Milk Allergy

It's been a rough weekend for me. We found out on Friday that Ben definitely has a milk allergy. I'm taking it really hard. I know you'll tell me it's not true, but I feel like it's my fault...I carried him for 9 months, I breastfed him, there must be something I did wrong. I wish I knew what it was so that I stop doing it now...I don't want the new baby to have an allergy. (You're also reading words from a hormone crazed pregnant lady - keep that in mind.) Another thing that saddens me is that there is so much he can't have now, that he enjoys eating! It breaks my heart. He eats what we put in front of him, so it's not like he can choose what he wants, so I guess he's not missing anything there. However, there are going to be times where everyone else is eating something he wants but can't have.

This is what it boils down too. Ben still isn't drinking milk (he drinks soy). This summer when we tried to give it to him, he would only throw it up. He also throws up if he eats cheese, although lately, he's had a little cheese and he's been OK. I told his doctor this, and also that daycare says he breaks out when having pineapple or orange juice. She referred us to an allergist. The allergist said even though he's been able to tolerate some milk products, if we continue to give it to him, his body will continue to think he has an allergy. So we need to stop giving him any and his body will, heal I guess, and hopefully he'll grow out of it. Milk allergies are not uncommon in kids, and it can be grown out of. (Oh - and the allergist says Ben has eczema, and when certain things, like syrup, o.j., and pineapple juice, touch his skin, he'll break out.)

So, we are now shopping for milk free products. This is SO hard! Here is the list the doctor gave us...
artificial butter flavor, butter, butter fat, butter oil, buttermilk, casein, caseinates, cheese, cream, cottage cheese, curds, custard, Ghee, Half & Half, lactalbumin, lactalbumin phosphate, lactoglobulin, milk chocolate, milk (derivative, powder, protein, solid, melted, condensed, evaporated, dry, whole, low-fat, non-fat, skimmed, and goat's milk), nougat, pudding, rennet casein, sour cream, sour cream solids, sour milk solids, whey (in all forms including sweet, delactosed, protein concentrate) & yogurt. Also a "D" on a label next to the kosher "K" or "U" or the word pareve (even though pareve means made without meat or milk, according to Jewish law a food product may contain a small amount of milk product but still be considered pareve - taken from www.foodallergy.org). Other things that may contain milk product are flavoring including caramel, Bavarian cream, coconut cream, brown sugar, butter, natural chocolate (semisweet, sweet), lunch meat, hot dogs, sausages, high protein flour, margarine & Simplesse.

Now do you see how hard it is!?! What do vegans eat? Should I be glad it's a milk allergy and not a gluten allergy? We've found milk in all sorts of things we didn't expect...there is powdered milk in our breadcrumbs, cheese in our tomato sauce, milk products in our mayonnaise and Miracle Whip! Also, all Wal-Mart brand products are made in a facility that also processes milk - so that's out too.

Thanksgiving is going to be tough...my aunt is making carrots and corn without butter. Oh boy! Lot's for Ben to eat...not that it's my aunt's fault. We are just going to have to bring our own food with us when we go places; restaurants are going to be especially hard. I guess it's a good thing we aren't going out to eat a lot lately. No more goldfish at church. No more Ritz crackers at home. Spaghetti only with pizza sauce. I'm worried about a few things, like daycare, but they understand and have the list, and don't have a problem with me bringing in my own food.

It's only been a few days, but we have found a few things he can eat, and few ways to get around it (i.e. the spaghetti with pizza sauce). We'll find more, and I'm going to look for some online support groups to help us, or rather me, through it. Ben seems OK so far, and hopefully he won't miss pizza night.