This week Jake had a second allergy skin prick test performed.
The first time we went through this was August of 2010, just a month shy of his second birthday. I initially took him to be tested because although I knew he was allergic to eggs, I was already getting clues that my little one had a sensitive system that may require some extra care. I decided to take the guessing game out of it and took him to a professional. As I had suspected, he was allergic to more than eggs. He was slightly allergic to fish, more allergic to peanut, and very allergic to egg white and yolk.
A year and a half later, things have changed a bit. I’ve noticed we can now cook and eat eggs around him and he doesn’t break out in hives. Also, there was that Hawaiian Roll that his older brother snuck to him without any ill effects … “Mama, you said you thought Jake wasn’t allergic to eggs anymore!”
Just when I finally got my whole family on board to eat tilapia once a week (with the exception of Jake), I started seeing those little red welts pop up while I was cooking and they only got worse during and after dinner. He was in the living room watching television and not even at the kitchen table, and he was still reacting.
Based on these events, my suspicion was that the egg and fish had swapped places. And if he can have eggs now, by all means I want him to have as many nutritional advantages as possible. After all, according to Wikipedia, eggs: supply all essential amino acids for humans and provide several vitamins and minerals – retinol (Vitamin A), riboflavin (B2), folic acid (B9), B6, B12, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium.
Also, according to another article, the choline in eggs is great for brain function: Choline aids the brain function of adults by maintaining the structure of brain cell membranes and is a key component of the neurotransmitter that helps relay messages from the brain through nerves through the muscles. Hmm… And my boy’s never been able to have these little oval treats that are slam-packed with nutrients?
So, this Wednesday morning I took the one hour trek to visit the allergist again. Even though I was a nervous wreck all the way there, once we got to the doctor’s office, everything went smoothly. We didn’t have to wait, the nurse and doctor were very nice and efficient, and after getting pricked a few times, Jake’s little legs, which were all gridded up, started puffing up in huge bug-bite welts.
The test revealed that Jake is no longer allergic to egg white or yolk … a step in the right direction. The test also revealed, however, that Jake is severely allergic to fish; specifically, catfish, salmon, codfish, flounder, and trout. He is not allergic to tuna or shellfish, but he should still avoid those foods because they will always be prepared on cross-contaminated surfaces. His allergy to peanut got no better or no worse and we’ve got a new nut allergy to contend with – almond.
Ugh. I know the average person would say, “No biggie. Just don’t feed him fish. How many kids eat fish and almonds any way?” But I worry. I worry that fish will be hidden in something that no one really thinks about, like worcestershire or barbecue sauce. I worry that his brain may never have the omega-3 fatty acids that it could possibly be deficient in.
I’m sorry if I sound pessimistic; I need to stop worrying. I need to move forward and devise a plan to add eggs back into Jake’s diet while also coming up with alternate sources of omega-3.
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Jake's Journey with Apraxia 
My apraxic son is anaphylactic to peanuts and eggs. We also avoid all tree nuts as he tested positive to most of them, although he’s never had them so we don’t know what his reaction would be like. He doesn’t have a fish allergy, so we use Nordic Naturals Fish Oil supplements. It’s my understanding though that flax seed oil is the best non-fish source of omega-3.