Allergy test

Connor had allergy skin testing yesterday so we could get an update of what his allergy situation is. It's not the most pleasant experience, so I let him bring along his long-time favorite, yellow puppy. Connor wanted to see how yellow puppy looked as the doctor:


Waiting to get started:
When you have skin testing, they map out your back with ink. Then tiny drops of purified allergen extracts are pricked into the skin's surface with tiny needles. You wait 15 minutes, and if you are allergic to any of the allergens, those injections will swell up and itch like a big bug bite. If you have a big reaction, I think the itching is way worse than the pricking b/c you can't scratch it during that time to allow for a full reaction. Then they measure the reaction to see how allergic you are. Connor was such a trooper! I was amazed at how great he did. I think watching Peter Pan during the test and the promise of a new truck, along with yellow puppy's help, got him through. Also, I did blow on his back for the 15 minutes to keep the itching at bay. You can't see it really well in this picture, but he reacted really strongly to 3 things: peanuts (bummer, hoped that had subsided); cats; and house dust. The pollens and grasses didn't react, but with his hayfever symptoms, the doctor said sometimes you can test and they won't show up even though you have symptoms, and then you re-test a few years down the road and the back "lights up like the 4th of July." They also suspect some mild asthma, so he now has an inhaler, in addition to allergy meds and an EPI Pen in case of a severe anaphylactic reaction. Oh, and a grad party reaction update: they tested for the 3 foods I thought might have caused that reaction, and they were all negative. So they suspect a trace of peanut must have cross-contaminated something he ate. Lovely. You never know, I guess, and have to always be ready.
And the great reward!