The Peanut Parade
Read more about: Motherhood, Peanut Allergy
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Although Turbo Tot had an immediate and acute reaction when she had peanut butter, I still needed to take her to an allergist to confirm she had a peanut allergy. Even though I was such a baby when she got her blood drawn, and knew they’d stick her with more needles at the allergist’s office, I wanted the testing done. I needed to not only confirm she was allergic to peanuts, but I needed to see what else she was allergic to. I couldn’t worry at every meal that she was going to have an adverse reaction to something she ate.
When I made the appointment with the allergist, they said it would take about 2 to 3 hours. Unfortunately, they were exactly right. We were there two and a half hours! By the time we left, everyone who worked there got to see Turbo Tot . . .half naked. Not because we needed a team of professionals, but because she was a one baby peanut parade.
When they test babies for allergies, you take their shirt off and the nurse uses a pen to mark where she’s going to stick the needles with the various allergens. Then you have to wait 15 minutes to see if a bump develops at the injection spot. If it does, your baby is allergic to that food.
The nurse stuck Turbo Tot with six needles and she didn’t cry once. And this time, neither did I! 
But right after the nurse was done, Turbo Tot took off out of the nurse’s station and dashed down the hallway. I don’t call her Turbo Tot for nothing! She wasn’t upset, she just wanted to explore. Since we had 15 minutes to kill, I let her.
She was such a sight! She waddled down the hallway, in and out of various offices and examination rooms, without a shirt on with all these pen marks on her back. She made a lot of friends that day!
When the 15 minutes were up, we went back so the nurse could look for bumps. Surprisingly, the peanut spot didn’t develop a bump. Yeah! Not so much. They had to stick her again and start the 15 minute clock all over again! Turbo Tot wasn’t thrilled about that. But after they jabbed her with a needle between the shoulder blades, she was off and running again. Who could blame her!
The second time, there was large bump at the peanut injection site. So, it’s official. I have one of those kids with a peanut allergy. 
Shannon Hutton draws on her experience working full-time, part-time and from home with three kids to blog about the universal challenge of achieving work-life balance. She also uses her Master's in Education and professional experience as a School Counselor to address parenting and school issues in her weekly 
Turbo Tot is beautiful AND very brave!
I love that picture - her grin is just too darn cute!
I’m glad that it was confirmed, so she can be all ‘official’ with the allergy - and it sounds like they didn’t find anything else, which is good too… She’s a real trooper!
She’s beautiful!
I’m glad you confirmed it, too.
My kids would have bolted out the door and been hell to get them back to another needle round.
Turbo Tot is brave.
She is quick! She has such a positive outlook on life, though. At least — the side you show us is very positive and energetic. I hope that the results of the peanut test mean that maybe her allergy is less serious than others, and perhaps the implications will be less dangerous in the future. (Hope, hope, hope)
Ugh, I remember when my sister had allergy tests–she was older than Turbo Tot, but they tested her for like 20 different things in one day. And she was allergic to more than half…not a fun time for her or my Mom.
I hope Turbo Tot outgrows her allergy, but at least you’ve identified it early. Good for all of you for being so brave!
I know it’s tough to deal with a peanut allergy. My husband has one, too. I was surprised at how many foods “may contain traces of nuts” according to food labels!
Good thing you found out it’s just the peanuts she’s allergic to.
Sorry you have to deal with this but it is good ou know now. So many others are dealing with it so you won’t be alone.
Sorry the allergy test was positive, but definitely better to know.
It’s okay to have one of “those kids”. We don’t have a p.b. allergy, but we have a red dye allergy. So Noah wasn’t sallowed to have any of his Valentine candy and I have to monitor what he eats if he goes anywhere new. Luckily, at 5 years old, he has learned to recognize and ask and if he gets something that he can’t eat, I trade it with him for something he can. That way it doesn’t feel like a punishment.
She is brave with boundless spirit.
Just like her MOM.
We will get through this together.
Love DAD
Hi Shannon. I haven’t checked in with you for awhile, but I am glad I did today. So many kids have allergies these days and people are so careful about it. Try not to worry.
(PS, I think it’s so cute your husband left you a comment!)
All and all it sounded like it went well. She sounds like a brave child. I do not think I would have handled all those needles that well.
I also love that picture below, she is so cute. Turbo Tot, I love that.
She is too funny!!! She’s one brave little girl too!Well at least you know for certain now!!!
I know just what you are going through. Even though my situation is a little different. My son was tested at five months and it was confirmed that he was allergic to peanuts and eggs. We have been to the er three times in the last six months in a ambulance each time, and the last time i had to administer a epi pen. My son can not even be in the same house if someone is cooking scrambled eggs, I have to read every label because it usually always has peanuts or eggs in it, and some people say that i am neurotic but i have watched the hives spread from his face to the rest of his body, i have heard him start to gurgle because his throat was swelling, and i have watched them stick him with needle after needle, and i absolutely know what it is like to have that child, but it makes him just that much more specail to me.
I just read the second article where you talk about the allergy testing, and i did not know that they actually stuck babies with the allergy needles any more. when i took my son for allergy testing it was the same the nurse maked the spots with the pen but then there was a liquid that they put in each spot, i had to hold my son still for the fifteen minutes, but no needles except for the blood test, and his numbers for the eggs and peanuts are so high that they will not do a skin test for either. and your little turbo tot is beautiful