Not eggs-aggerating.

Jack Everett has outgrown several of his allergies but we believe he is still extremely allergic to eggs. Because we have not had the battery of skin tests performed in quite some time, ($75 co-pay and one heck of an office visit where little bro is not invited.) we are simply going on observation at this point. He had quite a reaction when he ate the tiny dime-sized sugar cookie center of a Christmas wreath, his lips got all swollen after eating the breaded chicken at Alamo Cafe, and he got all itchy after eating the wrong kind of ice cream. All of these had eggs as an ingredient, so it's easy to put two and two together. We will have him re-tested late this summer, just before school in order to inform the nurses and staff about "No Snack Jack."

Anyway, I went to pick him up from Kid's Quest Wednesday where it was FIESTA NIGHT! All the kids were red and sweaty, including Jack Everett. He plays hard, but is definitely not a fan of getting hot and sweaty and I hadn't seen him THIS red in a long time. I collected his things and walked him to the car, noticing that his face didn't look quite right.

In the car I asked what he had eaten and he said, "It was not a fun night. I didn't get to eat the nachos, I didn't get to eat the candy from the pinata, and then I couldn't even eat the cookies. This is not a fun church." I gave him a dose of Benadryl, which I ALWAYS carry with me, and we headed home.

I feel so sorry for him when he is left out of such activities... however, my instruction to the teachers is: "If it has not been cleared with me before class, he cannot have one bite, lick, or taste." They ALL know.

I was puzzled, thinking, if he hadn't had anything to eat, why were his eyes and lips starting to swell (very slightly) and his skin getting so splotchy? Finally, when we got out of the car at home I saw that there was confetti in his hair.

Aww, then it all made sense to me. He was reacting to the confetti eggs that had been cracked on his head. I couldn't believe he had such a reaction... just to the egg shells contacting his skin!? He said, "Yeah, those confetti eggs were really itchy." I would never have guessed that he would have reacted this way - especially since we decorate Easter eggs... and he touches the outside of the egg.

So, for those of you who watch him... the egg allergy is still very serious. While he no longer requires an EpiPen, I imagine that ingestion of eggs (or food that has touched eggs on a plate), etc. could have a dramatic effect on him.

On a related (really funny) note:

Just last night, I told Jack to go into my room and show Daddy his face... he was having yet another reaction to something. Jeff came out a few minutes later to tell me that the conversation had gone like this:

Jack: "Daddy, I am having a erection."

Jeff: "Um, what did you say?"

Jack: "I am having a erection. Mommy told me to show you."

Jeff: "uh..."

Jack: "Look at my face, Daddy! It's a allergic erection! SEE?"

Jeff: "Oooooooh.... okay... yeah... go ask Mommy for some Benadryl."