Shavous

One big custom on Shavous is to eat dairy meals.  In a family with 2 kids allergic, 1 lactose intolerant, and 1 who dairy is an EE trigger thats almost a joke.  Oh, and mommy avoiding it cause of nursing.  Over the years I have gotten good at faking it.  For the first time ever we decided to attempt the dairy meal at shul once the Rabbi told me I could bring food for the kids.  This is the one community meal that has scared the daylights out of me.  Hot dairy, cold dairy, frozen dairy, melting dairy, dairy all over little kids, dairy all over adults.  EEEKKKS!  Let me run and hide my daughter!  

When F was about 3 she was at shul one Shabbos and she was playing with a little baby.  She has been very allergic since an infant but that day we learned how beyond sensitive she was.  I was home with baby ML and my husband had taken the boys and F to shul with him.  The baby had drank a dairy bottle of formula which we did not realize was dairy.  His mom had cleaned him up afterwards as well.  Half an hour or so later F was playing with him.  The mom noticed her hiving up and got my husband right away.  I was gotten and she was epied.  We called 911 and were whisked away after 2 epis, prednisone, and benadryl when the ambulance finally arrived.  An amazing neighbor later brought me ML to nurse.  They had her on oxygen to help her breath, ivs, and she was puking.  The reaction started in her eye.  After playing with the baby whose hands were dry she had rubbed her eye. The dairy protein got into her eye's mucous membrane.  Her eyes rolled back a few times but thankfully she did not loose conscientiousness.  So a Shavous meal we thought would never be possible.

MEB as well is allergic though we don't know if she will be as sensitive as F.  We eliminated it at 10 days old as a suspicion.  Two weeks later I slipped and had pizza.  Our wonderful allergist Dr. W at Hopkins told me to eliminate it for another four months and try again eating it with high hopes that she would be fine by this point.  

T loves dairy!  LOVES it.  As a baby couldn't get enough of it.  We had him scoped for other reasons, thinking he had EE like MEB.  That came back negative however the test DID reveal that he is extremely lactose intolerant.  UGH!!!!!!!!  The one food group I could count on.  

ML for now is not allowed to have dairy.  We don't know if it is a true trigger for his EE but it was on the list of things we had to eliminate and eventually one day might get to trial back in his diet.  For now though we have to strictly avoid it because it could be a true trigger.

So, I made non-dairy mac and cheese with my daiya pareve cheese, pareve cheesecakes galore with toffuti cream cheese, ML safe lasagna, and lots more.  The kids were so excited.  As well I got them bagels from Heaven Mills in BP, NY.  Boy were they excited.  For the ice cream party for the kids after the 10 commandments we brought our ever so amazing SoDelicious vanilla coconut ice cream.  The one and only ice cream F can have not homemade.   

Off we went to shul.  We sailed through the ice cream party.  No reaction despite the loads of ice cream clad kids.  Double wammy for F as she is also deadly allergic to chocolate.  They had their ice cream slightly away from the rest of the group and off they went to the playground.  Kids were wiped down before they went off to the playground.  Epis were kept close.  Not taking to many risks!  The meal came.  We put the kids at the end of a table.  We decided it was the best time to trial dairy with MEB.  It had been 4 months.  So, I made that one dairy meal worth it!  Boy did I enjoy it.  Not a single hive showed up to play, no breathing issues, no swelling, no eczema flares, no reaction with F.  Amazing!  Even a year ago I never would have thought to attempt it.  In part she has grown and matured so much.  In part the shul has become to amazingly careful and understanding.  MEB did react.  Congestion and more.  A clear cut fail.  

It was an awesomely successful day though even with MEB reacting.  F was able to navigate the real world- people will be eating her allergens around her for the rest of her life.  She was able to do it safely and with maturity.  MEB gave us an answer.  No more, is she really or isn't she.  Yes, she is.  She still has time to outgrow and maybe she won't be as bad as her sister.  But hey, answers we can work with.  ML was a mentch and didn't try to sneak cheese or other dairy which is becoming a problem with him- sneaking foods he can't have.  T while sad didn't have a panic attack nor did he break down in tears which has happened before when he feels left out.  They had their food which they declared Top Chef worthy and had a grand time playing in the playground with their friends.  

We can do this.