn derivative in it. Not only does every food but every medicine has to be meticulously checked for any allergens! And my one reacted to the skin cleaner used when they remove ivs and the tapes and and and....

My baby was going to need some surgery and the dread immediately crept in... This would mean he was going to need drugs and be in an OR environment. How would I know everything was going to be safe?!? I have no medical training at all. It's not something I'm good with or enjoy. I rely on his doctors for all of that. However, at least I had time - unlike our usual unplanned frantic episodes in trauma rooms this would be a leisurely paced scheduled surgery. I immediately began calling to get everyone up to speed on his allergies, explain how we always have complications from allergies, and get the experts to reevaluate their routine procedures in light of this extraordinary little boy and accommodate him accordingly. It was not easy and I was having little success over the phone but by some miracle everything came together in 3 amazing hours right before the surgery began.

The first sign that things were turning around was when we arrived at the hospital and were assigned a nurse who was a mom of two boys with severe food allergies! She got it and was helping to make sure we spoke to the right people so all our questions could be answered and even was helping to call drug companies to verify against his allergies. 

The surgeons we had pre-op visits with but there were a few things we wanted reconfirmed against his allergies and so they sent in their residents who sat there in front of us and the nurses Googling and researching to answer our questions and calling when they couldn't find the answer otherwise. It was like watching everyone cram during finals. They would ask me questions along the way since they were not as familiar with all the things that could be corn derivatives. And at the end they would look at me and say something like:

Do you do this with everything? 'Yes!' 

All the time? 'Yes!' 

How? 'I quit my job because I was having to spend too much time doing this. We are hoping these procedures give us answers about how to better help him.'

Everyone was taking his allergies very seriously and our questions were getting carefully researched answers! However, we still hadn't heard from anesthesia and they are the ones where no prior relationship existed, who control all the medicines that will be used, and although I kept calling and leaving messages and questions I wasn't hearing anything back and assumed nothing was happening. The anesthesia nurse walks in and she had no background on our case. Fears confirmed and my stomach was in knots thinking I'm not sure if this surgery is going to happen... And then walked in a complete gift! That anesteologist was one of the most educated, competent, and well researched doctors on my son's allergies I have encountered. He had gotten my message a few day before and been researching and calling drug companies and came into the room with the pamphlets from the boxes of the drugs he was going to use and the ones he might have to use in an emergency. He told us which drugs contain egg and soybean oil and although someone with an egg allergy shouldn't react and the odds are small if you are the one that does that doesn't help you!! I very much appreciate the conservative approach when it's my baby on the operating table!! And immediately offered that since he couldn't give him the pre-med to calm him down he was going to make an exception and let me go into the OR with him until he fell asleep.  I was of course a mess leaving my baby but to leave him with this person in charge was an absolute blessing. He was sent straight from God to watch over my baby while I couldn't. And he did so perfectly. We were scheduled to come home but everyone including some nurses on the phone told me to have a bag in the car just in case because if he had a reaction we'd obviously have to stay. I have never been so grateful to come home! We experienced just the expected recovery things and were on our way. Now I can just be his comforting Mommy and put all the advocating behind me. It was exhausting...

In some ways as I've said before it is comforting to have other people walk in your shoes and experience what I go through trying to keep these kids safe from exposure to their allergens. I could see after 15 minutes the doctors were getting frustrated that information about ingredients was not always readily available and it was hard to know if certain ingredients were corn based or not. I get it. I thanked them all but there was also a mutual appreciation. They all shook my hand and wished us well that we would find better answers and solutions. They told me they learned so much today about corn and how it is in everything when you look close enough! I learned a lot too! 

I learned that people cared about keeping my baby safe and that they had no special books or systems to help figure out ingredients. They are using the websites and Google just like I am. Corn really is everywhere and to keep him safe from it is a monumental and almost impossible feat! 

Most importantly I know I have amazing friends and family and they were praying and supporting us through this. The day before we almost had to back out and I thank those who prayed us through that rough patch in his prep (which was complicated and drawn out due to his allergies) to even get to the hospital because he did need this done. This time God really brought things together and sent that angel to watch over my boy. I still can't believe he is fine and I have been waiting for the complication to arise and I'm terrified to write this but this time I feel like we defied the odds and won against the allergies!