Milk = Bad

We were away with friends this weekend.  I was helping my friend with her first jewelry show.  She makes it and this was her first time trying to sell it.  She did AMAZING and has beautiful pieces.  I was so happy for her and the response she got.  She did very well.

So, after a long day we headed home, filled the husbands in on how the day went, kicked off our shoes and settled in on the couch.  That's when I heard coughing.  Both of our families have had sickness lately, but this cough was different.  I asked who was coughing only to find out it was Elijah.  What?!  I knew he was probably getting a sinus infection, but the coughing hadn't been an issue.  After hearing it a few times I called him up to get him a drink and some meds.  I told him why I called him up and he said, "It could be from the milk."

Um.  WHAT!?!

Yup.  The kids all had hot chocolate made with milk after their afternoon at the park with the dads.

I quick grabbed the Benadryl and gave him the biggest dose I could.  His breathing sounded bad and he was feeling sick to his stomach which is typical when he has something made with milk so he ended up hovering over the toilet in case he threw up.  Then I thought, "If he throws up, the medicine is going to come up, and will he react again from the milk coming back up ... ???"  There were too many questions and too much of a breathing issue to just sit around and wait to see what happens so we put him in the car and headed to urgent care. 

They took us right back thankfully and checked him out.  His breathing was getting better and better, but they did find an ear infection and are treating him for that and the sinus infection.  That saved me a trip to the doc this week.  They observed him for a full hour and gave him anti-nausea medicine which made a world of difference for him.  He perked up once that medicine kicked in.

The poor kid.  It was really scary to hear him breathe in and hear the obstruction in his throat.  He had never ingested so much milk, nor let it sit in him for so long before realizing.  Usually he will get a bump on his face or something if he eats something that he reacts to so I give him benadryl right away.  I never knew if he could react so strongly and now I do.  Thankfully I had the epi-pen on me as well.  I started to carry that and the Benadryl in my purse.  I just never know these days when he might eat something he reacts to. 

His allergies are to milk and eggs.  Mostly he is fine with eating foods with them in it, but every now and then he might react to a cookie, or a different brand waffle or nugget.  He doesn't really eat waffles or nuggets too much anymore, but those were things he reacted to.  Poor little guy.  He just feels so lousy after a big exposure like that. 

When we were at the beach one year we thought for some reason that he would be able to have sherbet.  He had a cup of it while the rest of us had ice cream.  He went to bed that night soon after we got back to the house and when he woke up the next morning we could tell he just wasn't right and he threw up orange.  Well, surprise surprise.  Sherbet has milk in it. 

Elijah is usually very good about recognizing foods that may have an allergen, like popcorn, but I make hot chocolate with the packet of mix and water so he has never associated it with milk at all.  Maybe he will now.

While we were at urgent care he asked if everyone could come visit him while he was there.  I think he thought he was at the hospital.  I explained to him that we were just at a weekend doctor's office.  They were really great with him too. 

Oy.  I don't want to go through that again any time soon.