Carol's Addiction, Braden's Allergies

Braden has had an allergic reaction to peas since he was a baby. Nasty, hives and vomiting variety of allergy. So we totally avoid peas. Well, I shared some of my Belgian chocolate candy bar with him recently, and the good old allergic reaction happened. (That's why you should never share chocolate!) The next day, one of the girl's gave him some more, unknowingly setting off the allergy once again. I decided it was time for allergy testing to find out what all he's allergic to. Monday I took him in for a blood draw to check for antibodies, and today we went for the skin prick test. He is allergic to most tree nuts (allergic to black walnut, but not English walnut- go figure) and peas. Peanuts are fine, thank goodness. I asked the doctor about the antibody thing. Up until recently, Braden hasn't had any molars, so he really hasn't eaten much in the way of nuts in his 2 1/2 years of life. So if he's never been exposed, would he even have antibodies for those allergens? Yes. He could have been sensitized through eating other foods manufactured in the same plant as tree nuts, or through breastmilk. Bingo. I now see the error in eating at least one chocolate bar a day while nursing. But seriously, how else could I survive homeschooling three kids with a toddler and a newborn? Chocolate is my cure-all. And what's the point of living in Europe, if not to have daily access to the best chocolates? Honestly.