- I was horrified when my son was diagnosed with a life-threatening allergy to almonds.
- He handled the diagnosis with courage and our friends learned how to use EpiPens.
- He no longer has this severe allergy, but the experience made me so grateful for our community.
In July 2023, my 8-year-old son and I were making a smoothie together in our small town in Australia when he started complaining that his throat felt weird.
He kept saying his tongue was getting bigger and I noticed he had a red rash on his chin. Our doctor referred us to an allergy specialist and by October, he had done a skin test.
She revealed one of my worst fears: Our son had one life-threatening allergies to the tonsils.
Our whole world changed instantly
Allergies such as this can cause anaphylaxis and symptoms it can include difficulty breathing, coughing, fainting, severe stomach pain and swelling of the tongue or throat – just like my son experienced.
If not treated immediately, anaphylaxis can be fatal. As I sat listening to the prognosis, I couldn’t believe it. No one in our families had ever had a severe allergy that we knew of, and I had no idea about them.
The pediatric allergist gave us a referral for an EpiPen (an auto-injector used to treat life-threatening, allergic emergencies), gave us an action plan for what to do in case of exposure, and said he would see us in 12 months.
Those first few weeks after the diagnosis, I had terrible anxiety about the situation. I cried often and had nightmares about my son having a bad reaction.
I was worried about what would happen if my child had an allergic reaction and I wasn’t there to help. FG Trade/Getty Images
We started carrying an adrenaline and antihistamine injector with us every time we left the house. When my son ate something new, we carefully checked the labels for almonds in any form.
Grandparents were educated in how to use an EpiPen. Friends offered to teach me how to use one before a playdate so they wouldn’t have to hit my son.
I began to think ahead and worry about the teenage years when my son might be drunk at a party and eat something without thinking, or when he was older and traveling, unable to decipher ingredients in another language.
It was a tough time, but my son handled it all like a champ. He will religiously check the label of every ingredient himself, and he got into the habit of asking his parents on birthdays if the cake contained almonds.
After a year, it was time for the next test
After 12 months of stress, we returned to the allergy specialist for our follow-up appointment.
As I sat there watching my little boy’s back light up with a tapestry of different sized spikes (based on his reaction to different allergens touching the skin), I felt terrified. What would this test reveal?
“That’s interesting,” said the pediatric allergist, just as my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. “His tonsil reaction is half of what it was last year.”
She suggested my son do an “almond challenge” in which they would introduce small amounts of the nut into his system in a controlled environment. We agreed.
When the big day came, I asked my son how he was feeling. “I’m not afraid, Mom,” he said. “I’ll be fine.” As he drove with my husband to the allergist, I kept thinking how brave he was, even at such a young age.
That day, I could barely concentrate on work until my husband called me with the best news of my life: Our son was unresponsive.
Tears streamed down my face. I felt so overwhelmed with gratitude, but we weren’t out of the woods yet.
For the next seven days, my son was instructed to eat a small amount of almonds a day at home and note any reactions. When there was nothing to report, he was given the all clear.
To mark a week without reactions, I gave my son my full blessing to give the middle finger to his former arch nemesis – the tonsils – and our family had a good laugh.
We found a silver lining in a stressful experience
Only a very small percentage of children with tree nut allergies outgrow them. It seems my son was one of the lucky ones (or maybe there was another reason his initial skin prick test was so high, we’ll never know for sure).
A severe allergy diagnosis really rocks your world, and I feel for others who have to navigate those murky waters. However, through this experience, I learned a lot about the value of community and true friendship.
Our friends made special treats just for our son, checked ingredient lists like forensic detectives, and perked up when given an EpiPen for potential use.
I also realized that bravery comes in all shapes and sizes and that we can often learn so much from our children. When presented with a scary situation, my little boy faced it bravely – maybe we could all use a little more of that.
