Dawn wrote:

> I just wanted to add, since I'm now an adult and have been
> dairy protein allergic from childhood, that most children don't have the
> awareness or the vocabulary to express the fact they are having INTERNAL
> symptoms that parents may not even been aware of. I know that was the case
> in my childhood.  I was aware I wasn't feeling well, but I didn't know what
> to associate those feelings with until I was MUCH older....and I wasn't
> articulate enough to express my internal symptoms well enough to be of much
> help to doctor's or my parents.  Don't be fooled--if your child is allergic
> to dairy protein and consumes even accidental trace amounts: there is a
> reaction--if you can see it (hives, breathing troubles, etc.) or not (the
> "internal warfare," etc.) it is happening (spoken from personal experience).

Indeed, an excellent point!

I had a conversation with a mom a few days ago who informed me that her son had
recently outgrown his severe dairy allergy.  I asked her if he had been
retested or how she knew and apparently his symptoms had disappeared, so she
was now having him drink several glasses of milk a day in order to make up for
lost time.  I explained to her that his symptoms might just have disappeared
for a few years and may well reappear and be much worse when he becomes a young
adult and she (with a straight face) told me that that would be fine because
then he would be one his own and would have to deal with his own problems
himself.  ARGH!  I had to just walk away.

The other point here Dawn made was that frequently little guys just don't have
the words to express how they feel.  This is especially true when they have
always felt bad due to constant injestion of the food.  How could they explain
they feel bad when they don't know they are supposed to be feeling otherwise?

We have been dealing with this in our house with our 5 yo who we just found out
is allergic to so many things I don't know what to feed him.  He has had many
symptoms but the doctor kept telling me they were my problems and we needed to
see a psychologist.  I insisted allergies based on family experience but he
refused to help me.  Finally we had testing done privately.  My little one is
seeing some improvements after 2 weeks despite several allergic foods being
given to him by well meaning friends.  Keepin on tryin'

--
Kathy Wentz                        unschooler, n. one who never swims
[log in to unmask]                   with the crowd