Twins' First Allergy Appointment at Johns Hopkins!

The girls had their first appointment with the pediatric food allergy expert at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Robert Wood. He is the same doctor we took Moses to see back in the Spring. I had liked him so much that I decided to switch the girls there as well. And yes, we had to wait this long for an opening -- he's a popular guy!

We told him what we believed are the remaining food allergies. Frances: soy, egg, peanut. Grace: peanut. I told him Frances has never actually tested positive for soy, but that if she eats it she gets severe vomiting (to the point of vomiting blood) and bloody diarrhea. He said it is an allergy specific to her GI tract and probably would not show up in typical testing. Due to her having eaten a hotdog with soy protein in it over the summer - having a bad reaction - he said we should wait another full year before challenging on full soy again. She is currently able to tolerate soybean oil, but we've given her nothing else. He said we can try a home challenge of soy lecithin, as it tends to not affect the allergy. So we'll attempt that this weekend. Cross fingers!!!!! Other than that, no other soy products/additives.

Grace and Moses had gotten their flu shots at the pediatrician this past weekend (Grace didn't cry and Moses cried for 2 seconds - easy!). The pediatrician refuses to give it if the kid has an egg allergy. Dr. Wood assured us that even kids with severe egg allergies can usually tolerate the flu shot since the vaccine has improved so much over the past few years. Since we were in the allergy clinic, Frances got the okay to get her flu shot. She only whimpered a little.

Then after that, both girls had to go get blood drawn for allergy testing. Grace whimpered a little during it. But once she got her sticker, she was right as rain. Frances, having just got stabbed with a needle was more wary and started crying before she was even poked. Poor girl. A flu shot in one arm and blood draw from the other. She looked like a little dinosaur with her arms all curled up. She cried and cried. And, as has been the scenario since the day they were born, when one is crying the other one does. So Grace, who had been previously okay, started balling her eyes out with Frances.

We left the hospital at 6 p.m. - they continued crying until they fell asleep in the car. We got home around 7 p.m. and the crying started up again all the way till they went to sleep.

Anyway, we should get the results in a 7-10 days. Cross fingers the egg allergy has improved. They will get tested again a year from now.

The doctor also commented that our family would be an interesting genetic study in food allergies since we have the identical twins and the sibling. So we've got that going for us... not.

Weird thing after our visit: When we got home Frances peed while sitting at the dinner table. We have not had a pee pee accident since she was potty trained over the summer. And when I went to check on the kids before I headed to bed, I discovered she had wet her bed too! Crazy. It kind of freaked me out. I hope the trauma hasn't set her back or something? We'll see how she fares through today. I gave the nanny the heads up. Cross fingers. I hope she's okay.