Allergy?

It was Boxing Day '09 and we were (ok, just my Hunny) sick of turkey, so we used a gift card we got and picked up a Hawaiian pizza from Boston Pizza. Rhys was a bit fussy during dinner, but it's happened before and so I didn't pay too much attention to it. I can't figure out what his problem is...is he tired? is that why he's miserable and whiney at dinner? It's been happening for the past few months. Then I look over at him and see this:


Okay, so that's not quite what I see. This picture is taken after I saw his face and after I wondered what in the world happened and after I decide that it's Not Normal at all!!!



Maybe the pictures aren't the best, but don't you see the red "mask" that he has in the second picture? Is that why he's been "fussy" at dinnertime? Because he's got a food allergy? Why hadn't we noticed this before? This sounds strange, but he's never had a "mask" on before! I've been wracking my brain trying to remember if he's reacted like this and we've just not taken too much notice of it. But nothing comes up. So I give him some Benedryl and he seems happier. (although he does want to continue eating!)

So we start to think. Is there something about Boston Pizza? We don't have it too often at all, so it's a possibility. How tragic! But what exactly is it? The first thought I have is Tomato! After all, it's acidic and known to cause issues in people. It's not the cheese or the ham as he's had those before with no issues. But then another thought: pineapple. Also known as "death fruit" in our family since it can cause serious injury to my Hunny's sister! Could it be possible to inflict our son with the same type of allergy? My heart breaks at the thought. But then I wonder...have I given him pineapple before? I like to do tests in my home with food. Okay, I'm a *bit* crazy. I give small amounts of peanut butter to my children before *gasp* they are two! (although I've been informed by said SIL that they are now recommending no nuts until the child is FIVE!!! Are they insane???) So I pull out a can of pineapples and feed a few to my baby, and Phew! He's fine! He loves them! He doesn't cry! He gobbles them down and I have to snag a few for myself before they are all gone! What a relief! So, that brings us back to wondering what ailment he has. Or if he has one.

We decide to watch out for Boston Pizza from now on. Not that we go often anyways, but still...

A few weeks pass and I bring home a Papa Murphy's pizza. Crispy bacon is the family favourite. (side note: I actually do not like bacon, but since I am *just* the Mom and am outnumbered, I have learned to pick off the bacon or buck up, cubby. Incidentally, I also don't like cooked pineapple on pizza and pick those off too!) Everything is fine. We have got this type of pizza many many *cough* many times and had no reason to believe anything different would happen that night.

Sure enough, or rather, oddly enough, Rhys "reacts" again. I see him fussing and grumbling and rubbing his face and eyes with a vengeance. The poor guy has another "mask"! My heart breaks a bit more. And I am confused. What is it now? It's not the bacon, as we've had this before. Is there something in the sauce that is similar to Boston Pizza? Could it be tomato?

Some more Benedryl and a trip to see the doctor, who gets us an appointment with an allergist who specializes with (in?) children, who surprisingly can see us within a week! (that was a long run-on sentance, but I'm too lazy to change it!)

Rhys is tested for several things. Tomato, Nuts, Cat and Bunny (which we have both of) on the right. And on his left inner forearm, the test of histimine and water. And from all of those his results were Negative. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. Not because I really wanted him to have a terrible allergy, but because his reactions were real. And if they weren't from those "typical" things, what was it from? (oh, and I'm not going to get into how she didn't test for other allergies that are in the family that I was wondering about, even though she said she would, and there isn't much reason in going on how I felt that she didn't offer any solution at all for his reactions.) She did tell me that his skin was Sensitive, though. He "reacted" to the water almost immediately after she scratched him, and I guess that's not typical! So that opens up another thought: are these actual "allergies" that he's reacting to or just a "sensitivity" when he eats certain things? I know there is a difference, but I'd like to know which one it is.

Sure enough, two weeks later, he reacts again! But not to a pizza, but to a homemade pasta sauce. Funny, this is a sauce that we've had before with no issues. *sigh* I had a can of crushed tomatos and I added some brown sugar and oregano spice to it, thinking that's what Hunny adds to his when he makes it. (It turns out he adds Basil as a spice.) So, is it the sauce or the oregano?



He's such a messy eater, but look at those beautiful eyes! And note the red that stops right at his "hair" line? wow!

teehee! look at the sauce in his eyebrow!!!


He's happily sucking on the medicine dropper that has given him some more Benedryl!
Yum!

Does he have some type of mysterious food allergy or is he creating this whole thing by rubbing his sensitive skin? But if it's *just* sensitive skin, why is he rubbing his face so rough? What's causing him to do that? *sigh* I hate that it's hit or miss. I hate that it's not obvious to us or the specialist. But I am glad that we're not the only one's who's noticed now.

We decided to pick up another Papa Murphy's pizza recently while visiting my parents. This time a Hawaiian. We've never had problems with this kind with him. This one also comes from a different location, if that matters at all. And again, he reacts. We were actually just talking about it with my parents and Hunny was saying how maybe it was just his "sensitivity" and we all look over to see Rhys scratching his face and it's going bright red! If that doesn't say "allergy" to others, what does it take? We take away his pizza and clean his face off, and he seems to be doing "okay", but I send Hunny out to pick up more Benedryl since we forgot to bring it. (I now carry it in the diaper bag) while Rhys tries to grab someone's discarded crust! I let him take it, just to see what happens and yep, it's not all in my head! He starts to fuss and rub his eyes and face within seconds of eating the sauce! So sad. :(

But what is it? We had pizza twice this past week (both Hawaiian and crispy bacon) and he didn't react to either of them. Was it a different batch of sauce this time? Was it made differently? Less oregano? It's driving me crazy, and I'm crazy enough! But since no answers seem to be out there, just lots of questions (and I seem to have no end of them!) we are just going to have to tread lightly with this. And carry Benedryl.