We met with the allergist yesterday and after no change in the exima, we are adding corn back into our diet. That makes things so much easier! But the next challenge, pet allergies with a cat that he loves…
Corn is in everything! High fructose corn syrup is the main one… it is a sweetener in just about any commercially product. Baking was more difficult due to the fact that baking powder contains corn starch. We were able to substitute potato starch, and arrowroot powder but these are not cheap replacements. We were able to get these from the local health foods store for around $2.99/lb and this was able to make around 3-4 cups of a recipe. The most we used was in the bread, 2 cups a recipe, but it was worth it! Now that we can use corn again, it will make baking so much easier and less costly. Don’t get me wrong … it was worth it and if I had to keep doing it for my son’s sake I would in a heart beat, but it will be much better all the way around.
Now for the fun… we will start giving our cat a bath every week and limiting the areas of the house that she is able to be in. Other things that we will be doing are:
- Wash bedding frequently in hot water (dust mites, which do not come from animals, are also powerful allergens). Washing flushes away dander that has settled on the bedding.
- Not allow the pet in the car or use washable seat covers.
- Wash your hands after playing with the animal.
- Clean and vacuum regularly.
Things we will try in the near future
- Buy a HEPA filter. All three physicians recommended this. HEPA filters can be portable or home-wide.
- Closing off house-wide ducts to the bedroom and using portable heating and cooling
The last resort will be to “take a vacation” from poor kitty by taking her to live with a friend or family member for a 6-12 month period.
for more information on what you can do to combat pet allergies see http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/how-pets-allergies-can-go-hand-in-paw
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