Hager Happenings: Allergy Testing

Since having an allergic reaction to peanut butter and getting a blood test 2 years ago and finding out that Joshua was allergic to peanuts we have wondered what other allergies I have passed on to him. We decided along with his pediatrician that it would be a good idea to get him tested. Yesterday afternoon the poor kid endured a scratch test on his back as well as skin tests on both of his arms. I had prepped him the best I could for this painful process, but even with that he cried and screamed during each of the tests and progressively louder with each test (I secretly wished they had put us in a soundproof room)! I wasn't exactly thrilled about Joshua's inability to cope during the testing, but the nurses reassured me that all kids scream and cry during it. They actually said he did very well. One of the nurses who held down his legs during the scratch test didn't want to come and help with any more tests on Joshua because she said, "his tears made me want to cry." One of the other nurses was surprised at how strong his 4 1/2 year old little body was. Thankfully he didn't go through the testing for nothing. They discovered that besides peanuts Joshua is also allergic to tree nuts, specifically almonds and pecans. He is now to avoid tree nuts as a safety precaution. They also found that he was allergic to cats, dogs, dust mites, mold and trees (yes, trees - talk about vague). People have asked if we will be getting rid of our cat due to his allergy, but what is not understood by most is that if you live with a cat for an extended period of time you build up an immunity to that cat. Since our cat Logan has been around just shy of Joshua's whole life there is an immunity built up. Thank goodness, because Joshua loves Logan! The doctor said that given his genetics (ah, that would be all the crappy allergies I have) he is prone to develop other allergies as he grows older. They think he may actually outgrow his peanut allergy, so we will keep testing for this every year or so until he is found to be in a "safe zone". I hated to put Joshua through this, but wanted to know what we were facing when it came to allergies and his safety. Here's hoping he doesn't hold all this trauma he endured against me!