Never 100% Sure

When the Babe gets sick, it goes straight to her chest.  Usually she has a bronchial cough, and lately, trouble breathing.  This is due to her asthma.  While sick, she's been pretty good about taking her inhaler, but medicine is another story.  Yesterday, when it was really bothering her, she'd ask for medicine, only to turn away when I would try to give her any.  I probably threw out five different doses, which was very frustrating.

The challenge with the Babe is knowing when something is just a common cold and what is a reaction.  When she threw up Monday, it was pretty clear it was from the cold.  Yesterday, she again vomited, but I wasn't sure what was the cause.  My confusion was because we tried something new.  She's been asking lately to make pizza.  So, using the GF Bisquick mix, together we made the crust (she's had this product before, so it wasn't this).  Then, added bottled sauce and some Daiya soy cheese.  There was nothing in the sauce she hasn't had, so it shouldn't have been that.  The soy cheese though created the conundrum.  In the middle of the ingredient list is coconut oil.  She hasn't had coconut in over a year.  Her last skin test showed she was negative, and could have it, but we haven't tried  it yet.  When she previously reacted to coconut, she had a minor case of hives (one or two, immediately treated with Benadryl). 

When the "pizza" was done, she had a few very tiny nibbles.  She probably didn't even have one full thread of the soy cheese.  I watched her, and she seemed fine.  Then, about thirty minutes later, she wanted more but I opted not to.  Instead I gave her banana.  After having half a banana, she started choking and gagging.  And then throwing up.  So if she wasn't sick, I would definitely say she reacted to something.  However, this cold is causing a lot of mucus, and on occasion, gagging.  Later in the day she had the same pre-vomiting symptoms which was clearly from the cold.  As such, I think the earlier incident was from the cold, but not 100% sure.  No more soy cheese for her, and I'll be watching next time she has a banana. 

Living with a child with food allergies requires constant observation and questioning.  And a lot of time there are no answers.  We avoid what we know is a problem, and hope there are no new ones on the horizon.